“I am clear as the sky, no storm defines me.”

Opening Reflection

Welcome. Tonight, as we step onto our mats, I invite you to pause and breathe. Close your eyes for a moment and feel your feet grounding you into the earth. With each inhale, bring in fresh energy. With each exhale, let go of tension, stress, or anything that is weighing you down.

As you settle into this space, ask yourself three simple questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? These questions help us peel back the layers of noise that distract us. Too often, we mistake ourselves for the chaos around us, or for the anxious, restless mind. But mindfulness pulls back the veil of ignorance and reminds us that we are not our confusion. We are like the sky—open, clear, and free.

Topic 1 – The Sky Within Us (True Nature)

Reflection: Buddha taught that our true nature is pure, like the sky. Clouds may pass through, but they never stain it. Thoughts and emotions, no matter how heavy, are temporary and shifting. Beneath them, your essence remains clear.

Metaphor: Imagine being on a plane flying through turbulence, surrounded by clouds. Then suddenly, the plane breaks through, and you see the brilliant blue sky stretching endlessly above. That sky was always there, untouched by the storm. So too, your true essence is always present, steady beneath the noise.

Quotes:

“You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather.” – Pema Chödrön

“The more we veer away from our true nature, the more unhappy we feel.” – Donna Goddard

“Yoga is a method for restraining the natural turbulence of thoughts, which otherwise prevent all men, of all lands, from glimpsing their true nature of Spirit.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

“A butterfly does not wonder how it can stop being a caterpillar… it trusts its nature.” – Vironika Tugaleva

Topic 2 – The Umbrella We Don’t Need (Worry and Burdens)

Reflection: Worry is like opening an umbrella on a sunny day. It doesn’t stop the rain from coming later, it just keeps us from enjoying the light right now. So much of what we worry about never happens, yet it steals today’s peace.

And part of being human is overthinking. We all do it. In our minds, we’re often so immersed in trying to solve the Rubik’s Cube puzzle of the day—turning it over and over, trying to line everything up—that we forget to simply be present in who we are. Yoga teaches us to set the cube down, to stop spinning it in our minds, and to return to the clarity of this breath, this body, this moment.

Metaphor: Imagine someone walking down the street on a clear blue day with an umbrella wide open. People stare, but the person insists, “It might rain.” Hours pass, no rain falls, and they’ve spent the whole day under shade instead of sunshine. Worry does the same—it makes us miss the brightness of what is actually here.

Quotes:

“Worry doesn’t solve tomorrow’s problems, it only steals today’s peace.” – David Scott

“It ain’t no use putting up your umbrella till it rains.” – Alice Caldwell Rice

“Every morning has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of worry or the handle of faith.” – Henry Ward Beecher

“If a problem is fixable, there is no need to worry. If not, there is no help in worrying.” – The Dalai Lama

Topic 3 – Perspective Shapes Reality (Perception)

Reflection: We don’t see the world as it is, but as we are. The zebra teaches us perspective: is it black with white stripes or white with black stripes? Neither answer is wrong. How we frame reality creates our experience.

Metaphor: In 1968, astronaut William Anders captured the famous Earthrise photo during Apollo 8. That single image shifted humanity’s vision forever. From space, there are no borders, no divisions—only one fragile, shared home. Sometimes, a change in perspective is all it takes to transform how we see everything.

Quotes:

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Albert Einstein

“The reality of life is that your perceptions—influence everything else you do.” – Roger Birkman

“Just because you are right does not mean I am wrong. You just haven’t seen life from my side.” – Anonymous

“Sometimes when things are falling apart they may actually be falling into place.” – Unknown

Topic 4 – The Anchor of Presence (Stability in Chaos)

Reflection: When the mind races, it’s easy to feel swept away by thoughts, emotions, or the chaos of life. But presence acts as an anchor. It doesn’t stop the waves, but it keeps us steady so we don’t drift into fear or distraction.

Metaphor: Think of a boat anchored in a harbor. The water can rise and fall, storms can come and go, but the anchor holds it in place. Our breath, our awareness, is that anchor—keeping us grounded no matter how wild the seas of the mind may be.

Quotes:

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – The Buddha

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” – Master Oogway

“The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” – Abraham Maslow

“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Topic 5 – The Freedom of Letting Go (Release)

Reflection: Much of our suffering comes from holding on too tightly—to control, to expectations, to stories about who we think we should be. But yoga reminds us that freedom is found in release.

Metaphor: Think of holding your breath. At first, it feels manageable, even comfortable. But the longer you hold, the tighter your chest becomes, the more pressure builds, and the heavier it feels. You can’t hold forever. The instant you let go with an exhale, your body softens, your mind clears, and life flows again.

Letting go is like that exhale. It doesn’t mean losing. It means trusting that release makes space for renewal. Just as every inhale depends on the exhale that came before, every new beginning depends on what we’ve had the courage to release.

Quotes:

“Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.” – Eckhart Tolle

“You only lose what you cling to.” – The Buddha

“Holding on is believing there’s only a past. Letting go is knowing there’s a future.” – Daphne Rose Kingma

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu

Closing Reflection

As we close tonight, remember: you are as clear as the sky, no matter what clouds pass by. You can choose to close the umbrella of worry and step fully into the light of presence. You can shift your perspective and see the world with new eyes. You can anchor yourself in the present moment. And most importantly, you can free yourself by letting go.