Germany's Forest Chapel

It's golden hour here in the Black Forest. Dusky threads of sunlight weave their way down through the canopy above, lighting up dust motes that glint and glide through the cool forest air like slow-moving stardust. The shadows of the trees stretch longer and thinner as the sun drops lower, sinking down into its celestial slumber. But before it does, let's take a moment for 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. Now, returning the breath to normal. Deep in the bosom of the Black Forest, the trees seem to extend their branches in a tender gesture of welcome. An enveloping sense of Waldeinsamkeit fills the air here. A sense of perfect solitude in the forest. But a whole bustling world of animal life can be heard on the other side of the silence. A gentle hoot-hoot pipes up, like a woodwind instrument, blown to an unheard beat. A pygmy owl is nestling on a gnarly branch above. This pint-sized bird has emerged from its hiding place to decorate the airwaves with its call. The body of this feathery forest dweller is brown like gingerbread, and speckled with tiny buff white spots. The tail feathers are a few shades darker, something closer to hot chocolate, and banded with slim, white stripes like frosting on a tiny cupcake. The bird's white belly, on the other hand, is straight with brown dashes from its throat down to its toes. Its yellow eyes peer out bright as two dandelions, wide and watchful. Something must have caught its attention because, now, the owl spreads its silent wings and disappears into the forest air. Down on the ground below, animal tracks have indented the soft earth, leaving the outline of two teardrops resting side by side. A deer must have wandered here, leaving behind its hoof prints. Where might its journey have taken it? Inside the small white chapel huddled in the heart of the black forest, the central stained-glass window is divided into three segments. Beginning at the bottom, in the lowermost segment, the summit of a steel-blue mountain range...