Enchanting Pines in Big Sur

(crickets chirping) (branches rustling) (owl hooting) (wind whooshing) The sun sinks low over Big Sur, setting the redwoods aglow, their trunks stretching so high, they seem to hold up the sky. Above them, the first stars shimmer through the treetops, steady pinpricks of light against the darkening night. Inside, the front desk offers a quiet greeting to an arriving guest while the glow of the fireplace carries softly through the room. Before we settle in, let's take a moment for a brief wind down exercise. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) For tonight's wind down, you're going to use your imagination, so get your imagination ready, and let's begin. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) So, no matter what's been going on today, whether it's been a busy day or a calm one, this is an opportunity to put everything down, to let go of any inner chatter and find a place of rest in both the body and the mind. So first, get yourself comfortable in bed, just taking a moment to pause and be still. And when you're ready, taking a big, deep breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) And as you breathe out, allowing the body to sink down into your bed, feeling the weight of the body, allowing thoughts to come and go. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) Now imagining a steady flow of warm sunlight flowing down through the body, dissolving any tension, any discomfort, as it begins to fill the body, starting with the toes, moving up through the feet, and the legs being filled with sunlight. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) The qualities of warmth, space, and ease as it continues to travel up through the body. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) Up past the waist to the back and the stomach. (crickets chirping) (rain pattering) It's as though it washes away any discomfort. (crickets chirping) (rain pattering) It continues up through the chest and the back into the shoulders and down the arms, all the way down to the hands and fingers. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) A sense of relief in the body (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) and stillness in the mind as it continues to travel up through the neck and the throat into the head and face, all the way to the very top of the body until there's nothing other than that sense of stillness remaining. And now just gently bringing the attention back to the body. (crickets chirping) (wind whooshing) Perched high above the cliffs of Big Sur, this beloved seaside retreat feels less like a cafe and more like a sanctuary suspended between sea and sky. Wooden decks weathered smooth by years of footsteps invite visitors to pause and breathe in the salt-tinged air. From the edge, the Pacific stretches endlessly outward, its surface rolling in vast, silky blue sheets that dissolve into the horizon. (fire crackling) (wind whooshing) Inside, the atmosphere is welcoming. Firelight flickers in the hearth, warming the long, wooden tables, where a group of travelers linger over plates of brightly colored salads and a...