Vineyard Sunset

Hello, and thank you for joining us this evening at the vineyard. We're happy you could be here. From your seat on the outdoor patio you watch as the final rays of sunlight make their way across the horizon. At this time of day, the warmth of the waning daylight blends harmoniously with the stillness of the approaching night. On the surrounding hills, vast fields of grapevines are arranged in long, narrow rows that bound along the natural contours of the landscape. They bend and curve like the grooves of a fingerprint, moving in perfect parallel. At the foot of the patio sits a large stack of aged wooden barrels. While seemingly lifeless on the outside, the inside of each barrel brims with activity. In the stillness of the approaching night, you can almost hear the gentle bubbling of last season's harvest, as the sugars ferment and dissolve before taking on their new form. Now, as you settle in for the evening, let us deepen your state of relaxation with a short wind down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first get yourself comfortable. 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. 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. A stream gently bubbles as it snakes around the periphery of the vineyard. Nestled in between rocks and trees, the slim stream almost seems to be quietly guarding the grape vines, moving slowly to ensure that every last grape has water to drink, enough to grow plump and juicy. The stream begins to sparkle as the sun continues to sink. The way the water catches and reflects the deepening orange hues of the sky above, it reminds you of the glowing embers of a campfire just before it goes out for the night. The stream navigates around pebbles and rocks, giving birth to endless ripples. The pulse of the ripples matches that of a heartbeat, calm, steady, ongoing. A hidden trail lets out at the edge of the vineyard. Just as you begin to wonder who might spend an afternoon exploring the surrounding fields, a friendly man emerges, his face hidden by a wide-brimmed, well-worn sunhat. His gait is slow but determined....