Topic 1 -“The Power of Balanced Energy”

“Imagine the flow of energy like electricity. There are two main types: AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current). DC energy flows in just one direction, always moving forward without ever coming back. It’s like a relationship where one person gives and the other only takes—eventually, the giver becomes drained, and the connection weakens.

But AC energy moves differently. It flows back and forth, creating a balanced exchange. This is like a healthy relationship, where both people give and receive equally. There’s a natural flow, an ease, and a harmony, where neither feels depleted because energy is shared and replenished.

In our lives, we should aim for ‘AC energy’ relationships, where we both give and receive—whether it’s love, support, or understanding. Just like in yoga, balance is key. When energy flows in both directions, we create connections that nourish us and others, leaving us fulfilled and in harmony.”

Topic 2 – The Middle Way (Buddhist Story)
The Middle Way is one of the core teachings of Buddhism, emphasizing the need for balance in all aspects of life. This concept was discovered by the Buddha after years of practicing extreme self-denial, only to realize that such practices were just as harmful as a life of indulgence.

Story: “After leaving his life of luxury, Siddhartha (the Buddha) practiced severe asceticism, believing that depriving the body was the way to enlightenment. He ate barely enough to survive and lived in extreme discomfort. One day, while meditating by a river, Siddhartha overheard a musician teaching a student: ‘If you tighten the string too much, it will snap. If it’s too loose, it won’t play.’ This simple observation led him to understand that neither extreme deprivation nor indulgence would lead to true peace. Instead, the path to enlightenment lay in balance—the Middle Way.”

Lesson: In relationships, balance is key. We can’t overextend ourselves, giving too much and neglecting our own needs, nor can we expect to only receive without contributing. Harmony comes from walking the middle path, where both sides give and receive equally, nurturing each other’s well-being.

Topic 3 – The Bamboo Tree (Metaphor)
Bamboo is a symbol of balance, flexibility, and strength in many Eastern traditions.

Metaphor: “Bamboo is known for its resilience and ability to bend with the wind without breaking. It grows tall and strong, but its flexibility is what makes it thrive in storms. In relationships, we can learn from bamboo—balance comes not from rigidity or dominance, but from being adaptable, bending when necessary and staying grounded in our core values. Just like bamboo can only grow when its roots are nourished, relationships thrive when both individuals nurture the foundation of trust and understanding.”

Lesson: Balance in relationships means staying strong but flexible, able to adapt to each other’s needs and challenges, without losing sight of our own inner values. The more balanced the exchange of energy, the more the relationship can withstand life’s “storms.”

Topic 4 – “How You Love Yourself Determines How Others Love You”

“As you hold this pose, consider how the way you treat yourself teaches the world how to treat you. If you’re critical or hard on yourself, you unknowingly give others permission to do the same. But when you love and accept yourself, you set the standard for how you want to be treated.

Think of yourself like a mirror—if you reflect love and acceptance, that’s what the world will reflect back to you. But if you reflect insecurity or self-doubt, you often attract that same energy. When you believe in your own worth, the world will mirror that belief.

So, in this moment, offer yourself the love you deserve, and watch how that love returns to you.”

“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” — Steve Maraboli

“You cannot pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” — Lucille Ball

“You can gaze out at the water or lose yourself in the vast stars above, wishing for something outside of you to heal what’s within. But true healing comes when you turn inward—to your own soul. Forgive yourself, accept yourself, and value yourself. We are all made up of mistakes, failures, and wrong turns, but like a kaleidoscope filled with tiny, broken pieces of glass, when you look through them, you can still see beauty and wonder in the brokenness.” – David Scott

Mixed Bag

“If you hurry about trying to change yourself, before first fully understanding yourself, it is like chasing out flies, without first closing the kitchen window. The problem is not the flies, your problem is the window.” David Scott

In the end all we need is hope and strength. Hope that it will get better and strength to hold on until it does.

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

“We are at our most powerful the moment we no longer need to be powerful.”

Growing can only occur when we are outside of our comfort zone.

Some people will not love you regardless of what you do. Other people will love you regardless of what you do.

“Sensitive people should be treasured. They love deeply and think deeply about life. They are loyal, honest, and true. The simple things sometimes mean the most to them. They don’t need to change or harden. Their purity makes them who they are.” ~Unknown

Sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall in their place.

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” – Buddha

If you don’t have time for what matters, stop making time for what does not.

“It is up to us to break generational curses. Pain is passed down in families, until finally someone is ready to feel it and deal with it. Just because bad behavior “runs in the family” we still have the power to break the cycle once and for all.” – David Scott

“The way you think about yourself determines your reality. You are not being hurt by the way people think about you. Many of those people are a reflection of how you think about yourself.” – Shannon L. Alder

“Don’t let others box you into their idea of what they think you should be. A confined identity is a miserable way to exist. Be you and live free. Trust that in living true to yourself, you will attract people that support and love you, just as you are.” – Jaeda DeWalt

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never realize just how amazing you are.” Maya Angelou

“Keep going and do not worry about your speed. You are always making progress even if it does not seem like it. Forward is forward, no matter how slow.”

“Our lives are a lot like living sky: there are rain clouds, rainbows and sunrays that run and overtake one another, mingle together and dance with each other on the journey of our life.” – David Scott

“Some days I amaze myself, other days I look for my phone while holding it.”

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.” – Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore)

“Happiness is not dependent on circumstances being exactly as we want them to be, or on ourselves being exactly as we’d like to be. Rather, happiness stems from loving ourselves and our lives exactly as they are, knowing that joy and pain, strength and weakness, glory and failure are all essential to the full human experience.” – Kristin Neff

“Staying positive does not mean everything will turn out okay. Rather, it means you will be okay no matter how things turn out.” —Unknown

“A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.”
—Maya Angelou

“No storm, not even the one in your life, right now can last forever. The storm is just passing over.” – Iyanla Vanzant

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

“When we constantly seek the approval of others, it is a lot like eating candy. We we get that acceptance, it is like a sugar high, but then we crash.” – David Scott

“You were born a one of kind, limited edition original, why paint your life into a printed copy of what someone decided should be reality.” – David Scott

“Whatever we practice in life we get good at, either negative or positive. Practice doesn’t make us perfect. Practice reduces our imperfections.” -David Scott

“To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.” – Lao Tzu

“Even when you can fool the entire world, so will never be at peace without your own self approval.” – David Scott

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – Dalai Lama XIV

“No tree tries to become a certain kind of tree. No flower tries to become a certain kind of flower. The tree and the flower open up to the sun and soak up water. Thus, they grow into themselves. No judgment. No expectations. No commentary. Your task is the same. If you can stop trying so hard to become who you think you should be, and instead commit to understanding and nourishing yourself, you will bloom into whatever kind of person you are.” – Vironika Tugaleva, The Art of Talking to Yourself

“You Can’t Skip Chapters That’s Not How Life Works. You Have to Read Every Line Meet Every Character. You Won’t Enjoy All of It. Hell, Some Chapters Will Make You Cry for Weeks. You Will Read Things You Don’t Want to Read, You Will Have Moments When You Don’t Want the Pages to End. But You Have to Keep Going. Stories Keep the World Revolving. Live Yours, Don’t Miss Out.” -Courtney Peppernell