Treehouse

Here we are in the redwood forest. I'm going to give you a little tour of one of my favorite places: the tree house in the forest by the ocean. So peaceful and so quiet, a perfect place to get some sleep. Before we set out, I always like to start with a little wind-down. Tonight's exercise is a really simple 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 for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four, holding for four, two, three, four, Our 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. Look out of any window in the tree house and look above, lifting your gaze to the tops of the redwoods and beyond. Cumulonimbus clouds drift over the forest. Cumulonimbus is a big word but doesn't it feel perfect to describe clouds so big and fluffy? The sun spills over the edges of these clouds. It seems as if the clouds are embroidered with golden thread. Some of the light leaps over the clouds falling onto the forest in rays like the sun has unrolled great spools of yellow silk. This redwood forest is large and old. The green spires of trees tower over you and they wobble in the breeze. It's hard to believe that the massive redwood trunks grow and taper off into branches no bigger than a finger, but here they are anyway. Some of the trees are so tall that there are whole neighborhoods of plants and animals in the upper canopies supported by the dense redwood branches. That's why you can see the curling fronds of fern plants waving down at you. The ferns are brighter than the shadowed redwood leaves. With green all around you, the stream of monarch butterflies really stands out. They fly through the open spaces of the forest, happy to be in a warm place for the summer. Their wings are vibrant orange with black lines criss-crossing the color like a stained glass window. Although it is surrounded by this vast forest, the inside of the tree house is surprisingly free of leaves and dust. As the wind blows through the redwoods, it blows through the door and the windows of the tree house, sweeping the space clean. The walls...