Lazing Lagoon

The waters of the lazing lagoon are calm and the currents are mellow. The weather at this time of year is mild, rather than really hot. A light breeze wrinkles the water's surface and the houseboats rock gently at anchor. Here on the deck of the Sylvie of the Sea, we have a commanding view of the surrounding landscape. Well, I say commanding, but perhaps that's a bit too demonstrative. After all, there's nothing here to command. Just a lovely blue sky with the wisps of cloud against it and the beach and the water itself. No, the proper thing to do here is to settle in and relax. Before we begin, I think it's nice to start with a little wind down. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first get comfortable in your bed. 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. Hold in 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. Earlier the sundeck faced the mouth of the lagoon, but now the houseboat has shifted position and is oriented towards the beach. You watch two children rolling down a sand dune while a man, their father, presumably, sits on a bench, eating potato chips. His gaze alternates between the boys and the sea. Can you tell what a person is thinking just by looking at them? Maybe. He might be thinking, I'd like to be rolling down a sand dune, too. Or maybe, I wish I were out there sailing a boat. The sun comes out of the clouds. You reapply sunscreen. Isn't it funny how the sun coming out of the clouds always makes one feel better. The late afternoon sun has turned the beach a dull gold. The light is gentle, but not sentimental. Too much light drains away subtlety. Too little light makes things look vague and uncertain. This is the time of day photographers call the magic hour, when everything looks beautiful. The sunset, like everything here, is made beautiful by its restraint. The pale shades of mauve gradually being drained of color. Some days the lagoon is full of people, energetically kite surfing and water skiing, but school holidays are over and today there's just a...