Lavender Fields

In the summer, a small secret Provencal village in the south of France calls your name. This charming Mediterranean town tucked away in the Massif des Maures mountain range is home to many hidden delights waiting to be explored. And with night rapidly approaching along the coast the quiet roads and open walkways feel even more inviting. As the sun continues to fall below the horizon, let's settle in for the evening with a brief wind down exercise. Tonight's wind down is an exercise we call noting. It helps to soothe the mind and once you've learned it, you can even use it if you wake up during the night. We are going to count our breaths and then just gently noting thoughts and feelings as they arise. We're not trying to change them. We're simply labeling thinking as thinking and feeling as feeling. It may sound incredibly simple, but it can help to create distance between ourselves and the thought and ourselves and the feeling. So we don't get so involved in it. That in turn creates a more restful state of mind. In other words, the perfect conditions for gentle, restful sleep. So to begin, just take a moment or two to get comfortable. Make sure you're nice and cool. Just starting with some big, deep breaths. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And with the next out breath, allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm, in and out through the nose. And feeling the weight of your body pressing down into your bed And in your own time, starting to count breaths as they pass. One with the rise. Two with the fall Just up to a count of 10. When you get to 10, you can stop, and start again at one. And remember, any time you get distracted, the moment you realize you're distracted by thought, simply note it, thinking, and return to the breath. Or if a feeling arises, note it as feeling, and return to the breath. Noting is very gentle, not harsh at all. Think of it like a feather just gently touching the surface of a crystal glass. I'm going to give you a few moments just to keep counting the breath and noting any thoughts and feelings that arise. That's great. Down a nearby alleyway is a small pottery workshop beloved by the local townspeople. Sitting behind the counter is Amelie, the talented ceramicist and cheerful shop owner who shares her love of pottery with anyone who crosses her path. The workshop is vibrant and decorated in colors that echo the different types of clay Amelie uses. Mint green chairs, off-white work tables, and salmon pink curtains. Shelves of Amelie's creations line the walls. Even at the height of summer, the studio is somehow always cool and welcoming, thanks in part to the large terracotta tiles that cover the floor. For Jojo, Amelie's dog, the cool ground is the perfect place to lounge on...