Downriver

Welcome to our little rowing boat. The water here is calm and the river isn't wide. And we can just float along with the flow of the current. And it's dusk. And the sky is a deep gray-blue. Do you see the first stars are beginning to appear? The birds, who have been singing all day long, are beginning to grow quiet. It really is the perfect moment to drift off. Before we set out on our journey downriver, we have time for a little wind down exercise. This evening's wind down is a breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. Lying comfortably in your bed. Get your pillow, if you use one, how you like it. First, just bringing the attention to the breath. Just noticing where you feel it. In the nose, the throat, the 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 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. Brilliant. Now returning the breath to normal. Now you're nice and relaxed. Picture yourself easing into the most comfortable part of the boat. Feel free to stretch out. The boat isn't big, but there's plenty of room for you. And focus your attention on the things the boat passes as it floats slowly along. So let's begin our trip downriver. Just relax into the rhythm as we float along. The water here is calm and moving very slowly. The air around the boat is warm and still. Over by the river bank, there's a patch of lily pads and clusters of water lilies with wispy white petals. Emerging from between the water lilies, a speckled gray duck is swimming out into the river. As she swims, her legs are kicking in the clear shallow water and behind her there was a line of fluffy yellow ducklings. As they swim, the ducklings' beaks are opening and closing as if they are singing something just too quiet to hear. The mother duck swims along with her ducklings behind her. The duckling at the front of the line swims out to the side and the other ducklings in the line swim past it and catch up with the mother duck. And then the darkling joins again at the end of the line. And then, it's the turn of the duckling who's now at the front to swim out to the side and it waits in the water and allows...