Welcome.
I invite you to settle into a comfortable position.
Whether sitting or lying down,
Allow your body to be supported.
If it feels okay,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And bring your attention to your breath.
No need to change it just yet.
Just notice the rise and the fall.
Allow,
Let yourself arrive.
Today we explore step 9.
Make direct amends to such people wherever possible except when to do so would injure them or others.
Step 9 is where awareness becomes action.
Not rushed,
Not forced,
But intentional.
This step asks us to take responsibility and begin repairing what has been harmed.
With care,
With honesty,
With discernment.
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 inhale for 3,
2,
1.
Hold for 3,
2,
1.
And exhale for 3,
2,
1.
Good.
And inhale for 3.
Hold for 3.
And exhale for 3.
And one more time.
Inhale for 3.
Hold for 3.
And exhale for 3.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm,
Continuing to watch its rise and fall.
If your mind wanders,
Know that that is okay.
Just allow your thoughts to drift by and then return to your breath.
In Step 8,
We learned about Carmelo.
And so in Step 9,
We return to Carmelo.
Young Carmelo,
The 10-year-old boy who once built a garden with his grandmother,
Had neglected his garden to the point of decay.
When Carmelo stood in his garden that day,
He was dismayed.
But he did not walk away.
He stayed.
At first,
He didn't know where to begin.
There was so much.
The weeds,
The damage,
The disappointment.
His neighbors,
His grandmother,
Himself,
And all the time that had passed.
So he started small.
He pulled one weed.
Then another.
He cleared a small space in the soil.
It didn't fix everything.
But it was a beginning.
The next day,
He came back.
And the day after that.
And slowly,
The garden began to change.
One afternoon,
His grandmother joined him.
She didn't scold.
She didn't ask why.
She simply knelt beside him,
Pulled up her sleeves,
And began to pull weeds.
Then something unexpected happened.
A neighbor passed by and stopped.
Then another.
Soon,
Others began to help,
Pulling weeds,
Clearing soil,
Tending to what had been neglected.
And after a while,
Carmelo looked around at the people who had once been affected by his neglect,
Now standing beside him,
Helping.
Not everyone joined in.
Some stood by quietly,
Watching,
Sometimes offering a small nod.
They helped not because everything had been fixed.
The garden still needed time.
Still needed care.
But because he had returned.
And as the garden slowly came back to life,
So did something inside Carmelo.
And continue to breathe,
Noticing how the story impacts you and what arises for you.
Step 9 reminds us that repair does not happen all at once.
It begins with willingness and continues with action.
Small,
Consistent action.
There may be things in your life that are ready for repair.
Conversations,
Relationships,
Or even something within yourself.
You don't have to fix everything today.
You don't have to do it perfectly.
But you can begin.
So let's return to the breath.
And gently bring in a mantra.
Words to just repeat as we continue to breathe.
I repair with care.
I'll say it three times and then we'll sit together in stillness.
And remember,
If your mind wanders,
That is absolutely ok.
Just return to your breath.
Return to noticing.
I repair with care.
I repair with care.
I repair with care.
And breathe.
I repair with care.
I repair with care.
I repair with care.
And continue to breathe.
Notice what arises.
Any images,
Conversations that you need to have.
Allow yourself to simply breathe and notice.
It doesn't all have to be done today.
I repair with care.
I repair with care.
I repair with care.
Notice how you feel in your body.
Don't hold onto it.
Let it release.
But simply notice.
And let's take a slow breath in together.
Inhaling through your nose.
Filling your belly.
Fill your belly some more.
And release.
Step 9 reminds us that returning matters.
That effort matters.
That care matters.
And that repair is a process.
And it's a process you don't have to do alone.
So trusting and knowing that you may always return to this stillness within because it is yours.
I invite you to begin to notice the surface beneath you.
You may want to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Let your shoulders drop.
Turn your head from side to side.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
I want to thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and my privilege.
