Silent Retreat

The first rays of moonlight have just fallen and you long for rest, here in the southwest corner of France. This dense woodland is a haven for peace and serenity, with countless rows of majestic pine and oak trees that stretch as far as the eyes can see. The moon hangs in the sky with a soft, gentle glow, growing brighter with each passing moment. It seems to be offering a warm invitation to stay awhile, illuminating the space for us to enjoy and appreciate. As we settle in, let's begin our evening with a brief 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 during the night. We are going to be counting our breath and then just gently nothing thoughts and feelings as they arise. We are not trying to change them. We are simply labeling thinking as thinking, feeling as feeling. It may sound incredibly simple, but it can help to create distance between ourselves and the thought and 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 conditions for gentle, restful sleep. So to begin, just take a moment or two to get comfortable. Make sure you are nice and cool. Just starting with some big deep breaths, starting in through the nose and out through the mouth. And with the next out breath, allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm, in and out through the nose and feeling the weight of the body pressing you down into your bed. And in your own time, starting to count the breaths as they pass. One with the rise, two with the fall, just up to 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 are distracted by thought, simply note it thinking and return to the breath. Or if a feeling arises, note it as feeling and return to the breath. 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. That's great. Lone pine trees, recognizable by the noted trunks and red cracked bark, are all around. The fragrance of the short blueish green pine needles is invigorating. One tree stands out from the others, clearly the most ancient of the bunch. How many travelers over the years have visited this exact tree in this particular forest? Many must have placed a hand on its trunk, unknowingly communing with people past and present. With a lifespan of up to 600 years, the tree is a reassuring constant in the forest. By...