Flower Market

Hello and welcome. We're delighted you could join us for an evening at the flower market. At this market, the doors don't close when the sun goes down. Instead, it becomes a peaceful sanctuary for night owls to wander amongst the blooms. Tonight, with the moon shining high above, the market's glass walls appear to glow against the sky. And with the gentle babbling of a passing canal, the atmosphere from outside is one of ease and tranquility. A warm light emanates from within the glass walls, inviting any and all passerby to stop in and explore, whether to shop or to simply admire the brilliant bouquets on display. As you 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. 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. Great. And now returning the breath to normal. A young girl in a yellow corduroy dress gestures to her mother, together they move towards a wooden table, where the market offers free activities for children. Tonight, supplies are laid out to make bookmarks. Low square baskets are placed in a row. Each basket is full of pressed flowers. There are dandelions and buttercups, purple and orange cosmos, ferns. The girl has visited this table before, the flower market is her favorite place. On special nights like tonight, her mother bundles her up and they walk for seven blocks downhill to the canal. Now she selects a piece of white card stock, she cuts this into a long, skinny rectangle. From the basket nearest to her, she selects a buttercup with five perfectly pressed pedals. They look like stars, she thinks, dipping a watercolor brush in glue and coating the card stock. She places the buttercup in the center. Now the bookmark is almost ready. The last step is to press parchment paper over the top of it. She flattens the edges to make it crisp. She will carry her newest treasure all the way home and leave it till morning to dry. Flora folds small quilts by the front counter. She has sewn them all patiently...