The radical welcome.
Please make yourself comfortable in a seated position.
Inviting yourself to either close your eyes all the way or softening your gaze in one particular spot.
Let's start by taking a few deep breaths.
Taking a deep breath in.
Taking a deep breath out.
With every breath connecting with your body a little further.
I want to now welcome all parts of you.
Welcome to this space and to this land that you sit on.
I want to welcome those of you who have let go of other activities to arrive fully in this moment.
I want to welcome all parts of you that are still arriving.
Welcome to those who feel home in your region.
Those who feel home in another place.
And those who aren't sure where home is.
All of you are welcome.
I want to welcome each of your ethnic,
Racial and ancestral backgrounds.
And to the ways in which they define and shape you.
And all of the ways in which you are connected and not connected to those.
Welcome to all the gender expressions of yourselves.
And to all the ways that each of you expresses your sexuality.
All of that is welcome here.
Welcome to your religions and faiths.
Your spiritual practices and traditions.
And to those who choose not to hold a practice.
And welcome to the questions and the doubts and the searching.
All of that is welcome.
I want to welcome each of your complicated relationships to money.
The places where there is ease.
The places where there is struggle.
The places where there is complication.
That is all welcome.
Welcome to each of you across all ages.
Welcome to the ways in which your numerical age speaks to your particular wisdom in this moment in time.
And the ways in which each of you moves outside of age and time.
You are welcome.
Welcome to the work that each of you does in the world.
Welcome to the ways in which that may or may not define you.
Welcome to those who might call themselves change makers.
And those of you for whom that term doesn't resonate.
Welcome to the educators in each of you and the learners in each of you.
Each of you are welcome.
Welcome to your minds and your intellects.
Welcome to your bodies.
The unique container that each of you sits in.
And all of the forms you show up in.
Welcome to the parts of you that are comfortable right now and the places of discomfort.
Welcome to the parts of you that feel very human and the parts of you that are interconnected to the universe.
All of that is welcome here.
I want to welcome the relationships you've had with others that have brought you joy.
As well as all the relationships that have been complicated and brought you sorrow.
I want to welcome the relationship you have had with all parts of your own self.
Parts that were complicated as well as uncomplicated.
All of this is welcome here.
Welcome to all of these parts of ourselves.
What we have named and not named.
The invitation is to be here.
Not to escape the world.
Not to retreat from it.
But to meet it in ourselves and in each other.
And in what we create together.
Welcome in all ways.
Welcome.
