Trees in a forest grow differently—some tall, some crooked—but they all reach for the light. In a forest, diversity makes it stronger and more resilient. Just like the trees, our differences can make us collectively stronger when we respect each other’s unique paths.

The Tapestry Metaphor
A tapestry is made up of many different threads of varying colors, textures, and lengths. On their own, these threads might seem insignificant or disjointed, but when woven together, they create a beautiful and intricate design. Opposites create contrast. Each thread brings its unique qualities to the tapestry, and it is the combination of these differences that gives the final piece its strength and beauty.

Lesson: Just like a tapestry, a community is made richer and more beautiful by the diversity of its members. Each person’s unique perspective contributes to a more vibrant and resilient whole.

The Two Village Metaphor:

Imagine two villages on opposite sides of a river. The villagers share the same basic needs and desires: to live peacefully, care for their families, and seek happiness. They have different customs and traditions, but at heart, they are very much alike.

Two leaders rise up, one in each village, and to maintain their power, they spread stories of fear, convincing their people that those on the other side are enemies. The villagers, who have never met, become suspicious and afraid, and walls of misunderstanding begin to rise.

The leaders grow stronger, as the media amplifies the fear, but the truth is that the people have more in common with each other than with the leaders who divide them.

One day, a child from one village crosses the river and discovers that the people on the other side are just like them—kind and curious. They return to their village, sharing what they have learned. Slowly, others cross the river too, and they realize the real division was never between them, but in the stories they were told.

They begin to tear down the walls and build bridges, understanding that unity and communication make them stronger than the fear that once kept them apart.

The Orchestra Analogy
An orchestra is composed of different instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Each instrument has its unique sound, range, and way of producing music. If an orchestra were made up of only violins, the music would lack depth and variety. But when all the instruments come together, they create a harmonious and dynamic sound that is far richer than any single instrument could achieve on its own.

Lesson: Like an orchestra, a community benefits from a variety of voices, perspectives, and talents. When these differences are brought together in harmony, the result is a more vibrant and dynamic experience.

To help your yoga students navigate conversations with friends and family who have different political viewpoints, you can offer the following advice based on Buddhist principles:

1. Practice Right Speech (Samma Vaca)
   Right Speech, one of the steps in the Noble Eightfold Path, emphasizes speaking truthfully, kindly, and without causing harm. Encourage your students to focus on words that promote understanding and compassion rather than division. Remind them to ask themselves before speaking: “Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?” If the answer is “no” to any of these, it might be best to remain silent or change the subject.
2. Cultivate Loving-Kindness (Metta)
   Metta, or loving-kindness, is about extending unconditional love and goodwill to all beings, regardless of their views. Encourage your students to approach conversations with a warm-hearted intention. Instead of seeing the other person as an adversary, they can silently wish for their well-being, happiness, and peace. This shift in perspective can soften interactions and reduce conflict.
3. Embrace Non-Attachment (Upadana)
   Buddhism teaches that attachment to views and opinions can cause suffering. Encourage your students to hold their beliefs with an open hand rather than a clenched fist. This means being willing to listen and understand others’ perspectives without feeling personally threatened or needing to win an argument. Non-attachment doesn’t mean giving up one’s beliefs but rather being open to the humanity in others.
4. Listen with a “Third Ear”
   Encourage deep, compassionate listening—a concept similar to listening with a “third ear.” Instead of preparing a response or a counter-argument while the other person is speaking, students can practice truly hearing what is being said and trying to understand the emotions and experiences behind those words. This kind of listening fosters connection and empathy, helping to find common ground.
5. Find Common Values
   Remind students to focus on shared values rather than differences in opinions. Often, beneath the surface of political disagreements are common desires for safety, love, fairness, and well-being. Encourage them to ask open-ended questions to uncover these shared values, such as: “What matters most to you?” or “What kind of world do you want to live in?”
6. Set Boundaries with Compassion
   Teach students that it is okay to set boundaries if a conversation becomes too heated or hurtful. They can express their feelings calmly and assertively, saying something like, “I value our relationship too much to let politics drive a wedge between us. Can we agree to disagree on this topic?” This approach maintains respect and love while protecting personal peace.
7. Reflect on Interconnectedness (Paticca-Samuppada)
   Buddhist teachings on interdependence remind us that we are all connected. The idea of “Dependent Origination” suggests that nothing exists in isolation; we are all part of a larger whole. Encourage your students to see the bigger picture: that each person’s experiences and beliefs are shaped by countless factors, and that our well-being is ultimately linked. Focusing on this interconnectedness can help soften hard divisions.
8. Use Mindfulness to Stay Present
   Advise students to stay present and centered during challenging conversations by using mindful breathing or grounding techniques. Encourage them to notice their body’s reactions—tightness in the chest, a racing heart—and use their breath to create space between their reactions and responses. This practice helps maintain calm and prevents escalation.
9. Remember the Four Immeasurables
   Teach the Four Immeasurables: Loving-Kindness (Metta), Compassion (Karuna), Joy (Mudita), and Equanimity (Upekkha). These principles can guide interactions toward understanding and peace. For example, practicing equanimity means remaining calm and balanced even when faced with differing opinions.

Bamboo is the fastest growing biomass on the planet! Maybe…. but not so fast….

Bamboo does not flower often. It could take a human lifetime of 65 to 120 years, for them to even flower at all. In order to guarantee survival, bamboo miraculously bloom spontaneously (called gregarious flowering). By flowering all at once, even 100 miles apart, they overwhelm predators with such an abundance of seeds at one time that the odds are favorable for some to sprout and survive.

The Chinese Bamboo Tree requires the perfect conditions of water, fertile soil, and sunshine to grow at all. In the first year of a seed’s planting, we see no visible signs of activity. In the second year, again, no growth above the soil. The third, the fourth, still nothing. Our patience is being tested. You may begin to give up, as you wonder if your efforts of caring for the seeds are in vein.

Finally in the fifth year – behold, a miracle! We experience growth. And what exponential growth it is! The Chinese Bamboo Tree grows 80 feet in just six weeks! This growth spurt can be 36 inches (91cm) in just 24-hours. You can almost watch it grow, at speeds of up to 1.6 inches per hour.

How could this happen, does the Chinese Bamboo Tree really grow 80 feet in six weeks? Did the Chinese Bamboo Tree lie dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth? Or, was the little tree growing underground, developing a resilient root system, strong enough to support weight and its potential for outward growth in the fifth year and beyond?

The answer is, of course, obvious. Had the tree not developed a strong unseen foundation it could not have sustained its life as it grew. The same principle is true for people.

Trees in a forest grow differently—some tall, some crooked—but they all reach for the light. In a forest, diversity makes it stronger and more resilient. Just like the trees, our differences can make us collectively stronger when we respect each other’s unique paths.

DURING CLASS

“As we move through our practice today, let’s remember that patience is the companion of wisdom. It’s not just about the ability to wait, but about keeping a good attitude while waiting. Feel the rhythm of your breath as it guides you into this moment, and know that this patience is also a form of action.”

During Standing Poses (e.g., Warrior II, Triangle Pose):

“Hold steady in this pose and feel the strength in your body. Patience may feel bitter at times, as Aristotle said, but its fruit is sweet. Stay patient, and trust the journey your body is on today.”

Transition to Balance Poses (e.g., Tree Pose, Dancer Pose):

“As you find your balance, remember: ‘Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.’ Notice any wobbles or shifts as part of the process, a necessary step on the path to steadiness.”

During Seated Poses (e.g., Forward Fold, Seated Twist):

“As you fold forward or twist, consider this: ‘Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.’ Let patience guide your movement, feeling each breath and sensation fully.”

Transition to Floor Poses (e.g., Pigeon Pose, Reclined Twists):

“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one we have in mind. As you settle into this stretch, let go of expectations and allow things to unfold naturally. Remember, our gentleness and patience will achieve more than any force.”

Final Resting Pose (Savasana):

“Now, as you rest in stillness, reflect on Tolstoy’s words: ‘The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.’ Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to wait for what you truly deserve. And remember, it is better to travel well than to arrive.”

Closing Thoughts:

“As we close our practice, let’s carry with us the understanding that patience is not passive. It is an active, powerful choice to stay present, to trust the journey, and to move through life with grace. May we all find the strength to let go, the wisdom to wait, and the courage to travel well.”

“Patience is the companion of wisdom. Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” Aristotle

“Stay patient and trust the journey.” Anonymous

“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” Saadi

“Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.”

“Patience is also a form of action.”

“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in your mind.” David G. Allen

“Our gentleness and patience will achieve more than our force.” David Scott

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” Leo Tolstoy

“Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to wait for what you deserve.”

“It is better to travel well than to arrive.”

“No matter how many times we burst into flames, we can always rise from the ashes.”

“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she became a butterfly. Sometime we find ourselves in a dark place and it feels like a tomb, when in fact it is really a womb and we about to blossom.” David Scott

“If you get tired, learn to rest and not to quit.”

Life is amazing. Then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in-between the amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary.

You cannot force things to happen before their time. The Spring Will come and the flowers will blossom, but you cannot force the Spring. The Rain will come, the clouds will cover the sky, the whole thirst of the earth will be gone- but you cannot force it. And this is the beauty… that the more patient you are, the quicker is the coming of Spring. ~ osho

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to living our deepest truth…not going all the way, and not starting.” ~ Buddha

“The stone is always broken by the last stroke. It doesn’t mean that the previous strokes were useless. success is a result of continuous efforts”

“Grow where you are planted.” ~ Unknown

“Sometimes the paths we take are long and hard, but remember: those are always the ones that lead to the most beautiful views.” ~ Unknown

“When you try to stay on the surface of the water, you sink; but when you try to sink, you float.” ~ Zen Proverb

“There are times when silence has the loudest voice.” ~ Leroy Brownlow

To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.” ~ Unkown

“When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.” ~ Buddha

May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.’ ~ unknown

Goals should stretch you in a good way.

What lights up your soul and makes you blossom?

Explain your anger, don’t express it, and you will immediately open the door to solutions instead of arguments.

If you don’t like the music change the song.

“Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” – Charles Glassman

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” – Amelia Earhart

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

Every time you get upset at something, ask yourself if you were to die tomorrow, was it worth wasting your time being angry.

“Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” Jack Kornfield

“Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.” Pema Chodron

“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you lived through it. Honor your path. Trust your journey. Learn, grow, evolve, become.” ~Creig Crippen

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

“If a man would move the world, he must first move himself.” – Socrates

“The man who removes a mountains, begins by removing a small stone.” – Chinese Proverb

“The sky has no limits and neither should your hopes and dreams. Follow that inner voices guiding you towards what lights up your soul and allows your heart to blossom.” David Scott

“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.” ― Maya Angelou

“Don’t chase love. Don’t chase fame. Don’t chase money. Chase being the best version of yourself and those things will chase you.”