Evening Tide

The sun has just begun to set on this quiet stretch of beach. The water on the horizon shimmers with a vibrant white glow illuminating the sandy cliffs that line the shore. At the base of these cliffs, a rocky reef is gradually exposed by the rising tide, creating a small outcropping of natural tide pools. Slowly as darkness begins to fall on the shoreline, the newly-formed tide pools come to life. Seagulls and sandpipers hop from rock to rock navigating through small ecosystems of crabs, mollusks, and starfish. Backlit by the setting sun, the wildlife perform their daily ritual in silhouette, soaking in the last glimmers of daylight. Now, as we settle in for the evening, let's deepen your state of relaxation with a short 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, 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 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. Hold it 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. Timing is paramount when exploring tide pools. The peak season is late summer, when the days are still long and the heat spills over into the night. Low tide comes twice a day, once very early in the morning and once around sunset. Arriving in the afternoon allows one to enjoy the beach before the tide lowers again. A golden light illuminates the sky as the sun heads towards the horizon. As the sun goes down, the tide draws back and the tide pools emerge. A perfect but brief window of a few hours is given to those who visit. There is just enough time to explore most of the craters and the creatures within. The nudibranchs, octopuses, and starfish move among the connected tide pools. The seagulls rest on the warm sand, and wait for easy prey or abandoned snacks. The pools closer to the ocean get filled with water when a high wave comes in. The water courses over the rocks and flows back out. The ocean is calm and inviting, and a swim is in order before the sun sets. The softly crashing waves are the S=sonic foundation of the shore. The wind sweeps the crest of each one and sends it tumbling down....