Downriver

Welcome to our little rowing boat. The water here is calm, and the river isn't whined, and we can just float along with the flow of the current. It is dusk, and the sky is a deep gray blue. Do you see the first stars beginning to appear? The current is drifting laserly past us, seems like the perfect moment to let go and drift off. Before we set out on our journey downriver, we have time for a little wind down exercise. This is particularly helpful if you're troubled by a busy mind, when you're trying to get to sleep. Going to be counting our breaths, and then just gently noting thoughts and feelings if they arise. We're not trying to replace them with anything else, 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, ourselves and the feeling, so we don't get so involved in it. And that creates a more restful state of mind. In other words, the perfect state of mind for gentle, restful sleep. So to begin with, just take a moment or two to get comfortable, make sure you're nice and cool. Just starting with some nice, big, deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And with the next out breath, allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm, in and out through the nose. Just feeling the weight of the body pressing 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, 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 feeling, and return to the breath. That 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 gonna give you a few moments just to keep counting the breath, and noting those thoughts and feelings. That's brilliant. Now, if you're still with us, you'll be nice and relaxed. Picture yourself easing into the most comfortable part of the boat. Feel free to stretch out, focus your attention on the things the boat passes as it floats slowly along. Casting off now, and beginning our trip downriver. You can relax into the rhythm as we float along. As we drift on the water, the river meanders, curving gently to the left, then straightening out to the right. And, as we wind along, there's a foot path running alongside us. And as the boat floats further downstream it comes to a small, stone bridge. And as it drifts beneath the bridge the sounds of the breeze and the buzzing of insects gradually grows quieter. The only sound now...