Welcome.
I invite you to get comfortable right where you are.
You may sit or lie down.
There's really no perfect way to step into stillness.
You get to choose what feels good to your body.
I just ask you to just fully arrive.
If it feels okay,
Sit upright,
Allowing your spine to lengthen so your breath can move freely.
And gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Begin to notice your breath.
The rise and fall of your chest and belly.
And allow yourself to fully arrive.
Remember,
There is nothing you need to do in this moment.
So just breathe.
Step 8 Today we will explore step 8.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
Step 8 invites us into awareness.
Not to judge the past,
But to see it clearly.
To recognize that our actions,
And even our inaction,
Have impact.
On ourselves,
On others,
On our loved ones and the world around us.
And from that awareness,
A willingness can begin.
A willingness to take responsibility.
So as we begin,
I invite you to practice this concept of awareness.
Notice whatever arises and just let it be.
Step 9 So let's take a few steady breaths together.
We're going to inhale through our nose for 3 counts,
Hold for 3 counts,
And then exhale through our mouth for 3 counts.
So let's begin.
Step 10 Inhale through your nose for 3,
2,
1.
Hold for 3,
2,
1.
And exhale through your mouth for 3,
2,
1.
Allow your breath to return to its natural.
Don't push it,
Don't make it be something it isn't.
Just watch the rise and fall of your chest and belly.
And I'd like to share a story about a young boy named Carmelo.
Now Carmelo was a curious and active 10-year-old boy.
His grandmother loved gardening in the spring,
And she brought him to a small community garden.
She taught him to turn the soil,
Plant seeds,
Water gently,
And pull weeds from the roots.
At first,
Carmelo loved it.
They spent hours in the garden they built.
Even painted a colorful sign that read,
Carmelo's Garden,
And posted it right beside his plot.
Each morning,
He checked on his plot.
Small green shoots became strong plants.
Tomatoes ripened in the sun.
The other gardeners complimented him on his diligence,
Admired his growing and healthy plants and vegetables.
Sometimes,
He would carry a basket home,
And he and his grandmother would share vegetables with neighbors nearby.
He liked seeing the smiles on Ms.
Mary's face or hearing Mr.
Leon chuckle and say he'd been waiting for his tomato all week.
Carmelo loved knowing his small garden could feed someone else and bring smiles.
But as time passed,
Carmelo grew older.
Friends called him in the afternoons.
Games distracted him.
There were things to do and places to go,
And the garden had to wait.
At first,
He missed a day,
Then two,
Then a week.
When his grandmother asked about the garden,
He'd say,
It's doing okay.
I'm going by there today.
But he didn't.
I'll go back,
He told himself.
But something always got in the way.
One day,
Mr.
Leon was walking down the street and saw Carmelo outside.
Hey there,
Young man.
I miss my tomatoes.
Am I going to get a taste again?
Carmelo smiled shyly and said,
Oh,
Yes,
As soon as I can.
When Carmelo finally returned,
He barely recognized his garden.
The plants were overgrown.
Weeds had spread thick across the soil.
Pests clung to the leaves,
And a few rotten tomatoes had fallen to the ground.
Some of the plants had stopped producing altogether.
He stood there quietly,
Taking it all in.
He noticed something else.
The gardens around him had changed,
Too.
Nearby plots were struggling.
Weeds had crept beyond his borders.
The pests had not stayed in one place.
And the other gardeners,
The ones who once admired his bounty,
They now looked at him with disdain.
He had nothing to give Mr.
Leon or anyone else.
Carmelo felt something shift inside him.
An awareness.
He thought about the countless days he skipped the garden to hang out with friends.
He thought about telling his grandmother he was coming,
When he didn't.
He knew she would be disappointed.
He had never meant for any of this to happen.
But now,
He could see it.
He knelt down beside the soil,
Ran his hands across the tangled growth.
A new resolve blossomed in his spirit.
For the first time,
He realized he was responsible.
His inaction caused his garden to decay.
He took a deep breath,
For he understood what must be done next.
Let's take a deep breath in.
Like Carmelo,
There may be moments in our own lives where we begin to see more clearly.
Things we did,
Things we didn't do.
Ways we showed up or didn't.
Step 8.
Not everything we see will feel comfortable.
But awareness is not about comfort.
But it's also not here to punish us.
It is here to guide us.
Step 8 invites us to look and become willing.
Not to fix everything at once,
But to simply begin.
So as we contemplate awareness and willingness,
Let's return to the breath.
You may return to the 3-3-3 rhythm or simply breathe naturally.
And as we breathe,
I invite you to just be aware.
Notice what arises and let it go.
And simply return to your breathing.
You may repeat silently within,
I am.
I'll say it softly three times and then we will sit together in stillness.
And remember if your mind wanders,
That is okay.
Simply let it pass and return to your breath.
So let's begin.
Inhale.
And let's take a slow breath in together.
Step 8 reminds us.
We cannot change what has already happened.
But we can begin to see it clearly.
And from that awareness,
A willingness can grow.
So trusting and knowing,
You may always return to this stillness within.
Because it's yours.
I invite you to take notice of 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 to take the next step on your journey,
I thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and my privilege.
