Postcards From France

(wind blowing) A box of French postcards sits beside the crystal display at Moonrise Bakery. Pat has been looking through them one by one. Tonight, a single postcard catches his eye. Its corners have faded into soft blues and silvers. It looks like it could be a fortress rising from the sea, or perhaps a hill top village of some kind. Before we take a closer look, let's begin with a short 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 in the night. We are going to be counting our breaths and then just gently noting thoughts and feelings as they arise. We are not trying to change them. We are 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, 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 state of mind for gentle, restful sleep. So, to begin with, just take a moment or two to get comfortable. Make sure you're nice and cool. Just starting with some nice, big, deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. (rain pouring) And with the next out breath, allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm, in and out through the nose. And just feeling the weight of the body pressing down into your bed. (rain pouring) And, in your own time, starting to count the 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 a thought, simply note it: "Thinking," and return to the breath. Or, if a feeling arises, "Feeling," and return to the breath. That 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. (rain pouring) (rain pouring continues) That's great. (rain pouring) At the end of a long summer day in the Loire Valley, a couple sits underneath the shade of an old chestnut tree. Beyond them, a chateau rises elegantly above the gardens, its pale stone walls glowing softly in the garden evening light. The gardens have begun to quiet. A small skylark sweeps overhead. Eats some drifting across the gardens. Somewhere beyond the trees, a gardener closes a gate with a gentle click. The last warms of the day lingers in the air. The couple sits quietly, watching the light change as the sun begins to sink lower. Between them,...