Hi everyone.
It's such a privilege to share a few moments with you all from around the world whose lives have intersected with the University of Virginia as students,
Parents,
Staff,
Alumni,
Or just by virtue of coming today.
I understand we had over 500 registrants from the US,
Belgium,
Brazil,
Ghana,
Hong Kong,
Norway,
Spain,
And many other countries around the world.
And I'd like to invite us to reflect today on something which the past year has delivered to the doorsteps of all of our homes,
Namely loss and grieving.
Some of us have lost loved ones,
Others jobs,
Opportunities for community,
Travel,
Graduation with friends.
I myself lost a treasured friend at UVA this past month at Rivers amongst other sorrows.
And even as we grieve the recent past,
We are apprehensive about an uncertain future for us as individuals,
For our loved ones,
For our communities.
And so in today's meditation,
I would like to invite you to try a simple breathing technique to acknowledge that grief and explore how it might yet transform.
We start with our grief,
Our sense of loss,
Allowing ourselves to feel it in our body,
To acknowledge it.
And then with each inhalation of the breath to the count of five,
We will imagine drawing in positive energy from whatever inspires us in this world,
From the natural world,
From our trusted networks of loved ones.
And then we will pause for a count of five,
Holding our breath between inhalation and exhalation.
And imagine that during this pause,
That grief will subtly transform inside our body,
Drawing upon the immense resilience of our being,
Of our community of trusted others,
Of our natural world in which we are embedded.
And this begins a slow transformation into a renewed commitment to a life full of meaning,
Passion,
Care,
And inspiration.
And with each exhalation,
Again,
To the count of five,
Imagine that renewal,
That transformation of grief suffuses your body and your surroundings with the felt sensation of breath.
So starting with a bell,
I'll keep count with a wood block every five seconds to mark the transitions to inhalation,
To pause,
And to exhalation for a total of 16 breaths over four minutes.
And only for the first breath will I say the words inhale,
Hold,
And exhale.
And then I'll just leave it to the sound.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Inhale.
And I'll leave you to the sounds.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Inhale.
And I'll leave you to the sounds.
And now let your breath return to a natural rhythm and consider a simple aspiration to carry into the day.
May I be true to my grief and may I also carry it forward in transformed form to a renewed care for others who are suffering,
Creativity in a world that needs innovation,
And a passion for standing up for justice for all.
Thank you.
