Story: The Bamboo and the Oak

Once upon a time in a dense forest, there stood a mighty oak tree and a slender bamboo plant. The oak tree, proud of its strength and height, often looked down on the bamboo. “Look at you,” the oak would say, “so thin and weak. You sway with the slightest breeze while I stand firm against the strongest winds.”

One day, a massive storm swept through the forest. The oak, true to its nature, stood tall and firm, bracing itself against the powerful winds. The bamboo, however, bent and swayed with the wind, almost touching the ground. The storm raged on, and eventually, the oak could no longer withstand the force. It was uprooted and fell to the ground with a tremendous crash. The bamboo, on the other hand, continued to bend and sway but remained rooted and intact.

When the storm passed, the bamboo stood back up, unbroken and still growing. The oak, once proud and mighty, lay defeated on the forest floor. The bamboo whispered to the fallen oak, “It is not always the strongest that survives, but those who can bend with the winds of change.”

Talk: Embracing Sthira and Sukha in Yoga and Life

Welcome, everyone. Today, I’d like to share a story about a mighty oak tree and a slender bamboo plant, which teaches us a profound lesson from the Yoga Sutras. In Sutra 2:46, we encounter the principle of “Sthira Sukham Asanam.” “Sthira” means steady, stable, grounded, or strong, and “Sukha” means comfortable, easy, or peaceful.

The oak tree represents “Sthira” – strong and unwavering. The bamboo embodies “Sukha” – flexible and adaptable. Both qualities are essential, not only in our yoga practice but in our daily lives. Just like the oak, we need to cultivate strength and stability to face challenges and stand our ground. But, as the bamboo teaches us, we also need to be flexible and adaptable, bending with the winds of change without breaking.

In our yoga practice today, let’s focus on finding this balance. As we move through our asanas, aim to find both strength and ease in each pose. Ground yourself firmly, but also allow yourself to be flexible and gentle. This balance will help us create a practice that is both sustainable and nurturing.

As we transition from one pose to another, remind yourself to breathe deeply and maintain a sense of ease. Notice if you’re holding tension somewhere and see if you can soften those areas while maintaining stability. This practice of integrating “Sthira” and “Sukha” will not only enhance our physical practice but also bring harmony and resilience into our lives.

Remember, like the bamboo, it’s okay to bend. It’s okay to yield to the moment, to adapt and flow with life’s changes. And like the oak, find your roots, your strength, and let that support you.

Let’s carry this principle into our practice today and into our lives, finding that beautiful balance between strength and ease.

The Businessman and The Greek Fisherman

A New York Investment Banker from New York City, took a vacation to a small Greek coastal village in Santorini. With jet lag, he was unable to sleep and he walked the pier. A small boat with just one fisherman had docked and inside the boat were several large tuna.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” he asked.

“Only a little while” the Greek fisherman replied.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” he asked.

“I have enough to support my family and give a few to friends,” the Greek fisherman said as he unloaded them into a basket.

“But …. What do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman looked up and smiled” I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a nap with my wife and stroll into the village, where I sip wine and play guitar and sing with my friends”.

The businessman laughed “Sir I have and MBA from Harvard and I can help you. You should fish more, and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. In no time you could have several boats with the increase haul. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Then instead of selling your catch to the middleman, you could sell directly to the consumers. You could vertically integrate, controlling the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal village and move to the Athens to run your expanding empire.”

The fisherman asked “But, sir, that sounds exhausting, how long will all this take?”

“15- 20 years, 25 tops” said the businessman.

“But what then?” asked the fisherman.

The businessman laughed and said “That’s the best part, when the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions”.

“Millions? Then what?” asked the fisherman.

The businessman replied, “Then you could retire and move to a small coastal fishing village, where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a nap with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine, play guitar and sing with your friends.”

Approach your practice with no expectations. Instead of asking yourself what you hope to get out of your practice, ask yourself what you would like to get rid of….

“Imagine your Yoga Mat as a mirror to look at ourselves from within during our practice” – David Scott

“Experience the boundaries in your practice tonight. Explore and identify where the restrictions are in your body, your heart and your mind. What is preventing you from going just a little deeper and farther in your practice and life? Let your practice dance on the edges of these limitations, like dew on the tip of a leaf. “- David Scott

Sthira sukham asanam Sthira’ means steady or stable or grounded or strong and ‘Sukha’ means comfortable or easy (or ‘easeful’) or peaceful.

Yoga practice – dreaming while awake

“Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame.” ― B.K.S Iyengar

Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” ― B.K.S Iyengar

Mantra – Note to self: “I do not have to set myself on fire to keep others warm.”

“Please all, and you will please none.” – Aesop Be a voice. Not an echo.

You have set yourself on fire to keep others warm for so long, but inside your soul is shivering. Your voice is shaking and raspy from all the times you wanted to say no but said yes. Use that last match to rekindle your inner flame. Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind and emotions. Decide this minute to never again clip your own wings just to make someone happy, never again beg yourself for the love, respect, and attention that you should be showing to yourself.

When someone rejects or abandons you, it isn’t actually about you. It’s about them and their own limitations and needs. Your value does not decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth

“When you listen to yourself, everything comes naturally. It comes from inside, like a kind of will to do something. Try to be sensitive. That is yoga.” ― Petri Räisänen

Sometimes you don’t know what you need in life until you experience what you don’t

“The yoga pose you avoid the most you need the most.”

We often pray to God to change our situation, not realizing that maybe we were placed in that situation, to change us. After every struggle there is an opportunity to succeed!

If you think adventure is dangerous, try boredom, it is deadly. Paulo Coelho

“Whenever you are in doubt, it is best to pause. Few things are so pressing that they cannot wait for a moment of breath.” – T.K.V. Desikachar

“The greatest wealth is health. We tend to feel our illnesses, but we seldom feel or appreciate our health.”- David Scott

“Healthy plants and trees yield abundant flowers and fruits. Similarly, from a healthy person, smiles and happiness shine forth like the rays of the sun.” – B.K.S. Iyengar “The Light that YOGA sheds on Life is something special. It is transformative. It does not change the way we see things; it transforms the person who sees.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” Dalai Lama

“You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to. Sometimes silence is better than being right.

“I often wonder, on that last conscious breath, as my spirit leaves my body, what thought will play across the canvas of my mind. I pray it will not be about the meaningless drama of the day, or regrets about what could have been, I pray instead that it be a thought of gratitude and joy for a life well lived.” – David Scott

“Real peace is not in power, money, or weapons, but in deep inner peace.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Listen to the inner light; it will guide you. Listen to inner peace; it will feed you. Listen to inner love; it will transform you.” – Sri Chinmoy

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu

“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” —Wayne W. Dyer

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” – Swami Vivekananda

“The quickest way to experiencing the peace inside, is to learn to recognize when I am not at peace.” ― Jim McDonald

“Chasing after the world brings chaos. Allowing it all to come to me, brings peace.”– Zen Gatha

“Choose your thoughts carefully. Keep what brings you peace, release what brings you suffering, and know that happiness is just a thought away.” – Nishan Panwar

“True meditation is about being fully present with everything that is including discomfort and challenges. It is not an escape from life.” ― Craig Hamilton

From Mother Theresa:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.

“We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be achieved unless we first establish peace within our own minds.” ― Geshe Kelsang Gyatso