There are moments when a single word can change everything.
Last Friday I attended Chanda’s traditional Hatha yoga class at Lila Studio. It’s unlike any other yoga class I’ve experienced. We breathe together. We move together. Chanda chants to the flow. The practice becomes a moving meditation. I like to call her class “salve for the soul.”
Chanda has studied many years with her teachers in Bali, where they gather beneath the banyan tree and pass down ancient teachings that have endured for thousands of years.
The mantra she chose for this class was Moksha.
In Sanskrit, Moksha means liberation—freedom from suffering, freedom from attachment, freedom from the stories that keep us trapped.
At first I simply appreciated the beauty of the word.
Then life gave me an opportunity to practice it.
Today I found myself caught in an old emotional wound when someone snapped at me.
It wasn’t really about what happened.
It was about a much older story.
Like so many of us, my mind immediately wanted to replay the conversation, analyze every word, wonder what I should have said differently, and question my worth.
That’s when I remembered something my meditation teacher, Davidji, once shared.
Whenever you feel yourself becoming small…
Whenever your inner critic begins talking…
Whenever your mind becomes trapped in a loop…
Simply say:
Moksha.
Say it out loud.
Then whisper it.
Then repeat it silently until it becomes your breath.
Moksha… Moksha… Moksha…
Something remarkable happens.
The grip of the story begins to loosen.
The nervous system softens.
The mind becomes quieter.
The ego loses its hold.
Nothing outside of you has changed, yet everything inside of you has.
That is emotional freedom.
For me, Moksha has become more than a beautiful Sanskrit word.
It has become a doorway back to myself.
Now whenever I notice my thoughts spiraling into self-judgment, comparison, resentment, or regret, I don’t argue with them.
I don’t try to fix them.
I simply breathe.
And I return to one word.
Moksha.
Perhaps that’s what freedom really is.
Not waiting for life to become perfect.
Not needing everyone to understand us.
Not requiring every conversation to end the way we hoped.
Freedom is remembering that our peace never depended on any of those things.
It has always lived quietly within us, waiting to be remembered.
Today, if your mind begins telling you that you’re not enough…
Pause.
Take one slow breath.
And softly whisper:
Moksha.
You may discover that the freedom you’ve been searching for has been only one breath away.
“You are not your thoughts. You are the awareness behind them.”
With love and gratitude,
Sandi Greene
About the Author
Sandi Greene is a writer, meditation guide, teacher, and lifelong learner dedicated to helping people create lives of greater clarity, purpose, joy, and well-being through The Art of Living Well.
Her work is inspired by the timeless wisdom of A Course in Miracles, Davidji Meditation, yoga philosophy, and the transformative power of mindfulness, reflection, and authentic community.
Sandi is an Instructor and Ambassador with the University of Utah Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where she teaches courses that encourage lifelong learning, meaningful connection, and personal growth. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at the First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City, teaches New Member classes, and facilitates small groups that foster belonging and thoughtful conversation.
Whether through her writing, meditation, teaching, or individual conversations, Sandi invites others to reconnect with their inner wisdom and discover that nothing essential is missing.
The Art of Living Well • Meditation • A Course in Miracles • Osher Lifelong Learning • Well-Being
