Topic 1 – The Miracle of Being Alive

As we settle into our practice today, I invite you to take a moment to notice the rhythm of your breath—the quiet in and out, the life it sustains. This simple, often overlooked act is a reminder of the miracle of being alive.

Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.” Let’s use this time together to truly feel that miracle.

Think of the leaves in autumn in the northern states. They fall gracefully from the trees, not as a sign of loss, but as a way of making space for new growth. Each leaf, in its brilliant color, reminds us that even as life changes, there is beauty and purpose in every moment. You, too, are in a constant cycle of change, growth, and renewal—a living, breathing miracle.

Albert Einstein once said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” What if, just for today, we chose to see everything—this breath, this body, this moment—as extraordinary?

As we move into our practice, let this awareness guide you. Like the leaves surrendering to the wind, let go of anything weighing you down, and embrace the miracle of being here, alive and present.

Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, let’s begin.

Topic 2 – Walking the Walk

“We do not sit in meditation to become expert meditators. We sit in meditation to become better at living a rich and beautiful life.”

Our time on the mat is not about mastering the poses or achieving perfection. It’s about cultivating awareness, resilience, and the capacity to carry these lessons into our daily lives. Spiritual knowledge—like the wisdom we gain here—is only meaningful when it shapes how we live, how we speak, and how we connect with the world.

Holding this pose might feel challenging, just as walking the walk can be. Talking about balance, mindfulness, and kindness is easy; living them is where the real work lies. Yet, it is this effort that enriches our lives and the lives of those around us.

Take a deep breath here, and with your exhale, let go of the need to be perfect. Focus instead on being present and open to this moment—because this is where the richness of life begins.

“The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts, it’s to stop letting them control you.”

Topic 3 – Practice becomes our habits

“Whatever you practice consistently, you become skilled at. What you nurture through repeated actions becomes the foundation of your life. If you practice gratitude, you cultivate peace and joy. If you practice complaining, you reinforce discontent and suffering. The choice is always yours, in each and every moment. What will you choose to nurture today?”- David Scott

Think of your mind as a potter’s wheel, spinning steadily with the clay of your thoughts and actions. Each time you place your hands on the clay, you shape it. If you repeatedly press with gratitude and kindness, you create a vessel that can hold peace, joy, and love. But if you work carelessly, shaping with complaints or negativity, the clay becomes misshapen, fragile, and unable to hold what truly matters.

The beauty of this metaphor is that you are always in control of the wheel. Each moment is a chance to reshape, refine, and smooth out imperfections. As you practice today, imagine your breath as the steady rhythm of the spinning wheel and your movements as the hands shaping the vessel of your life.

As the Buddha teaches, “With our thoughts, we make the world.” What kind of vessel will you create today? One that leaks and crumbles under pressure, or one that is strong, balanced, and filled with gratitude?

“Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they will become… your destiny.” – Lao Tzu

“You are not a finished product. You are a work in progress, beautifully unfolding.”

“We become what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis

“Like a skilled potter, shape your thoughts with care. What you create within becomes the vessel for your world.” – Inspired by Buddhist principles

Topic 4 – We are all teachers

“We are all teachers in our own way—to our friends, loved ones, and even ourselves. Some of us teach yoga, some are parents, and others may teach as a profession. But the essence of teaching lies in embodying what we wish to share. Good teachers don’t just instruct; they practice what they teach.

Buddhist wisdom reminds us that the greatest way to inspire others is through example. We cannot truly teach mindfulness, compassion, or presence if we are not actively cultivating these qualities within ourselves. In moments of challenge, how do we respond? Do we embody patience and equanimity, or do we allow stress to take over? By returning again and again to our practice, we create a living example for others to follow.

In parenting, this is often referred to as the ‘mirror effect.’ Children reflect the energy and behaviors they observe in their parents. If we approach life with mindfulness, compassion, and patience, they are more likely to develop these same qualities. Conversely, if they see us reacting with frustration or avoidance, they are likely to mirror those patterns. As the saying goes, ‘Children may close their ears to advice, but they keep their eyes wide open to example.’

In the same way, we set the tone for those around us—our students, our loved ones, and even ourselves—by the way we show up in life. Let us remember that our actions, far more than our words, are the true teaching.”

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” – Anton Chekhov

“Spirituality doesn’t teach you to run away from life; it teaches you how to live life fully.” – Sadhguru

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Your practice is not to find perfection, but to find joy and purpose in the journey.”

“If you wonder if you’re having a spiritual awakening, you probably are. The true awakening takes place within. When we awaken to our true nature, we realize we are and have always will be free.” – David Scott

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi

“The heart is the hub of all sacred places. Go there and roam in it.”- Sri Nityananda

“You learn who you are by unlearning who they taught you to be.”- Nikki Rowe

“In order to save myself, I must destroy first the me I was told to be.” – The Dreamer

“There is no greater wealth in this world than peace of mind.”

“Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.”

“Whatever you are doing, love yourself for doing it. Whatever you are feeling, love yourself for feeling it.”

“Your task is not to seek for Love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

“Whatever you fight, you strengthen, and what you resist, persists.” – Eckhart Tolle

“Awakening is not changing who you are but discarding who you are not.” – Deepak Chopra

“You cant wake up someone pretending to be asleep. Once you awaken you will have no interest in judging those who still sleep.” – David Scott

“When you own your breath, no one can steal your peace”

“If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.” – Gail Sheehy

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”- Edith Wharton

“Your heart must become a sea of love. Your mind must become a river of detachment.” – Sri Chinmoy

“Every night, when I go to sleep, I die. Every morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”- Mahatma Gandhi

“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.” – Louis L’Amour

“There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don’t you?”- Rumi

“The enlightened give thanks for what most people take for granted…. As you begin to be grateful for what most people take for granted, the vibration of gratitude makes you more receptive to good in your life.” – Michael Bernard Beckwith

“True happiness comes not when we get rid of all of our problems, but when we change our relationship to them, when we see our problems as a potential source of awakening, opportunities to practice, and to learn.”- Richard Carlson

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Alva Edison

“Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.” – Maya Angelou

“Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.” – Maya Angelou

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” – Nelson Mandela

“A bird does not sing because it has answers, it sings because it has a song.” – Maya Angelou

“A good rule of thumb is that any environment that consistently leaves you feeling bad about who you are is the wrong environment.” ~Laurie Helgoe

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” ~Karen Kaiser Clark

“Striving for excellence motivates you, striving for perfection demoralizes you.”

“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.” ~Wayne Dyer

“Don’t be afraid of the dark, for that is when the light within you shines the brightest.” David Scott

“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” – Eckhart Tolle

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.’ Hungry not only for bread – but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing – but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks – but homeless because of rejection.” ~Mother Teresa

Knowledge comes can goes, but wisdom lingers. “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.” – Socrates

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” – Saint Basil

“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won’t accept.” – Anna Taylor

“Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” – Byron Katie

“Falling in love with yourself first doesn’t make you vain or selfish – it makes you indestructible.”

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” – Swami Vivekananda

“Demonstrate love by giving it, unconditionally, to yourself. And as you do, you will attract others into your life who will love you without conditions.”

“Love yourself. Enough to take the actions required for your happiness. Enough to cut yourself loose from the drama-filled past. Enough to set a high standard for relationships. Enough to feed your mind and body in a healthy manner. Enough to forgive yourself. Enough to move on.” – Steve Maraboli

“You are a light that cannot darken. You are a soul that shines through. You are the eternal amid the movement. You are awakening. You are love.”

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” – Buddha