There is a path that leads to a quiet stretch of coastline,
A gentle patch of wilderness by the sea,
And here in this quiet,
Peaceful place,
A low stone wall runs as far as the eye can see.
You arrive at this place just before nightfall,
The sky is pale blue,
Fading into gold and violet,
And the air carries the cool,
Earthy scent of fine sea spray.
You have brought some things with you to this place,
Not in your hands,
But in your mind.
Maybe it is an unfinished conversation,
An unmade decision,
Or it could be something else entirely,
Something that makes your body tense and your mind anxious.
It's okay that these things came with you,
You did not come to the stone wall by the sea to fix these things,
The reason you are here is to set them aside for now and allow yourself to rest.
As you walk,
The path beneath your feet feels steady,
Soft,
Reliable.
Next to you,
The sea moves in its long,
Even rhythm,
In,
In,
And out.
Perhaps you notice that your breath begins to follow that same easy flow,
In and out.
The path curves gently ahead of you,
And soon you see it,
The stone wall by the sea.
The stones are smooth and round,
Warmed faintly from the day's sun.
Stepping closer now,
You pause in front of it and notice there is something comforting about the stone wall,
How it has stood its ground through wind and rain and countless tides.
You sit down on top of the wall and feel how the surface beneath you is smooth,
Solid,
Resilient,
And you allow yourself to begin letting go.
Feel the weight of your body settle,
Your feet still touching the earth,
Hands resting loosely in your lap.
The sky deepens another shade,
Orange now fading to a deep indigo.
Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale through your mouth,
And imagine that each worry you have carried here can take a shape,
Something small you can hold in the palm of your hand.
Take your time doing this,
There is no need to rush.
Perhaps one of them feels like a smooth pebble,
Or another like a folded scrap of paper.
Whatever feels right for you.
You do not need to examine them,
Just acknowledge their weight and one by one place them down on the wall beside you.
Just sit them down and know you can come back for them at any time.
They are not lost to you.
Imagine now placing one down.
Feel the slight lightness in your hands from its absence.
And now place the next one down beside it.
Notice your shoulders ease just a little.
Keep placing these items down on the wall beside you until your hands are empty.
And notice while you are doing this how the sea continues its rhythm.
In and out and out.
As you set these items down,
You may notice a subtle shift.
You may notice your shoulders loosen,
Your jaw unclench,
Your eyes soften.
As you notice these changes,
Your nervous system also notices.
It knows it no longer needs to be alert or scanning.
Nothing is required of you here.
You are safe to let go.
The wall is holding what you set upon it.
The earth is holding you.
The sea is keeping time.
You are not abandoning any responsibilities.
You are simply pausing them in order to invite deep,
Restorative rest.
This pause has power.
Because when the body rests,
The mind reorganizes.
When the breath slows,
The heart follows.
And when sleep comes,
The brain quietly sorts and stores and repairs.
Even now as you lie here,
Your pulse is beginning to steady.
Your exhale will lengthen naturally.
Let it.
Allow yourself to really deepen that relaxation by taking a deep breath in through the nose.
And sigh out through the mouth.
Once again,
In.
And sigh out.
The first stars have just appeared in the night sky.
They appeared with ease.
They know what their job is.
To quietly shine as you continue to breathe.
Imagine now you slide down from the wall and lie back onto the cool grass.
The ground is soft and forgiving.
You feel your spine supported.
The back of your head cradled by the earth.
Your arms rest at your sides,
Loose and relaxed.
Your worries remain on the wall where you set them down earlier.
They are safe.
And they will wait for you while you rest.
You may notice a part of you wanting to reach back for them.
Just to check.
But instead,
You notice how the sea continues its quiet rhythm still.
In.
And out.
And in this moment,
Your body understands something.
Rest is not weakness.
Rest is strength.
Every creature along this shoreline sleeps.
The birds are tucked into the grasses.
And small animals curl up among the dunes.
Even the tide has its rhythm of coming and going.
You are allowed your rhythm too.
As you lie here,
Imagine the night air gently moving over every part of you.
Comforting like a soft blanket.
Feel it move across your forehead.
Over your eyelids.
Down your neck.
Your shoulders melt wider against the ground.
Feel your arms grow heavy.
Hands unclench completely.
Your ribs rise and fall more slowly now.
Your stomach softens.
Your hips sink.
Your legs lengthen.
And your feet and toes rest fully.
The wall remains beside you.
Holding what you set down.
Tomorrow,
When you return to it,
You will not be the same as you were tonight.
Sleep has a way of changing you.
It restores your body.
It steadies your mind.
It softens your reactions.
And strengthens your patience.
Even now,
Your heart rate is slowing in preparation for sleep.
Your thoughts widen like the horizon at dusk.
You are doing all that is required of you right now.
The sea is moving for you.
The earth is holding for you.
The wall is keeping watch for you.
All this so you can rest.
Just for now,
Let your worries sit on the wall.
Let the night deepen.
Let your breath slow to the quiet rhythm of the tide.
In and out.
And you know now,
Nothing is lost.
Nothing is forgotten.
It is simply set down.
And you are allowed to sleep.
