Compass Gardens

Thanks for joining us here, right at the very center of things. Sometimes it feels like this is the only still point in a world that is constantly moving. We're going to go on a journey tonight that will be ever so slightly magical. Oh, there's nothing to worry about. Nothing to do. Just let your mind wander with us to sleep and dreams. Each night we like to start with a short exercise which we call a wind down. It's designed to soothe the body and relax the mind. So, when you're ready, let's begin. So, no matter what's been going on today, whether it's been a busy day or a calm one, this is an opportunity to just put everything down, to let go of any inner chatter and find a place of rest in both the body and the mind. So first, get yourself comfortable in bed, just taking a moment to pause and be still. And when you're ready, taking a big, deep breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And as you breathe out, just allowing the body to sink down into your bed. Feeling the weight of the body, allowing thoughts to come and go. Just imagining a steady flow of warm sunlight, flowing down through the body, dissolving any tension, any discomfort, as it begins to fill the body, starting with the toes, moving up through the feet, and the legs, being filled with sunlight. The qualities of warmth, space, and ease as it continues to travel up through the body, up past the waist, to the back, and the stomach. It's as though it just washes away any discomfort. It continues up through the chest and the back, into the shoulders and down the arms, all the way down to the hands and fingers. A sense of relief in the body and stillness in the mind, as it continues to travel up through the neck and the throat, into the head and face, all the way to the very top of the body until there's nothing other than that sense of stillness remaining. And now just gently bringing the attention back to the body. You are standing in a street where nobody seems to be in a hurry, just a few passers by are out strolling. Some are resting on benches, the light in the sky seems soft, very soft. The sun is shining softly and the wind is blowing so gently but it feels like the wind has given you the gift of a shawl. Feeling the gentle wind blow is like wearing a luxurious, open weave shawl. It's like being able to be out in your pajamas and it's okay, it's the perfect temperature and you're wearing a perfect clothes. As your neck and shoulders relax, you look down. You are standing in a street made of dove gray stones. The stones are wide and nicely weathered. How many people have stopped here to rest and...