Closing your eyes down gently,
Taking in a deep breath,
Exhaling slowly,
Adjusting your body,
Allowing it to be as comfortable as possible.
Emptying the mind,
Allowing any and all thoughts to quiet,
To settle,
And opening the heart to whatever may arise.
Closing your eyes,
Taking in another deep breath,
Releasing,
Letting the shoulders drop down away from your ears.
Unclench your jaw,
Allowing your tongue to rest gently in your mouth.
Soften the muscles around your eyes.
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
No forcing,
No holding.
Just let it happen naturally.
The in-breath and the out-breath.
You decide to rent a cabin in the woods,
On the water,
In your favorite place.
It's located on a dirt road,
Off of a dirt road.
Pulling into the driveway,
You are in awe and wonder.
The beauty of the quaint cabin,
Its secluded location,
The peacefulness all around.
As you step out of your vehicle,
Looking through the trees,
You see the water,
The ocean.
Before even going into the cabin,
You walk down to the water.
It's just a short walk through the pines,
Hemlock,
Evergreens,
And spruce.
You can't believe your eyes.
The water is right there,
Splashing ever so gently against the rocky shoreline.
You stand still in amazement and wonder,
Taking it all in.
The smell of the pine trees and ocean air,
The sound of subtle waves and seagulls calling to one another.
The warmth of the sun fades in and out as clouds pass through the sky,
Covering the sunlight for moments at a time.
There are no words to describe what you are thinking or what you are feeling in this moment.
Stillness,
Joy,
Peace,
Gratitude.
You stay here on the rocks by the water for a few more moments,
Until you decide to go back up and to begin unpacking your car.
Slowly walking towards the cabin,
You walk up the five stairs to the front door.
Opening the door,
You find yourself once again in a state of awe and wonder.
It's beautiful.
It's simple.
It feels like home.
You put your belongings down and begin to explore the cabin.
Perfect sized kitchen.
Lovely dining area.
A fireplace.
Cozy living room.
Beautiful bedroom.
And a quiet loft area upstairs.
Exactly what you wanted.
Exactly what you needed.
Exactly what you were hoping for.
As you take your time settling in,
A wave of gratitude washes over you.
What a gift this opportunity is.
You go out back,
Where there is a screened-in porch.
There are several different chairs,
And you decide to try them all out to find which one is most comfortable.
You finally decide to settle into the rocking Adirondack chair.
You take in a deep breath and let out a good sigh,
Thinking to yourself,
Life is good.
You take in a deep breath and let out a good sigh,
Thinking to yourself,
Life is good.
Looking out over the water,
You see the sparkles of light from the sun's reflection dancing on top of the water as the tide effortlessly flows in.
The silence and stillness all around is soothing,
Comforting.
Exactly what you need.
After relaxing on the porch for a while,
You decide to walk the short distance down to the water.
You know it will be a magnificent sunset over the water.
As you are walking down to the water,
You hear and notice two large birds leaving the tree above you,
A pair of bald eagles.
The sight of their beauty and size,
And the sound of their flapping wings,
Stops you in your tracks.
You watch as they fly out over the water,
Soaring,
Gliding.
Making your way down to the rocky shoreline,
You look for a rock to sit on.
After traversing down a little ways,
You find the perfect rock.
Your body conforms to it quite comfortably,
Almost like it was meant for you.
Settling in,
You watch the sun begin to set.
Seagulls are squawking and flying about,
Hoping to catch their dinner.
The sky is beginning to turn various shades of pink,
Purple,
And orange.
The decorative clouds add beauty to the foreground of the setting sun.
It is amazing how quickly the sun actually sets once it makes its way to a certain point in the horizon.
Before you know it,
The sun has disappeared behind the trees,
Marking the end of another wonderful day.
Now that the sun has set,
Sitting by the water,
Without the warmth of the sun,
You sense a chill in the air.
You decide to stay a few more minutes,
Then head back to the cabin.
Once back in the cabin,
You decide to light the fireplace for warmth,
Ambience,
And comfort.
Cozying up in the big comfy armchair in front of the fire,
You cover yourself in a soft fleece blanket.
Staring into the flames of the fire,
Reflecting on your day,
You can't help but smile.
There is something soothing,
Mesmerizing,
Relaxing about watching the flames of a fire.
You begin to feel yourself getting sleepy.
You allow the logs to burn down to red embers.
Folding up the blanket over the back of the chair,
You head off to bed.
As you lie there,
Making yourself as comfortable as possible,
You say to yourself three things you are grateful for.
Soon after,
You drift off to the most peaceful sleep you have had in a very,
Very long time.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Namaste.
