Mantra for the Class

“I listen. I soften. I shine.”

Let the words settle into your chest.
Let them become the rhythm of your breath.
Let them become the way you move through this practice.

Topic 1 – Savoring the Warm Moments Life Offers

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Metaphor: The Sun Breaking Through the South Florida Clouds

Imagine lying on the sand at your favorite South Florida beach. You smooth on your lotion, lean back, and begin to melt into the warmth of the sun. Then a stretch of clouds drifts overhead, stealing the light and the heat. The world feels dimmer, cooler, almost disappointing.
Just when you are about to give up on the sunshine returning, the clouds begin to thin. Suddenly they part, and a golden beam pours through and lands directly on your skin.
In that instant everything brightens. Your body softens. You feel alive again.

Life gives us moments like this all the time. Small returns of warmth and clarity that ask us to pause and receive what is already here.

Reflection

We often rush past the quiet miracles in our day. A peaceful breath. An unexpected smile. A moment of clarity.
Mindfulness in Buddhism invites us to notice these natural openings.
Tonight let each inhale be that warm beam of sunlight breaking through the clouds. Let it soften you. Let it brighten something inside.

Quotes

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
“When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” Lao Tzu
“The journey itself is the reward.”
“Wherever you are, be the soul of that place.” Rumi

Topic 2 – Listening to the Melody Your Soul Remembers

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Metaphor: The Melody That Once Opened Your Heart

Think of a song tied to your first taste of real love. Maybe it was your first kiss, your first slow dance, or the first moment your heart felt bigger than your body.
Life gets loud. Years pass. The details fade.
But when you hear the first few notes again, everything returns at once.
Not because you relearned it. Because it never left you.

Your soul is that melody. Always playing beneath the surface, waiting for you to listen.

Reflection

Deep inside, you already know your truth, your longings, and the direction that feels right.
Buddhism reminds us that wisdom is not found. It is remembered.
Tonight breathe as if you are tuning your inner instrument. Let the music of your soul rise again.

Quotes

“Who looks outside dreams. Who looks inside awakes.” Carl Jung
“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.”
“Your purpose is not found. It is remembered.”
“When you listen deeply, the heart always knows the way.”

Topic 3 – Meeting Life’s Storms With a Steady Heart
Metaphor: The SpaceX Astronaut Rising Through the G Forces

Imagine a SpaceX astronaut strapped into the Dragon capsule as the engines ignite. The rocket lifts, and the G forces press her back into her seat. Everything shakes. Everything roars. Every instinct wants to brace.
But she does not fight the pressure.
She breathes.
She trusts the process.
She knows that if she stays steady through the intensity, she will break through the atmosphere.

And when she does, the engines cut off.
The pressure disappears.
She floats weightless in calm and silence.

Life works the same way. The greatest pressure often comes just before the breakthrough.

Reflection

Each of us has lived through our own liftoffs, moments when everything pressed inward.
Buddhist wisdom reminds us that struggle is temporary and lightness waits behind resistance.
Tonight when a pose challenges you, be that astronaut. Breathe through the G forces. Trust that lightness is coming.

Quotes

“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” Einstein
“Inner peace begins the moment you stop fighting the moment.”
“This too is part of the path.”
“The winds of life cannot shake a grounded heart.”

Topic 4 – Walking Through Fear Instead of Around It
Metaphor: The Unread Message You Are Afraid to Open

Think of when your phone lights up with a message or caller ID that instantly makes your stomach tighten. The fear begins even before you open it.
Part of it is imagining the worst.
Part of it is knowing that once you open it, the other person will know you saw it. No more hiding.
So you avoid it and let the fear grow in the silence you create.

But when you finally open the message, it is almost always smaller than the story your mind built.
Fear is loudest right before you face it.

Reflection

Fear grows in avoidance and shrinks in presence.
In yoga the places we resist often hold our greatest release.
Tonight treat fear like that message. Open it gently with your breath. See it clearly. Most fear dissolves when met with honesty.

Quotes

“The person with a why can bear almost any how.” Nietzsche
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
“To go back is impossible. The river must become the ocean.” Gibran
“Courage is choosing to act even when fear remains.”

Topic 5 – Returning to the Present, Where Life Actually Happens
Metaphor: The Stagehand in the Theater

Onstage we see the actors, lights, and story. But behind the scenes a quiet stagehand pulls ropes, shifts scenery, and guides everything the audience experiences.
Presence is that stagehand. Silent, steady, essential.

Reflection

Your life is not unfolding in the past or the projections of the future. It is happening in your breath right now.
When you return to the present moment, everything becomes simpler and more manageable.
Tonight come back again and again to your inhale. Let presence guide your practice.

Quotes

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” Lao Tzu
“There are only two days in the year when nothing can be done. Yesterday and tomorrow.” Dalai Lama
“At some point you must let go of what you thought should have happened.”
“Yoga is the light of awareness touching every corner of your life.”

Topic 6 – Honoring Your Soul’s Cravings and Lighting Your Own Path
Metaphor: The Lantern You Light Yourself

There are moments when life feels dim or unclear. We forget that we can light our own lantern. Not to illuminate the entire journey, but to brighten the next few steps.
Your inner lantern is intention. Every time you listen to what feels true, the flame grows stronger.

Reflection

Your soul is always calling you toward something. Peace, healing, courage, growth.
In Buddhism intention shapes your path.
Tonight choose one intention. Hold it inside like a lantern. Let it guide you breath by breath.

Quotes

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.”
“The moment you choose your path you create your future.”
“Your vision becomes clear when you look into your heart.” Jung
“Purpose is remembered and then lived.”

Closing Paragraph

As we close tonight, feel the echo of each theme settling into your heart. The warmth of unexpected sunlight. The melody your soul has never forgotten. The courage to rise through pressure. The strength to face what you fear. The calm that lives in the present moment. And the light you carry within, waiting for you to tend it with intention.
Take this with you as you move back into your evening, knowing that the wisdom you touched here continues to shine long after you leave your mat.

Final Mantra
“I listen. I soften. I shine.”