Lavender Fields

Summertime in the south of France can feel like magic, especially in this small village hidden between the Massif des Maures mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Sitting just above 150 meters above sea level, this charming village is home to many hidden treasures and surprises waiting to be discovered. In the stillness of the approaching night, the area radiates a calming sense of welcome, inviting you to stay as long as you'd like. So with the sun slowly falling below the horizon, let's settle in for the evening with a brief wind down exercise. Tonight's wind down is a visualization. When you're ready, let's begin. So, just take a moment to get comfortable, letting go of the day. Enjoying that feeling of having stopped, of having nothing left to do. We're going to focus the attention of the mind on different parts of the body. Watching as the muscles in the body switch off for the night. Leaving the body feeling rested and leaving the mind more at ease. So starting down at the toes, feeling a sense of the muscles switching off. The feet, the arches. All those muscles switching off. Same in the lower half of the legs. Notice any tension being let go of as the muscles switch off. Shut down. In the upper half of the legs. Any tension melting away, being let go of. Into the area of the hips, the pelvis. Again, any muscles shutting down for the night. Completely at rest. Everything from the waist downward is heavy, at ease. The muscles in the lower back and the stomach are now switching off. Middle of the back, around the diaphragm, the upper back, and the chest. So any muscles not needed shutting down. Switching off for the night. The shoulders switching off. The upper half of the arms. And the lower half of the arms switching off. The hands, fingers. Chest switching off. Any muscle around the throat and the neck switching off. The head, the face, the jaw, the eyes. Any last areas of tension melting away as the muscles shut down. Switch off. At rest for the night. And allowing thoughts to come and go. Allowing the mind and body the space they need to rest. On the outskirts of the village sits a large, sprawling field of lavender, the signature flower of Provence. What a medley of colors, purple, yellow, green, blue. It is a real pleasure for the eyes and for the nose. All your senses are awake. The sweet perfume from the field reminds you of freshly washed laundry hanging out to dry in the sun. The crickets welcome you with their signature songs. Almond and olive trees adorn the field. There is no single cloud in the sky. Standing under one of the olive trees, an old man with a thick white mustache is painting the evening landscape on an easel. He's smiling contentedly, so lost in the flow of his work that he seems to...