Billy’s All-Day Car Wash

Hi again. We're back at Billy's Car Wash, your friendly family runway station, just a short drive along the coast road. They're never closed, as you know. That's how committed they are to their customers. You could be heading home from a trip out of town at any time of day or night, and the car wash's neon sign, glowing steadfast and true, will never fail to catch your eye. Before we set off, let's briefly pause for a wind-down exercise. Tonight's wind-down is an exercise we call noting. It helps to soothe the mind. And once you've learned it, you can even use it if you wake up during the night. We're going to be counting our breaths and then just gently noting thoughts and feelings as they arise. We're not trying to change them. We're simply labeling thinking as thinking, feeling as feeling. It may sound incredibly simple, but it can help to create distance between ourselves and the thought and ourselves and the feeling so we don't get so involved in it. That in turn creates a more restful state of mind. In other words, the perfect conditions for gentle, restful sleep. So to begin, just take a moment or two to get comfortable. Make sure you're nice and cool. Just starting with some big deep breaths. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And with the next out breath, allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm, in and out through the nose, and feeling the weight of the body pressing you down into your bed. And in your own time, starting to count the breaths as they pass. One with the rise, two with the fall, just up to a count of 10. When you get to 10, you can stop and start again at one. And remember, anytime you get distracted, the moment you realize you're distracted by thought, simply note it thinking and return to the breath. Or if a feeling arises, note it as feeling and return to the breath. Noting is very gentle, not harsh at all. Think of it like a feather, just gently touching the surface of a crystal glass. I'm going to give you a few moments just to keep counting the breath and noting any thoughts and feelings that arise. That's great. The car wash occupies a sprawling lot on the outskirts of town, perched on a plateau on the hillside. As night draws in, its scattered lights can be seen from quite some way away. On the right of the roadside entrance is the drive through with its bright arch lit by little bulbs and fluffy striped rollers peeping out from within. Off to the side is the cashier's booth where you can find the long list of services the car wash offers and a friendly face. This evening, it's Billy's youngest son, Jesse. To the left, under a long blue canopy with yellow struts are the bays for handwashing and waxing...