Day 1: No Sound, Just Breathe

[Caption: “Just Breathe” by Tao Wo retrieved from youtube.com]

Finally, the first day of the semester for our course, Religion, Spirituality, and Education. I mentioned in class that I was anxious. I was. It’s the anticipation of learning and growing with a new group of students. It gets me every semester. But as I walked to the classroom, I tried to walk it out. I just took a deep breath and knew that my breath, which I have breathed a thousand times again, was keeping me grounded.

As I entered the classroom, there was no sound, just breath. Each of us just breathing in and out. I noticed that when I entered the space, it reminded me of the times I arrived at church in the U.S. on late Saturday afternoons or early Sunday mornings. Each of you were quietly tending to your life, heads down, eyes either on your phone screens or just simply gazing out ahead of you. But  you know what? We were all breathing. Breathing the same air together—independently, yet together. So if you were feeling anxious like I was, remember your breath. Return to it.