Moonlit Swim

The night swimming pool is housed in a magnificent stone and glass building, perched improbably on a mountain side. Its position affords it an amazing view of the night sky. And it's this, perhaps, this combination of water, sky and moonlight and starlight that gives the place its restorative quality. It's perfect for night swimmers and stargazers and anyone looking for somewhere truly dreamy to drift off and float away. Before we begin to enjoy this unique location, it's nice to start with a wind down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. First, get comfortable in your bed. Now, just bringing the attention to the breath, 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. There are never more than a handful of visitors to the night swimming pool at any one time or at least it always feels as though there aren't many people here. There's something about this place. People just start to seem at one with it. Perhaps lulled by this sense of harmony. The swimmers in the pool have fallen into a kind of rhythm with one another so that their swimming back and forth merges into a reassuring pattern of repetitions, and to a sleepy eye, their bobbing heads and arms arcing through the air are just a set of abstract shapes refracting off the water. You settle back, letting your gaze soften still more so that these shapes dissolve and resolve like the ebb and flow of the water. Meanwhile, the moon looks on through the window, her face resting on the pillow of the night. Entering the night swimming pool from the changing area, you find yourself in a long room, emanating a quiet blue light. The central feature, of course, is the large rectangular pool, which stretches right to the end of the room, where it meets a wall of glass, framing a starry night sky. The water itself, there's no one in it just now, is absolutely still. Meeting its edge almost seamlessly, you step closer and crouch down at the pool's edge. Slowly, not wanting to disturb the absolute calm of the water's surface, you dip one hand in, testing the temperature. A delicious coolness...