Mantra:
“I slow down. I see clearly. I choose differently.”

Opening Reflection (2–3 minutes)
Welcome.

In Western medicine, we often treat symptoms — the tension, the anxiety, the sleeplessness – treat it with a wonder pill. In Buddhism, we learn to go deeper — to understand and heal the roots of our suffering holistically.

We expend so much energy trying to hold ourselves together, masking our vulnerability. But beneath every sharp edge is a longing to feel safe. Beneath every burst of anger, a wound that hasn’t healed. Beneath sadness, often, is the fear that time is slipping away.

Buddhist practice reminds us that peace doesn’t come from perfection — it comes from presence. From self-acceptance. From noticing what’s actually going on beneath the surface.

Tonight, we’re not trying to perform or impress. We’re here to slow down. To peel back the layers. To see the pattern, find the pause, and choose a new path.

Topic 1 – The Pattern: The Open Fridge Moment

You ever find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator, staring at the shelves — and you’re not even hungry? It’s automatic. You didn’t think about it. Your feet just brought you there. And even though there’s nothing new inside, you keep checking. That’s how patterns work. They don’t need a reason — they just need a trigger.

Buddhism teaches us: awareness breaks the cycle. When you see the pattern, it stops running the show. You don’t have to fight it. You just have to see it.

Metaphor:
The fridge doesn’t change. But we keep opening it — hoping it’ll fill something inside us. It’s not about food. It’s about habit. About reaching for something — anything — to soothe what we haven’t yet sat with.

Quotes:

“The mind repeats what the heart hasn’t healed.” – Unknown

“You can’t change what you don’t notice.” – David Scott

“What you are not changing, you are choosing.” – Unknown

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.” – Eckhart Tolle

“Patterns are not prisons when seen clearly.” – Jack Kornfield

Call to Action:
As you begin your practice, ask:
Where am I opening the same fridge in my life — hoping for something new?
What am I actually hungry for?

Topic 2 – The Pause: Hold the Cup with Both Hands

There’s a split second — right before the reaction, the habit, the spill — where choice lives. In Buddhism, that pause is sacred. It’s where mindfulness begins. The breath that comes before the impulse. The heartbeat before the reply.

If we can catch that moment, we can change everything.

Metaphor:
Years ago, I used to rush out the door every morning — shirt half-tucked, coffee in one hand, keys and phone in the other. Almost every day, without fail, I’d show up with a fresh coffee stain down my shirt. I blamed the lid. I blamed potholes. Eventually, I realized it wasn’t the coffee’s fault — it was my pace. I started waking up five minutes earlier, holding the cup with both hands… and the spills stopped. Not because the world changed — but because I did.

Moral: The pause doesn’t just protect your shirt — it changes how you move through life.

Quotes:

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our power to choose.” – Viktor Frankl

“Mindfulness is the pause that makes room for grace.” – David Scott

“One conscious breath in and out is a meditation.” – Eckhart Tolle

“Peace is this moment without judgment.” – Dorothy Hunt

“If you want to understand the mind, sit down and watch it.” – Ajahn Chah

Call to Action:
In this next sequence, practice holding each pose like that cup of coffee — with both hands. With care. With intention. When things get shaky, pause. Breathe. Then choose your next move.

Topic 3 – The Path: Choosing Differently

The power of practice is not in stopping the pattern once — it’s in learning how to choose differently over time. The pattern may still show up. But now, you see it. You breathe. You soften. That’s what builds a new path — not force, but consistency with compassion.

Metaphor:
Like deciding today you’re not going to open the fridge when you’re bored. You go for a walk instead. You drink water. You journal. And tomorrow, you’ll have that choice again. And the next day. That’s the path.

Quotes:

“You do not need to know the whole path. Just the next step.” – Buddhist Saying

“You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress.” – Sophia Bush

“It is never too late to turn around.” – Rumi

“With the right view, even returning becomes forward.” – David Scott

“Each moment is a new beginning.” – Lama Surya Das

Call to Action:
During this next sequence, try one small shift. Hold a pose longer. Take a softer breath. Choose presence over pattern.

Topic 4 – Grace for Repetition: The Phone in Your Hand

Tonight, How many of you have already felt the itch to check your phone? Be honest. I’ve been watching — and it’s wild how often we reach for it, even when we’re supposed to be fully present.

You’re not expecting anything urgent. You don’t even know why you’re reaching. And yet… you’re checking. Again. As if the world changed in the last two minutes.

That’s what repetition looks like when it goes unnoticed. Buddhism doesn’t say, “Never check your phone.” It says, “Know when and why you are.” Awareness is freedom. Not perfection.

Metaphor:
Like reaching for your phone out of habit — not intention. You’re not wrong. You’re not weak. You’re just human… caught in a feedback loop. But the moment you notice, the moment you pause — you’re free again.

Moral: The pattern breaks the moment you notice it. That moment is the practice.

Quotes:

“Awareness is the beginning of change.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“You are not stuck. You are practicing.” – Unknown

“If you want to understand your suffering, observe your habits.” – David Scott

“Every time you come back to the breath, you are remembering who you are.” – Jack Kornfield

“The mind is restless — the breath is home.” – Buddhist Teaching

Call to Action:
Challenge yourself: How long can you go without reaching for your phone — not from discipline, but from peace?
In tonight’s practice, notice what you’re reaching for… and gently reach inward instead.

Topic 5 – What You’re Really Hungry For

The next time you find yourself opening the fridge on autopilot, ask: What am I actually craving? Is it rest? Connection? Stillness? What we reach for is often a cover for what we’re really needing. Tonight, ask your body what it needs — not your habits.

Metaphor:
Sometimes we reach for food. Or our phone. Or distraction. But underneath that, we’re hungry for peace. For clarity. For love. Yoga is how we feed that part.

Quotes:

“Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing the best you can.” – Unknown

“Grace means that all your mistakes now serve a purpose.” – Unknown

“You are allowed to walk down another street.” – Portia Nelson

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass

“Breathe. You’re already halfway there.” – Lama Surya Das

Call to Action:
In Savasana, ask yourself — What am I truly hungry for right now? Let your breath nourish that space.

Closing Reflection (Savasana or Seated Stillness)
You are not broken. You are becoming.

The habit to reach, to rush, to react — it’s part of being human. But every moment is a new doorway. Every breath is a chance to choose differently.

The fridge will still be there. The coffee might still spill. The phone will buzz. But now, you know how to pause. To ask. To feel. And to respond with kindness.

You’re allowed to walk down a new path.

Final Blessing (Optional)
“May you pause before the pattern repeats.
May your breath be your anchor, and your awareness your guide.
And when you reach for the old fridge again —
May you smile, breathe, and choose differently.”