Welcome.
I invite you to settle in and get super comfy wherever you are.
You may sit upright or lie down.
Become aware of your body and allow it to soften into the support beneath you.
I invite you to elongate your spine so you can breathe deeply and comfortably.
If it feels okay,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Begin to notice your breath.
No need to change it yet.
Just notice the rise and fall of your chest and belly.
The quiet rhythm of just being alive.
A flourishing life is rarely built in a single moment.
It is tended day by day.
Today we will explore step 10.
Continue to take a personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Step 10 invites us into ongoing care for ourselves and others.
Not perfection or harsh self-judgment,
But honest daily tending.
Like a nourishment and what may need to be gently cut back so that new growth can emerge.
Healthy roses are not the result of perfection,
But of consistent care.
So as we deepen our reflection,
Let's take a few regulated breaths together.
We'll practice a calming breath pattern,
Sometimes called cyclic sighing.
We will take two inhales through the nose and then one deep inhale followed by a second smaller sip of air.
And then follow that by a long,
Slow exhale through the mouth for five counts.
So let's begin.
Deep inhale through the nose.
And another small inhale.
And then exhale for 54321.
Good.
Deep inhale.
Another small inhale.
And a long,
Slow exhale for 54321.
You got it.
One more time.
Inhale.
Small inhale.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Continue to breathe deeply.
If your mind wanders,
Remember that it is okay.
Simply allow your thoughts to drift on by and return your attention to your breath.
Imagine now that you are walking slowly through a beautiful rose garden on a bright,
Clear day.
Rows and rows of colorful roses stretch out before you.
Red,
Yellow,
Pink.
Some in full bloom opening toward the sun and others still growing.
Some petals are vibrant and healthy and others are beginning to wilt at the edges.
You notice the care this garden must require.
The watering,
The pruning,
The patience,
The daily return.
A gardener cannot attend to roses just once and expect them to flourish forever.
The garden changes every day and so must the gardener's attention.
You kneel beside one rose bush and look more closely.
You notice healthy blooms,
The scent filling the air,
But also some tangled branches,
Dead leaves,
Small signs of neglect beginning to appear.
Nothing catastrophic.
Most are prospering,
Just small things left unattended.
And maybe you begin to recognize something familiar.
How easy it can be to let small resentments linger,
To avoid difficult conversations,
Hide small truths,
To move through the day disconnected from your own intentions.
A healthy rose bush requires water and a healthy life requires honesty.
Without sunlight,
A rose bush struggles to bloom.
Small secrets can quietly grow in the dark.
Sometimes a gardener must prune carefully,
Cutting away dead growth,
Not to punish or harm the plant,
But to help it flourish.
Selfishness,
Fear,
Patterns that no longer nourish your life.
They might also need a little pruning.
Continue to breathe deeply and naturally and notice what arises.
Notice what your life feels like right now.
What feels healthy and blooming.
And notice what might need attention.
Not with shame,
Not to beat yourself up or diminish all that you have accomplished.
A gardener returns again and again.
Not because the garden has failed,
But because growth requires care.
And just like the garden,
You are allowed to keep growing day by day.
So take a slow breath in.
And as we sit together,
I invite you to reflect on your own day or yesterday.
Were there moments you felt grounded and aligned?
Moments where you acted with honesty,
Kindness,
Integrity?
Allow yourself to feel that.
And were there moments where you became reactive,
Resentful,
Dishonest,
Or disconnected from yourself or others?
Simply notice.
No need to defend.
No need to condemn.
Because awareness creates choice.
And as the gardener of your soul,
You have choice.
Small daily corrections can change the direction of an entire life.
So gently return your awareness to your breath.
Continue to reflect on your last 24 hours.
What choices did you make?
What choices do you want to continue or change?
And if it feels supportive as we breathe together,
Repeat silently within.
Day by day,
My life blooms.
I'll say it softly three times and then we'll sit together in stillness.
Remember to inhale.
Day by day,
My life blooms.
Day by day,
My life blooms.
Day by day,
My life blooms.
Day by day,
My life blooms.
My life blooms.
Day by day,
My life blooms.
And take one final slow breath in.
Step 10 reminds us that growth is not a single moment.
It's a practice.
A returning.
A willingness to tend our lives with honesty and care.
So trusting and knowing that you may always return to this stillness within.
I invite you to notice the surface beneath you.
You may want to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Turn your head from side to side.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Carrying with you the quiet understanding that small daily acts of care allow your life to bloom.
Thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and my privilege.
