Welcome.
Please make yourself comfortable in a seated position with your back straight and take a deep breath in through your nose filling your belly up with air and exhale through your mouth releasing any tension in your body.
Once more take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly exhale all of the air through your mouth.
Observe your breath as it moves in and out of your body allowing any thoughts to disappear as you focus your attention on your breath.
If thoughts arise simply acknowledge them and resolve to let them go for the next five minutes.
So give yourself this short period of time to be free of any thoughts,
Any pressure,
And any nagging that you may be experiencing.
Continue to return to your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
An old man was walking on the beach one morning when he saw a figure in the distance moving like a dancer.
As he came closer he saw was a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand picking up starfish and gently throwing them into the ocean.
Young lady he asked,
Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?
She replied,
The Sun is up and the tide is going out and if I do not throw them in they will die.
But young lady do you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it?
You cannot possibly make a difference.
After listening politely the young woman bent down picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea.
Smiling at the old man she said,
It made a difference for that one.
How often do we look at some problem and feel paralyzed or stuck because it seems overwhelming,
Impossible to solve.
Maybe we feel like we're already busy doing so much and that we can't possibly help.
How often do we detach and disconnect and think it's not our problem,
Racism,
Hunger,
Violence,
Poverty.
These all seem like impossible problems to solve and oftentimes we resolve to do nothing.
Today let us remember that we may not be able to do everything but there is always something we can do.
Remember you have the power to make change in your daily lives.
Whether that's changing one habit that doesn't serve you or changing one thing in the world you'd like to see made better.
You have the power to make a difference for one and together we can cultivate a more compassionate world.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale releasing any thoughts that may have come up or any tension and distractions you may be feeling and return to your breath as it glides in and out of your body.
You you Continue to follow the air coming in through your nose and out through your nose.
Let any thoughts fall by the wayside and resolve to be here now allowing yourself to become fully present in this moment in the here and now.
You you you you you you For the last minute return to your breath and continue to observe it as it freely flows in and out of your body.
Make no judgments if you've become distracted with thought.
Simply return to your breath.
You Thank you for joining us today.
May you remember that you do have the power to make small changes every day in your life.
May you have a meaningful beautiful day.
