Mantra ““In balance, I find peace. In release, I find renewal.”

Fall Equinox Class Plan
Opening

“Welcome. Tonight we gather on the first day of Fall, the equinox—a time of balance, gratitude, and new beginnings. Just as the Earth tilts in perfect balance between day and night, we are invited to find balance within ourselves. This season reminds us to let go of what no longer serves us, to release our worries and burdens, and to open space for gratitude and renewal.

Like the tides that rise and fall, much in life is beyond our control. Tonight’s practice invites us to honor balance, release resistance, and trust the new season unfolding within us.”

Topic 1 – The Balance of the Equinox

Reflection: The equinox is a rare moment when day and night share the sky equally. It teaches us that life is not about eliminating darkness or clinging to light, but finding peace in their balance. Just like yoga poses require both strength and softness, our lives are nourished by both joy and challenge.

Metaphor: Think of a seesaw at perfect balance. Neither side dominates, yet both are essential. Without the weight of both sides, the seesaw could not exist at all.

Quotes:

“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.” — Jana Kingsford

“Peace comes not from the absence of conflict, but from the ability to cope with it.” — Unknown

“In the end, just three things matter: how well we have lived, how well we have loved, and how well we have learned to let go.” — Jack Kornfield

“Every season is one of becoming, but not always one of blooming. Be patient with yourself.” — David Scott

Topic 2 – Letting Go of What We Cannot Control

Reflection: Much of our suffering comes not from life itself, but from clinging to what we cannot control—other people’s choices, the past, or the unknown future. The more we resist, the more drained we become. Letting go does not mean we stop caring, but it means we stop destroying ourselves with resistance.

Metaphor: Picture a child on the beach, carefully building a sandcastle. As the tide begins to rise, the child frantically digs trenches and builds walls to hold the waves back. No matter how hard they try, the water keeps coming. At first, it feels like defeat. But then something shifts. Instead of resisting, the child sits back and watches as the waves reshape the castle into something new. The tide here is like the people, places, and circumstances in our lives that we cannot control. Peace is found not in fighting the tide, but in allowing life to flow and transform what we cannot hold back.

Quotes:

“You only lose what you cling to.” — Buddha

“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.” — Erma Bombeck

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

“You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” — Timber Hawkeye

Topic 3 – The Middle Way

Reflection: The Buddha discovered that neither indulgence nor deprivation leads to peace. For years he practiced extreme fasting and self-denial, believing that starving the body would free the spirit. One day, weakened and close to death, he accepted a simple bowl of rice from a young village girl. His disciples were horrified. They thought he had failed, that he had abandoned his path. But in truth, that was the moment he found it—the Middle Way. He realized that peace is not found in extremes but in balance, moderation, and compassion for oneself and others.

Just as today’s equinox balances day and night in equal measure, the Middle Way invites us to balance strength with softness, effort with ease, giving with receiving. True harmony is found not in pushing to one extreme or the other, but in walking the steady path between.

Metaphor: On the equinox, day and night stand in perfect balance, like two weights on a scale. Too much on one side, and it tips. Too much on the other, and it falls. But when both are equal, there is harmony. The Middle Way is like living on that equinox point every day—walking steadily between effort and ease, light and shadow.

Quotes:

“If you tighten the string too much, it will snap. If you loosen it too much, it will not play.” — Buddha’s teaching

“Moderation in all things.” — Aristotle

“The middle path is the way to wisdom.” — Rumi

“Balance in life is the key to everything. What we do, think, say, eat, feel, must all be in harmony.” — Unknown

Topic 4 – Gratitude for the Harvest

Reflection: The equinox has long been celebrated as a harvest festival—a time to pause and give thanks for the abundance we have received. Gratitude is a form of balance; it shifts our focus from what is missing to what is already here. When we rest in gratitude, our hearts find peace.

Metaphor: Think of a table set for a feast. If we only notice the empty plates, we miss the richness of what is already before us. In the same way, if we focus on those who are no longer at our table, we miss the blessing of those sitting beside us today. Gratitude is turning our gaze to the food already served, the company already present, and the nourishment already offered.

Quotes:

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” — Aesop

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive.” — Marcus Aurelius

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” — Cicero

“Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” — Rumi

Topic 5 – New Season, New Beginning

Reflection: Fall is a season of release and renewal. Trees let go of their leaves not in sadness, but in trust that new life will come again. In our lives, too, we are called to release old habits, resentments, and self-criticism, to make space for gratitude and growth. The first day of Fall is an invitation to begin again.

Metaphor: Think of the storage on your phone. Some photos and videos are treasures you want to keep forever, while others—like screenshots you only needed for a moment—were never meant to stay. When storage is full, the phone cannot hold new memories until we clear the space. Life is the same. We must learn to let go of the temporary things we’ve been holding on to, so there is room for the lasting moments, the real memories that give life meaning.

Quotes:

“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let dead things go.” — Anonymous

“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. Every sunrise begins with new eyes.” — Richie Norton

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom that springs from the soul.” — Henry Ward Beecher

“And suddenly you know… It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” — Meister Eckhart

Closing

“As we step into this new season, may we carry the lessons of the equinox with us—balance, release, gratitude, and renewal. Just as day and night share the sky equally today, may we learn to hold both joy and sorrow, effort and rest, in balance. Just as the tides remind us of what we cannot control, may we learn to let go with grace. Just as the harvest reminds us to give thanks, may we focus not on the empty seats at our table, but on the blessings of those who are with us now. And just as the trees let go of their leaves, may we release what no longer serves us, making space for the beauty yet to come.

The equinox marks not only a shift in seasons but an invitation to begin again. May we walk into this Fall steady, open, and renewed.”