Gather yourself and turn your attention inside.
Breathe into your center,
Letting the calming energy flow in and out of your body.
Keep breathing,
And feel your body gently sinking deeper into the sheets,
Deeper into the bed,
As you feel warm and safe.
Listen to the gentle whisper of your breath as it brings in peace and calm and releases stress and tension,
And let your entire body relax,
Let your entire mind clear.
See if you can imagine now being in the Everglades,
In a safe and secure boat that allows you to travel through the river of grass.
A delicate breeze kisses your face and rustles the long strands of grass that are everywhere.
With each gentle blow,
The grass dances in unison,
Leaning left altogether or right or fanning out in a beautiful blue-green arc.
The sun warms and caresses your face and brushes against your arms every time the breeze pauses.
And it feels so wonderful.
After a moment,
You hear a quick splash and notice a dolphin's fin rolling across the watery grass.
The dolphin pauses and lifts its head in your direction,
With its black velvet eyes gazing at you.
The dolphin squeaks and trills,
Showing his delight in sharing the space with you,
And then he dives below and swims away.
The boat floats on,
Cutting a gentle path through the water and grass.
Your eyes move upward toward the sky,
Where a brown and white osprey glides above the trees.
Your eyes follow the osprey.
She eventually lands on a dead tree,
Its brownish-gray with thick,
Empty branches spiking toward the sky,
And there at the top is a large osprey nest where the bird settles.
Moments later,
A large grayish creature pops its head up next to the boat.
It's a manatee.
The manatee's blue-black eyes twinkle in the sunlight,
And its whiskers gently move as they explore the watery world.
Slowly and gracefully,
The manatee swims to some grass and chews on it,
Content and calm.
The boat moves on,
Passing the manatee and a few redfish that have gathered.
They all scatter as the boat draws closer.
As the boat continues to drift,
You notice a half-dozen green turtles sunning themselves on the shore,
And nearby a baby gator also suns itself.
You marvel at how the creatures simply co-exist,
Bonded in this moment by the warmth of the sun.
The boat drifts onward,
And you pass a pair of great blue herons stalking through the waters in search of fish.
One of them sharply drops its head into the water and emerges with a wriggling fish in its mouth.
The boat travels on until a small dock with people becomes visible.
As you draw closer,
You recognize the people.
They are your loved ones,
There to greet you after your journey.
As you get onto the dock,
You are showered with hugs and kisses.
Your loved ones take you by the hand and lead you away from the Everglades,
But with every step you take,
You feel transformed by the magical journey you had the honor of taking.
Namaste,
Beautiful.
