Crystal Shop

Hey there. Tonight, we're headed to a little crystal shop, nestled in a valley, not far from here. It's a special place, known for its impressive collection of rocks, minerals, and gemstones. It's hard to believe that such a peaceful haven could be located just a stone's throw from town, though you should never, of course, throw any of the stones you find here. They're too fabulous. Just think how ancient some of them are. But first, let's just take a moment for a brief wind-down exercise. Tonight's wind-down is a visualization, so when you are ready, let's begin. No matter what's been going on today, whether it's been a busy day, or a calm one, this is an opportunity to 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, 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, allowing the body to sink down into your bed. Feeling the weight of the body, allowing thoughts to come and go. Now, 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, through the back, and the stomach. It's as though it washes away any discomfort. It continues up through the chest and the upper 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. Now, just gently bringing the attention back to the body. The shop's finest and largest crystals and minerals are displayed on a glass-topped table at the center of the space. These are the store's showpiece crystals, and they're rearranged into a new configuration each morning. The table is currently displaying dazzling specimens of labradorite, rose quartz, malachite, amethyst, and red jasper. Red jasper is not one of the most valuable crystals because it's so abundant, but its rich, poppy red color makes it a bright and striking piece. This one is half polished into a smooth pyramid at the top with a raw, craggy base. The red is speckled with black and veined with fine charcoal-colored lines. It looks like the end of a lipstick belonging to a giant. And who knows? Maybe that's what it was once upon a time. At the back of the...