Sakura Hot Springs

It's nice to have you here. This evening, we're exploring a peaceful retreat called Sakura Hot Springs. It's the perfect place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Close enough to walk to from town, these hot springs neighbor the meandering stream, and have cherry blossoms in full bloom. But first, let's just take a moment for a brief wind-down exercise. Tonight's wind-down is a visualization. So when you're ready, let's begin. So no matter what's been going on today, whether it's been a busy day, or a calm one, this is an opportunity to put everything down, to let go of any inner chatter and find a place of rest in both the body and the mind. So first, get yourself comfortable in bed, just taking a moment to pause, be still. And when you're ready, taking a big, deep breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And as you breathe out, allowing the body to sink down into your bed, feeling the weight of the body, allowing thoughts to come and go. Now imagining a steady flow of warm sunlight flowing down through the body, dissolving any tension, any discomfort, as it begins to fill the body, starting with the toes, moving up through the feet, and the legs, being filled with sunlight. The qualities of warmth, space, and ease, as it continues to travel up through the body, up past the waist, through the back, and the stomach. It's as though it washes away any discomfort. It continues up through the chest and the upper back, into the shoulders, and down the arms, all the way down to the hands and fingers. A sense of relief in the body and stillness in the mind as it continues to travel up through the neck and the throat, into the head and face, all the way to the very top of the body, until there's nothing other than that sense of stillness remaining. And now just gently bringing the attention back to the body. Sora, the daughter of the retreat's owners, works just up the road at the planetarium, where she spends most evenings surveying the stars. Even though Sora is not at Sakura Hot Springs at the moment, there's always a chance to visit the garden that was named after her. Sora's garden is a tranquil tea garden. It's a lovely place to spend time in nature and practice walking meditations. The tea garden leads visitors from the outside world to the tea house. In the flourishing greenery of the surrounding cherry blossom forest, several stepping stones guide the path. The foundation of the garden is a velvety carpet of lush, green moss. It looks so soft, like you could almost bounce on it if you tried. Near the end of the path, a water basin awaits, illuminated by an old stone lantern. The light inside the lantern flickers with an inviting dance. Inside the water basin is a bamboo ladle...