Welcome.
Take a moment to just get super comfy wherever you are.
You may want to close your eyes or just simply soften your gaze and allow your body to just arrive.
Notice the surface beneath you,
Your chair,
Your feet resting on the floor.
Take a slow breath in and release.
Let your body begin to soften.
Remember there is nothing you need to do in this moment right now,
So just breathe.
Today we will explore step five,
Which says we admit it to ourselves,
To another human being,
And to a power greater than ourselves,
The exact nature of our wrongs.
Step five invites us into truth,
Not as a punishment,
But as a way of restoration.
It asks us to bring into the light what we have been holding in the dark,
Not to judge it and certainly not to fix it all at once,
But simply to speak it,
To share it,
To no longer carry it alone.
Because what we hold in silence weighs us down and what we bring into the light,
Well that sets us free.
So I invite you to drop into stillness with me,
And let's do that by taking a few steady breaths.
We'll use the 3-3-3 breath pattern.
We'll inhale through the nose for three counts,
Hold for three counts,
And then exhale through the mouth for three counts.
Let's begin.
Inhale through your nose for three,
Two,
One,
One,
And exhale through your mouth for three,
Two,
And exhale for three,
Two,
And one more time,
Inhale.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Continue to focus on your breathing.
Each exhale to deepen your drop into your presence and your breath.
And I'll tell you about a small songbird named Otto.
High in the branches of a tall swaying tree,
A small songbird named Otto lived with her family and flock.
Each morning as the sun rose,
The birds would lift their voices together and Otto loved them.
They sang until the air itself seemed to shimmer with song.
But lately,
Otto did not sing like the others,
At least not for some time.
When she tried,
Her voice came out strained,
Uneven.
So she sang less and less,
And over time she grew quiet.
The other birds noticed.
They tilted their heads when she passed.
Why doesn't Otto sing?
They whispered.
But no one asked,
And Otto did not tell.
You see,
Otto carried something she never was meant to hold.
Several days back,
While the flock forged together,
They were guided away from a certain patch of ground.
Not there,
The elder birds had said.
There is nothing there for you.
But Otto had been curious.
She fluttered down when no one was watching and found a small smooth stone,
Bright red and shimmering in the light.
Without thinking,
She picked it up in her beak,
Just for a moment,
Just to see.
But then the flock suddenly took flight,
And Otto,
Startled,
Flew with them,
Still holding the stone.
She planned to drop it later,
But as time passed,
She didn't.
At first,
It felt small,
Unimportant.
She shifted it in her mouth when she ate.
But slowly,
The stone became something else,
A weight,
A secret.
Now,
If she opened her beak,
The others would see.
They might scold her,
Laugh,
Tease.
So she kept it hidden,
And her song began to disappear.
Days passed,
Then more,
Until one morning,
As the flock sang together,
Otto sat silently on her bench.
Her chest ached with the desire to release.
Nearby,
An old elder songbird watched her quietly,
Just noticing.
After a while,
The elder bird flew over and settled beside her.
Otto,
You've been real quiet for some time now,
The elder said gently.
Otto shifted,
Tightened.
I'm fine,
She tried to say,
But the words came out muffled,
Caught.
The elder lifted her beak,
But did not speak.
They simply sat together for a moment,
Listening to the wind moving through the leaves,
And the other birds composing a beautiful melody.
You know,
The elder said softly,
Your song has always been my favorite to hear.
Something in Otto stiffened.
She looked away.
I can't sing,
She finally managed.
The elder tilted her head slightly,
Can't or won't,
A long pause.
The bird song softened around them as Otto's chest rose and fell,
And for the first time,
She allowed herself to feel the weight she had been carrying.
I picked something up,
She mumbled.
I wasn't supposed to,
But it was so shiny,
So smooth.
The stone shifted in her throat.
And now I can't get it out.
The elder nodded,
Not surprised,
Just listening.
You've been holding it alone for a while now,
Huh?
Otto gave the smallest nod,
Her beak pointing down.
Well,
The elder said,
You don't have to hold it anymore.
Otto hesitated.
Her whole body felt tight,
Exposed,
Afraid.
But something in the elder's presence felt reassuring,
Safe.
So slowly,
Otto opened her beak,
Wide.
For the first time in many days,
That small stone fell gently onto the branch below.
Light,
No louder than a whisper.
And then,
Otto took a breath.
Breath.
One she hadn't realized she had been missing.
The air moved differently now.
Her lungs clear,
Open.
And without thinking,
A sound rose from within her.
Soft at first,
Uncertain,
But true.
Her song,
Uniquely her own,
Flowed out strong and clear until it joined the morning air and blended with the songs of the flock.
The elder bird smiled.
You see,
She said,
Your song was never gone,
Just hidden underneath.
You made a mistake,
But you don't have to carry it day after day after day.
The elder shrugged.
It just gets in the way.
Otto felt something drop.
Not just the stone,
But the shame she had been holding.
And oh,
How we've missed your sweet melody,
The elder said,
Nudging Otto before flying away.
And from that day on,
Every morning as the dew settled and the sunlight returned,
Otto stood high on her branch,
Among her flock,
Greeting the day.
Otto sang.
Take a deep,
Full breath in,
Like you too are letting something drop.
Like Otto,
Many of us carry things we were never meant to hold alone.
A mistake,
A choice,
A moment we wish we could undo.
But Step 5 reminds us,
There is strength in telling the truth.
There is healing in being seen just as we are.
And just like Otto,
Your song is still there,
Waiting beneath whatever you have been holding.
So I invite you to join me in returning to our breath and dropping into stillness together.
You may come back to the 3-3-3 rhythm,
Or simply breathe naturally,
Deepening into stillness with each breath.
And as we breathe,
If it feels helpful,
You can repeat silently in your mind,
Truth restores me.
I'll say it three times,
And then we will sit together in the space that follows.
And remember,
If your mind wanders,
Know that that is okay.
Just simply allow your thoughts to drift by and return to your breath.
Let's begin.
Inhale through your nose for 3,
2,
1.
Hold for 3,
2,
1.
And exhale for 3,
2,
1.
Truth restores me.
Truth restores me.
Truth restores me.
And breathe.
Truth restores me.
Truth restores me.
Truth restores me.
Truth restores me.
Allow the words to settle quietly.
Truth restores me.
Truth restores me.
You don't have to share everything all at once.
Just begin with honesty.
So let's take a slow breath in.
You were never meant to carry everything alone.
Trusting and knowing you will always be able to return to this place of stillness within.
I invite you to now 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.
Thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and privilege.
