Botanical Building

Welcome to our botanical building. A vast preserve of natural beauty, hidden safely away from the relentless currents of city life, just beyond the hills. The lush environment provides an intimate space for reflection and grounding, especially at this late afternoon hour as the sun makes its final descent towards the distant horizon. Some call it the golden hour when the sun diffuses a warm, soft glow across the skyline, when the day and the night are just beginning to converse with each other. A lily pond, teaming with life, beckons you towards the garden's entrance, offering a glimpse of the complexity of nature waiting just beyond the walls. Before we continue on, let's start off with a wind-down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get yourself comfortable. Now just bringing the attention to the breath. Just noticing where you feel it. In the nose, the throat, chest, the diaphragm. You're nice and relaxed. We're going to be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four and then breathing out for six. So are you ready? Let's begin. In for four, two, three, four. Hold it for four, two, three, four. Now breathing out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. Great. Now returning the breath to normal. Two Monarch butterflies spiral around one another in the air over the pond. They flap tirelessly then glide on the invisible current of the wind. After they part, the butterflies contemplate which island of lily pad to land on. Water lilies of every color grow here. The galactic purples reach skyward with each petal while their yellow neighbors float on their backs, resting on the water's surface. The pinks grab one of the butterfly's attention, holding twilight's last glow in its petals, their stems anchored in a heavy clay soil just a few feet below the surface. The water lilies do so much for this little ecosystem. On the surface, these aquatic leaves provide a place for small birds and dragonflies to rest their wings. Under water, lily pads act as shade, which prevents the koi fish from getting too much sun. If you move toward the water at just the right angle, you see yourself floating there, head between lily pads, some as big as your face. Each green leaf unfurled from the long stalks rooted in mud below. The pond's vibrant ecosystem offers everything the water lilies need and more. The sun sets on the bronze lake house, caressing the dome roof with light. A chorus of crickets take their places to sing the waterlilies to...