 I am Dakar Gelbner. When you take a deep breath in and out, it activates the vagus nerve, which is this bundle of nerves that starts at the top of your spinal cord, wanders through your throat, drops into your heart and your lungs, and then moves into your digestive organs and your immune system. An active vagus nerve is associated with better health, better connections with others, and greater strength in handling stress. My lab has found that when you practice compassion, it actually activates your vagus nerve. Compassion is the feeling of concern that we have for people who are in need or who are suffering, and it really moves us to take action to lift up their welfare. Charles Darwin, the great scientist, believed that compassion was our strongest instinct, and communities that practice the most compassion thrive the best. So let's do a little bit of compassion. If you could just sit down, close your eyes, and rest your hands on your knees. Let's take a nice deep breath in, expanding our chest. Breathing out, pulling your abdominal muscles, feel the breath, go through your nose. Breathing in, relax your shoulders, maybe your face. Breathing out, relax your brow and your jaw. On this breath, I want you to think of somebody you really care about and the warmth you feel towards that person. As you breathe out, you may think of their face and their eyes and their voice. And now in your mind, direct these words towards this person. Breathing in, may you be filled with loving kindness. May you be safe from inner and outer danger. Breathing in, may you be well in body and mind. And finally, thinking of this person, may you be at ease and happy. Okay, you can open your eyes if you close them. The great philosopher Peter Singer wrote about the circle of care, which is the people or sentient beings that we extend our compassion to. And that one of the great tendencies in life is to strengthen our circle of care. For more on compassion and kindness, go to greatergood.berkeley.edu. Thank you.