Closing your eyes gently,
Making your body as comfortable as possible.
Slowly take in a deep breath through your mouth,
Hold for a second,
And slowly release through the mouth.
Do this two more times.
In through the mouth,
Hold,
Out through the mouth.
In through the mouth,
Hold,
Out through the mouth.
Allowing your mind and body to settle now.
Let's go for a peaceful walk along the river.
The path you are walking on is covered in gravel.
Small pebbles,
Rocks of all different shapes,
Sizes,
And colors.
You can feel them beneath your feet.
You can hear your own footsteps as you walk on the pebbles and rocks.
You look down and see various colors of pebbles,
Rocks,
And stone.
You take in the surroundings through your senses of sight,
Hearing,
And feeling.
This gravel path you walk upon slowly leads into a wooded area,
Not quite a forest.
There is some openness in the canopy of the trees.
As you continue on the path,
You soon begin to hear the slight sound of water flowing.
Your eyes perk up in search of this water.
Your ears perk up to hear it more intently.
There is a spark of anticipation felt throughout your body.
Soon,
Through the trees,
You catch a glimpse of water,
The river.
It just so happens to be at a place on the river where there is a slight waterfall.
You take in the beautiful sight between the trees of the river's water,
Rushing over large rocks and boulders in the river's bed.
The sound of the water making its way over the rock is soothing,
Calming,
Music to your heart and soul.
There is a little embankment you must traverse your way down in order to get closer to the water.
You carefully ease your way down slowly,
One step at a time.
The path continues a bit more through the tall pines and beautiful maples.
The sound of the water is getting louder.
The sight of the waterfall is getting clearer.
You look down and the path has changed from gravel to tree roots,
Pine needles,
And dirt.
Rounding a slight corner in a couple of large trees,
The river and waterfall are now unobstructed.
You gasp in awe in beauty of this magnificent masterpiece of nature.
You've noticed the ground has turned to sand,
Beach sand.
You immediately take your socks and sneakers off to feel the cool sand on your feet.
You roll up the bottom of your pant legs and slowly step into the water.
The sun is beating down from the clear blue sky.
The water on your feet feels refreshing.
You step back and forth feeling the sand beneath your feet.
The water on your feet and ankles.
You lift your head towards the sun,
Giving thanks for the beauty and wonder of the moment,
Of the river,
Of nature,
And of life itself.
There's a large boulder calling your name.
You go over and sit,
Rolling up your pant legs a little more,
Just to catch the rays of the sun on your legs.
The heat from the rocks is palpable through your clothing.
You gently lean back and decide to rest here a bit,
Taking it all in.
You see a bald eagle fly overhead,
Returning to its nest.
There is a family of ducks with seven little ducklings swimming up the river.
The sound of the water flowing over the rocks into the waterfall relaxes you,
Quiets your mind,
And soothes your heart and soul.
You lie there on that boulder,
Taking it all in,
Appreciating this very moment and all it has to offer.
Soon you begin to notice that the sun is slowly starting to hide behind the tops of the trees.
Dusk is approaching.
You lie there for a few more moments,
Truly soaking in each and every moment.
Every sound.
Every sight.
Every smell.
Slowly,
Easing your way off of the large rock,
You walk towards your socks and sneakers.
Rolling down your pant legs,
You put your socks and sneakers back on.
Standing up straight,
Taking in a big,
Deep breath,
You lift your face to the setting sun.
The beautiful sky one more time.
The mosquitoes are starting to come out,
And you notice a bat fly overhead.
It's time to return to your car.
You slowly walk through the beach sand,
Back onto the dirt,
Pine needles,
And tree roots,
Making your way back up the gravel path.
You feel refreshed,
Renewed,
Relaxed.
You do a few stretches,
Lifting your arms above your head and back down.
Turning your head from side to side.
Taking in another deep breath,
And letting it all go with a sigh.
You know you can come back to this place.
This now special place by the river,
Anytime you wish.
For now,
It's time to go home,
To rest and relax.
May you be safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
Namaste.
