“Is It Time for a Bigger Pot?”

“As you settle into your practice tonight, I invite you to reflect on this question: Have you learned something new today? Understanding others begins with understanding ourselves. By exploring our own darkness, we cultivate the compassion needed to navigate the shadows we encounter in others.

The 4th Niyama, Svādhyāya, from the Yoga Sutras, encourages us to always seek knowledge. As we expand our consciousness, our reality shifts and grows. Just as a rising tide lifts all boats in a lagoon, our deepening understanding of ourselves and the universe helps dissolve ignorance. Together, we awaken and elevate the vibration of our planet. One day, we will fully realize that we are all interconnected, and harming others or our beloved Earth will no longer make sense.

I love to garden, and I’ve learned that a plant’s growth is limited by the size of its pot. Studies show that doubling the size of a plant’s pot can make it grow over 40% larger. Similarly, our consciousness is constrained by the limited boundaries of our mind’s perception. What reality is your mind projecting based on these boundaries?

Tonight, use your practice as a tool to break through the barriers of ignorance. As you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, remain eager to learn something new each day. Like a lotus flower opening to the light, your mind will continue to expand and blossom, just like the ever-growing universe.”

“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.” — Chinese proverb

There are hidden lessons in every struggle. In your practice tonight listen for the lesson.

“In meditation and in our daily lives there are three qualities that we can nurture, cultivate, and bring out. We already possess these, but they can be ripened: precision, gentleness, and the ability to let go.” – Pema Chodron

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

“The study of asana is not about mastering posture. It’s about using posture to understand and transform yourself.” – B.K.S Iyengar

“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

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

“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

Remain low and humble like the ocean… Allow the rivers and streams to flow to you.

“All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them.” The Lao Tzu

Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up. …

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. – …

Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.

Yoga teaches us to create a life that feels good on the inside and not just the outside.

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

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

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

Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. You are like that too. You are so beautiful but you just cant see it.

Anger

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned”. –Buddha.

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured”. –Mark Twain.

“Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind”. –Robert Green Ingersoll

“Anger is like a storm rising up from the bottom of your consciousness. When you feel it coming, turn your focus to your breath”. –Thich Nhat Hanh

Maybe tonight give yourself permission to forgive someone. Maybe not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve the freedom.

“She did not know the weight, until she felt the freedom.” Scarlet Letter

Don’t go where there is path, make your own path and instead leave a trail

When you are looking in the mirror, you are looking at the problem. But, remember, you are also looking at the solution.

You’re only as young as your spine is flexible. Quality of life is determined by our health.

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.

“Use your voice for kindness, your ears for empathy, your hands for helping others, your mind for truth, and your heart for compassionate love.” – David Scott

“We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things from our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, you are the brave survivor that continues moving forward in spite of them.” David Scott

“And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~ Anais Nin

The Clown Prayer:

As I stumble through this life,

help me to create more laughter than tears,

dispense more happiness than gloom,

spread more cheer than despair.

Never let me become so indifferent,

that I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child,

or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged.

Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people,

make them happy, and forget momentarily,

all the unpleasantness in their lives.

And in my final moment,

may I hear You whisper:

“When you made My people smile,

you made Me smile.”