Northwest Rainforest

Welcome to the Northwest rainforest. It's one of my favorite places to explore. And I'm so glad you've joined me. I've been through this forest many times, and with each visit, I discover something new. Lucky for us, we've arrived at the perfect time. The rain has begun to settle and there's a warm breeze in the air. It looks like the flowers are just beginning to open too. There aren't too many visitors today. So we'll have this lush green landscape somewhat to ourselves. And perhaps if we're quiet enough, we may encounter a few unexpected inhabitants along the way. Before we enter the rain forest, I always like to start with a wind down. Tonight's wind down is a 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 four six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Hold it 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. On your left, the forest thickens and the path narrows with a steep hill to one side. The hill is covered with boisterous bushes, with tiny white buds. Perhaps some kind of wild berry bush? The wind is calm here, hardly a wind at all. Yet you notice tiny white fluff floating through the air. It seems too early in the season to be a seed or even dander. So you wonder what it is. To get a better look, you reach out your hand to let one land there, but when it nears your palm, it suddenly reverses course and lifts itself away. It's a slow, lazy form of flying, but flying nonetheless. It must be alive. What is it? When you look up, you see a modest cloud of them meandering through a shaft of sunlight. Their tiny wings are feathery. Some sort of insect? You have a flash of thought, the word fairies, that you immediately dismiss. Yet without any reasonable explanation, it does seem like something magical. You watch one slowly wind down toward a nicely flat leaf. When you lean in to inspect it, you see it is an insect smaller than a gnat but with white, feathery wings, a little puff of nothing like the dust of desire. Walking up a steep incline,...