Warm Dharma Flow Yoga
Theme:
Listening to Your Inner Wisdom: The Courage to Think for Yourself

Mantra for tonight:
I honor my inner wisdom. I walk my unique path with courage.

Opening (2 minutes)
Welcome everyone. As we gather in the week of Independence Day, let’s take a moment to honor the freedom we enjoy in our country, the USA. But let’s also remember that true freedom starts inside each of us—the freedom to think for ourselves, to question what we’ve been taught, and to live from our deepest truth. In a world full of noise and opinions, your quiet inner voice is a rare and powerful gift. Tonight, let’s celebrate both our nation’s independence and our own inner independence—by really listening to that voice within.

Topic 1 – The Courage to Question: Lighting Your Own Lamp
Reflection:
True independence starts when you’re willing to question what you’ve been told and listen to the voice inside. Yoga isn’t about just following; it’s about using your own experience and insight to find what’s true for you. You are not a sheep, blindly following a herd or spoon fed what the media wants you to think. You are a tiger—moving with purpose, strength, and stealth. A tiger knows when to rest and when to act. The tiger does not travel in packs. It goes where its own heart encourages it to go.

Metaphor:
Like a tiger in the wild, you trust your instincts, choosing your own path instead of following the crowd. Sometimes the only light you have is the one you carry inside, and that’s enough to find your way.

Quotes:

“The real enemy of truth is not ignorance, doubt, or even disbelief. It is false knowledge.”

“Socrates said, ‘I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.’”

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” —T. S. Eliot

“Don’t listen to those who stir you up. Don’t listen to others who put you to sleep. Respect them all. Thank them all. Then remember, there is a bird singing only you can hear.” —Jack Kornfield

“You learn nothing from life if you think you’re right all the time.”

Topic 2 – Dharma, Adharma, and Your Inner Compass
Reflection:
We talk about dharma—living rightly—but only you can truly know what’s right for you. Adharma, its opposite, means living out of alignment with your own truth. Instead of getting caught up in outside rules, tune in to your own compass. Yoga is the courage to follow your own sense of right and wrong.

Metaphor:
Picture a chef in a kitchen full of recipes. Everyone swears their recipe is the best, but the chef has to taste, adjust, and season the dish themselves. Your flavor of dharma is found in your own experience.

Quotes:

“My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

“As long as you search for the Buddha in others, you will never find it within yourself.”

“Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except yourself.”

“A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.”

“Understand your own self first, then you will be ready to understand everything else.”

Topic 3 – Authenticity Over Approval
Reflection:
The world often wants us to fit in, but yoga teaches us to be real. When we put on a mask for others, we lose touch with who we really are. Authenticity takes courage, but it’s the only way to truly belong. It’s okay to be different—it’s okay to be you.

Metaphor:
Think of a jazz musician in a big band. Everyone has the same sheet music, but the magic happens in the solo, when the musician lets go and plays from the heart.

Quotes:

“Never trade your authenticity for approval.”

“The things that make me different are the things that make me me.” —Winnie the Pooh

“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not in the branch but in her own wings.”

“In order to live our best life, we have to calm our anxiety about disappointing other people and not being good enough, and find the courage to be true to ourselves.” —Eugene Choi

“Real people are never perfect, and perfect people are never real.”

Topic 4 – The Gift of Self-Knowledge
Reflection:
Yoga is the journey of discovering who you really are—not what you’ve been told to be. Like butterflies who can’t see their own wings, we often miss our own beauty and strength. Self-knowledge is the greatest gift you can give yourself; it’s the foundation for every other kind of growth.

Metaphor:
Picture an artist painting a self-portrait while looking only in a funhouse mirror. The image will always be distorted. To see yourself clearly, you have to step away from the world’s warped reflections and look directly within.

Quotes:

“One of the greatest impurities of man is a lack of knowledge of self.” —Dharma Mitra

“I have been a seeker and I still am, but I stopped asking the books and the stars. I started listening to the teaching of my Soul.” —Rumi

“All the wonders you seek are within yourself.”

“It is of practical value to learn to like yourself. Since you must spend so much time with yourself you might as well get some satisfaction out of the relationship.” —Norman Vincent Peale

“Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that too.”

Topic 5 – The Courage to Grow: Play the First Note
Reflection:
Growth means daring to step beyond what’s familiar and taking responsibility for your journey. The sharpest part of a blade is right on the edge. Your edge is where transformation happens. Trust yourself enough to step into the unknown. As you do, you light the way for others.

Metaphor:
Picture a musician about to play a brand new instrument. The first note is always uncertain—maybe a little off key—but it’s the only way to learn its sound and discover the music inside. Your edge is like that: only by trying something new do you discover your next song.

Quotes:

“The sharpest part of a blade is right on the edge. Find that edge in your practice.”

“The man who removes a mountain begins by removing a small stone.” —Chinese Proverb

“Life only demands from you the strength you already possess.”

“We are always growing and evolving into a better version of ourselves.”

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” —Rumi

Closing Mantra
“I trust my light. I honor my truth. I am enough.”