Class Opening: The Story of the Mandala
Welcome, everyone.

Mantra “With intention, I color my life.”

In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, monks spend days or weeks creating breathtaking sand mandalas—masterpieces made from millions of colored grains. Every detail is crafted with absolute presence and care. When the mandala is finally finished, horns are blown in celebration, and then, in a ritual both humbling and joyful, the entire creation is swept away. The sand is gathered and poured into a flowing river, blessing the land and carrying the energy of the practice out into the world.

This tradition teaches us that our lives are living mandalas, crafted one grain, one moment, one choice at a time. Tonight, our practice is to become mindful artists—placing each breath, movement, and intention as carefully as those grains of colored sand.

Topic 1 – Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows: Precision in Intention
Short Talk:
Every mandala begins with a vision—and with each grain of sand, the monks place their full attention on exactly where it should go. In life, it’s the same. Where we aim our focus, our energy naturally follows.
In target practice, there’s a saying: “Aim big, miss big. Aim small, miss small.” The more precise our attention, the more likely we are to manifest the reality we dream of. Your intention is the first color in your mandala—it guides every choice and action that follows. When we focus on a single quality—compassion, gratitude, courage—we bring it to life, grain by grain, moment by moment.

Metaphor:
Like a skilled archer drawing the bow, the entire body and mind align toward a single target. Precision of focus, not force, creates the result.

Quotes:

“Where focus goes, energy flows.”

“Aim big, miss big. Aim small, miss small.”

“Every step taken in mindfulness brings us one step closer to healing ourselves and the planet.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“What you do in this moment shapes all the moments to come.” – David Scott

Call to Action:
Before we begin, pick one quality or intention—your target for this practice. Throughout class, keep returning your focus to that single point, with the care and precision of the monks placing each grain of colored sand. Notice how your energy follows your focus, creating the pattern of your mandala—and your life.

Topic 2 – Grain by Grain: Your Lifetime Mandala
Short Talk:
The monks create the mandala one grain at a time, patiently, fully present with each colored speck. Our lives are no different. Each day, each word, each kindness, every breath is a grain of sand in the mandala of your lifetime. It’s rarely the grand gestures that define us, but the small choices, the care we bring to ordinary moments. These grains, stacked one atop the other, become your masterpiece—unique, intricate, and utterly unrepeatable.
When you step back, you realize your lifetime is a mosaic, revealing its beauty only when you pause and notice the pattern all those tiny moments have made.

Metaphor:
Imagine your life as a vast mosaic, each tile a memory, a kindness, a challenge overcome. When you step back, you see the beautiful, complex pattern only you could have created.

Quotes:

“Do the best you can with what you know. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

“No mud, no lotus.”

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”

“The most important part that happens during a yoga class is not what happens outside the body, but what happens inside the body.” – David Scott

Call to Action:
Tonight, let your attention rest on the little things—your breath, a gentle transition, a small act of self-kindness. Trust that these moments, like grains of colored sand, are shaping your life’s mandala.

Topic 3 – Embracing Impermanence: Celebrating Change
Short Talk:
After weeks of loving care, the monks sweep away the mandala. The blowing of horns marks not loss, but celebration—impermanence honored and embraced.
In our own lives, nothing lasts forever: not youth, not pain, not even happiness. When we stop clinging and allow things to change, we can finally appreciate the gift of each moment for what it is.

Metaphor:
Like blowing out birthday candles, letting go doesn’t end the celebration—it carries your wish into the world.

Quotes:

“The trouble is, you think you have time.” – The Buddha

“Let go of something, somewhere.” – Danna Faulds

“Lie is a balance of holding and letting go.”

“Everything changes. Nothing clings.”

Call to Action:
As you practice tonight, notice where you’re holding on—tension, expectation, old thoughts. With each exhale, gently let something go. Celebrate the freedom in impermanence.

Topic 4 – Pouring the Sand into the River: Blessing the World
Short Talk:
When the mandala is swept up, the monks pour the sand into a river. Their creation is given back to nature, blessing all beings as it flows away.
So too, when we act with awareness and loving intention, our presence ripples outward—sometimes touching lives we’ll never meet.

Metaphor:
Rain falls on mountaintops and eventually becomes a river, nourishing distant valleys. Your presence here creates ripples of kindness far beyond this room.

Quotes:

“Remember the entrance to the sanctuary is inside you.” – Rumi

“Breath, the universe is taking care of everything else.”

“Our true nature is like a precious jewel: although it may be temporarily buried in mud, it remains completely brilliant and unaffected.” – Pema Chödrön

“Sunshine is a great disinfectant. Shine that light of awareness into the darkest parts of our soul.” – David Scott

Call to Action:
Dedicate your practice, your calm, or a single breath tonight to someone or something beyond yourself. With each exhale, send your blessing out—like the sand flowing into the river.

Topic 5 – Trusting the Mandala: The Wisdom of the Journey
Short Talk:
No monk ever knows exactly how the mandala will turn out. They trust the process and marvel at the pattern as it is revealed. Our lives are just the same: sometimes, all we can do is bring presence to the next grain, the next step, and trust that something beautiful is being woven.

Metaphor:
A tapestry only reveals its pattern after many threads have been woven. You are both the weaver and the thread—have faith in what is unfolding.

Quotes:

“When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.” – Zen story

“Retire to the center of your being, which is calmness.” – Yogananda

“It is the possibility of a dream coming true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good in your life and reach for great.” – David Scott

Call to Action:
Let go of how your practice, your life, or even this class “should” unfold. Trust the unique pattern that is forming. Know that you are enough—grain by grain, moment by moment. Your life is a masterpiece.