Aquarium

Don't you think there's always been something dreamy about aquariums? The fact that we can walk these rubber tiles in our element, and yet observe the fish in theirs, there's something just a little surreal about that. In the dim, colored lights and the slow movements of the fish, the warmth of the air, and the low hum of the pumps all contribute to a uniquely cozy atmosphere. Tonight, the aquarium is near empty. It's late, after all. But there's no need to hurry our visit because tonight is late opening. We can stay as long as we like and take in the sights in our own time. Before we begin our tour, it's nice to start with a wind down exercise. Tonight's wind down is a visualization. So when you're ready, let's begin. Just take a moment to get comfortable, letting go of the day, enjoying that feeling of having stopped, of having nothing left to do. We're going to focus the attention of the mind on the different parts of the body, watching as the muscles in the body switch off for the night, leaving the body feeling rested and leaving the mind more at ease. So, starting down at the toes and just a sense of the muscles switching off. The feet, the arches, all those muscles, switching off. Same in the lower half of the legs. So, any tension being let go of as the muscles switch off, shut down. In the upper half of the legs, any tension melting away, being let go of. Into the area of the hips, the pelvis. Again, any muscles shutting down for the night, completely at rest. Everything from the waist down is heavy, at ease. The muscles in the lower back and the stomach now switching off. Middle of the back, around the diaphragm, the upper back, and the chest, so, any muscles not needed shutting down, switching off for the night. The shoulders switching off. The upper half of the arms and the lower half of the arms, switching off. The hands, fingers, just switching off. Any muscles around the throat and the neck switching off. The head, the face, the jaw, the eyes, just switching off. Any last areas of tensions melting away as the muscles shut down, switch off, at rest for the night. And allowing thoughts to come and go, allowing the mind and body the space they need to rest. Late afternoon. The sun is setting outside the aquarium. In the middle of the tank, a white circle of coral lifts its edges up to catch the light. A small blue spotted fish swims up to it and dips its mouth into the middle, as if drinking from a large china cup. Large mushrooms of pink coral bloom on a pile of rust-colored rocks. Hundreds of air bubbles glisten on their skin. Does coral breathe? An angelfish, decorated with vivid blue, white, and orange stripes has taken an interest in you. It seems...