Mantra “I am not who I was told to be. I am free to become.”

Topic 1 – The Eye We Trust

Reflection:
Let’s begin with a small exercise. Hold your hands out, make a circle with your thumbs and fingers, and look at something through it. Now bring that circle slowly to your face. Which eye does it land on? That’s your dominant eye ; the one your brain trusts most without question.

This is how our minds work, too. We rely on dominant thoughts, reactions, even beliefs ; not because they’re true, but because they’re familiar. In yoga and Buddhism, these conditioned grooves are called samskaras. They live not only in the mind, but in the body. They shape how we move, how we think, and even how we love. Unless we pause and become aware, we follow them without question.

Metaphor:
Imagine skiing down the same slope every day. Over time, a deep rut forms. Your skis drop into it automatically. It feels natural ; easy, even. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only way down the mountain. You just forgot there were other paths.

Call to Action:
As you move tonight, notice where you fall into familiar grooves. And ask yourself ; what might shift if I try a new track, just for today?

Quotes:
• – “You don’t see things as they are. You see them as you are.” – Anaïs Nin
• – “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Wayne Dyer
• – “Perception is not passive. It is a creative act.” – J. Krishnamurti
• – “The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” – Robertson Davies
• – “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

Topic 2 – The Stories We Inherit

Reflection:
Many of the beliefs that hold us back aren’t even ours. They were handed to us ; by culture, trauma, parents, society. “You’re too much.” “You’re not enough.” We adopt these stories and wear them as truth. But yoga and mindfulness invite us to unlearn what was never truly ours.

Metaphor:
Imagine wearing someone else’s prescription glasses your whole life. The world was always blurry ; but you thought it was normal. Now you get your own pair, and suddenly everything sharpens into clarity.

Call to Action:
Ask: whose voice am I listening to? And what do I actually believe?

Quotes:
• – “We are not held back by who we are, but by who we think we are.” – David Scott
• – “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” – Buddha
• – “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis
• – “To know oneself is to disarm the autopilot.” – David Yglesias
• – “Freedom begins the moment you choose to look again.” – Tara Brach

Topic 3 – The Groove We Fall Into

Reflection:
In yoga philosophy, samskaras are the patterns we repeat unconsciously ; physical, mental, emotional grooves formed by habit. They’re not always bad, but they can keep us stuck in old loops. The work is to recognize them ; and shift. Gently. Over time.

Metaphor:
Think of a record that skips at the same spot over and over. You don’t need to smash the record ; just lift the needle and place it somewhere new.

Call to Action:
Let the breath be your needle. Each conscious inhale or shift in posture is a chance to reset the song.

Quotes:
• – “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.” – Tuli Kupferberg
• – “Change nothing, and nothing changes.” – Buddhist Teaching
• – “Getting stuck is not the problem. Staying stuck is.” – Marc and Angel
• – “Samskaras are not destiny. They are tendencies. You can change your direction.” – Sri Ramana Maharshi
• – “It’s not the load that breaks you, it’s how you carry it.” – Lena Horne

Topic 4 – The Cage with No Door

Reflection:
Sometimes, we live as if we’re still imprisoned by beliefs, when the truth is ; the door has long been open. Freedom isn’t something you earn. It’s something you remember.

Metaphor:
At Jungle Island in Miami, many parrots were born into captivity, raised in cages from the start. Over time, the doors to their cages were opened. Some were even moved to open aviaries where they can fly freely ; no barriers remain. And yet, many of these birds don’t fly away. Not because they can’t ; but because they’ve lived too long believing they weren’t meant to fly.

Call to Action:
What limiting story do you continue to perch on ; even though the sky is already yours?

Quotes:
• – “Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?” – Rumi
• – “You have two choices: settle for what is comfortable, or grow into the unknown.” – Marc and Angel
• – “Life only demands from you the strength you already possess.” – David Scott
• – “Someday you will look back and realize everything worthwhile began by challenging you.” – Marc and Angel
• – “Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion.” – Unknown

Topic 5 – Rewriting the Path

Reflection:
The moment we step off the old path ; the one laid by fear, habit, or someone else’s story ; is the moment we become free. Not because we changed everything overnight, but because we dared to take the next step with intention. Confidence doesn’t come first. The step does.

Metaphor:
Paths aren’t discovered. They’re created. One footstep at a time. Even if you don’t know where it leads ; trust that walking is the way.

Call to Action:
Step differently today ; in body and in mind. Every step creates your new path.

Quotes:
• – “Paths are made by walking, not waiting.” – Marc and Angel
• – “You can’t become who you’re meant to be by staying who you are.” – Oprah
• – “You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?” – Rumi
• – “The secret to living longer is to eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure.” – Tibetan Proverb
• – “We waste our time waiting for the ideal path. But it never appears. Walking is the only way forward.” – Marc and Angel