Glowing Stones

In the late afternoon, everything along the beach boardwalk takes on a light golden tint. From the outdoor market to the sand dunes and beach grasses, to the waves softly cresting on the shore. The water rushes in and the water rushes out. It's as though the ocean is breathing along with you. The air smells fresh by the sea. It feels good to breathe here. Inhale and exhale. Scattered along the outdoor market are tables for shells, candles, second-hand books. One cedar table by the front has a white tablecloth with rocks spread thoughtfully over the fabric. Each stone has a unique shape and color, formed in different landscapes over time. There's a long story in each stone about the earth around it and how they came to be. Before we begin, let's start with a little 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. Desert sandstone, just saying the name conjures up the whisper of warm breezes over swirling dunes. In the rock collection here, the red sandstone came from a far away desert canyon. Thousands of years ago, a river carved a path through that desert forming the canyon. The canyon carried all the colors of the desert sunlight, layers of cream and soft orange and ruby red and great swooping lines up the sides of its valley. Imagine following the crests and curves of those warm colors with your eyes, like the rays of the sun captured in sculpture. As the water dried in the canyon, the colorful sand condensed at the bottom of the river bed, until this little stone was pressed together from sand and sediment. Sediment. What a peaceful word. Makes you think about sitting still. This sandstone must have brought a bit of the desert with it with all the rosy dust around it on the white tablecloth. It's dusty when picked up too and lighter than it seems. The colors of the sandstone are so vibrant. It's as though you can feel the desert sunshine drifting down, warm and welcoming. One stone in the...