Yucatán Dream

(waves crashing) Along the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, clouds gather and drift across the sky as evening settles over the Caribbean Sea. The warm waves roll gently onto the sand, then slide back again. Palm trees shift in the breeze as the sky fades into shades of orange and purple. The beach is quiet now. All of the shore birds have flown to their nests, and the crescent moon is just beginning to rise over the horizon. (waves crashing) Before we move deeper into the landscape of the Yucatan, let's begin with a brief wind-down exercise. (waves crashing) Tonight's wind down is an exercise we call noting. (waves crashing) It helps to soothe the mind, and once you've learned it, you can even use it if you wake up in the night. We are going to be counting our breaths, and then just gently noting thoughts and feelings as they arise. We are not trying to change them; we're 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, 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 state of mind for gentle, restful sleep. So, to begin with, just take a moment or two to get comfortable. Make sure you're nice and cool. (waves crashing) Just starting with some nice big, deep breaths. Breathing 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, (waves crashing) and just feeling the weight of the body pressing down into your bed. (waves crashing) And in your own time, starting to count the breaths as they pass. (waves crashing) One with the rise, two with the fall, just up to a count of 10. When you get to 10, you can stop and start again at one. (waves crashing) And remember, anytime you get distracted, the moment you realize you're distracted by thought, simply noted thinking and return to the breath. Or if a feeling arises, feeling, and return to the breath. That 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. (waves crashing) That's great! (waves crashing) Rising above the ancient Maya town of Chichen Itza, El Castillo, or the Temple of Kukulcan, rises from the flat landscape, its stepped-stone walls warm in the fading light. From its wide, square base, the structure climbs upward in a series of terraces, each one slightly smaller than the last. Four limestone staircases lead towards a mysterious temple. Their edges worn smooth over time. At the base of each one, a carved serpent rests...