Windswept Lighthouse

At the end of a long coastal road, where the ocean wears away at the land, visitors can witness the life and rituals of a small white lighthouse with a grand emerald door. Surrounded by the coastal flora and Agaves that have made the sandy cliff side, its home, the lighthouse has protected the harbor for decades with its strong beacon, illuminating ships and sail boats as they anchor below in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. The lighthouse keeper peers out of the emerald pane windows to look out at the sea. Tonight, it's lit not only by the lighthouses strong beam, but also by the soft glow of the moon. The lighthouse keeper moves to the stove to pour a hot cup of tea, the cup steams in his hands, as he marvels at the delicate beams of refracted light, slowly moving across the salt water. I've been to this lighthouse many times and know its details well, but before we explore them together, let's begin 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 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 four 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. Even in the daytime, the lighthouse's glass heart can be seen gleaming from the tide pools below. The view from here is breathtaking. There's something so meditative about observing the ocean waves crash and recede over smooth rock, changing everything it touches. It's hard to believe the tides are ruled by the gravity and motion of the earth, moon, and sun, and that if you stand here and observe the ocean all day, you can witness the tide turning and changing before your very eyes. When the moon is full in the endless expanse of the sky, its gravitational pull combined with the gravity of earth creates a tidal force that determines what we see here. When the tide is low, the tide pools become windows into the health of the sea. With patient observation, a shy octopus might make itself known amongst the barnacles, flower-like anemones, and sensitive algae. Tonight, the tide is high and the window is closed, but if you...