Have you ever wanted to visit a place where monasteries sit on top of tall towering rocks and the clouds seem close enough to touch? Well, you can with your imagination. I'm Danny Clark and this is Minute to Meditate, a podcast where we take a deep breath, journey to incredible UNESCO World Heritage Sites and find a little peace along the way. Today we're traveling to Meteora, greece, where giant stone pillars rise from the ground like something out of a fairy tale. On top of these pillars sit ancient monasteries where people have lived and prayed for hundreds of years. If you listen closely, you might hear the soft whisper of the wind through the cliffs, the distant ring of a monastery bell and the gentle rustle of leaves far below, and be sure to stick around after our meditation to learn more about this amazing place. So take a deep breath, relax and let's climb into the clouds of Meteora together.

Welcome explorers. Are you ready to climb high into the sky and visit the magical monasteries of Meteora, where the rocks stretch up like giant towers? Let's find a comfy spot to sit or lie down, wiggle your toes like wind brushing over the hills, reach your arms out wide like wings soaring over stone, and slowly close your eyes. Let's take a deep breath in and gently let it out. Feel the earth beneath you strong and steady. Feel the air around you soft and still. We're headed to the sky-high cliffs of Meteor. Imagine yourself standing at the base of a giant rock pillar. It rises straight up from the earth. Smooth, tall and ancient. You begin to climb a narrow path that winds up the side. The stone is warm beneath your feet. The air grows cooler as you rise higher and higher. Birds glide in wide circles far below you. The wind hums gently in your ears. As you reach the top, you step onto a stone landing. A quiet building stands before you. The roof is red and the walls blend into the stone. It looks like the buildings are balanced on the clouds, so high the birds are flying below them. You walk slowly through the open courtyard. Bells hang quietly beside the doorway. Flowers grow in clay pots. You find a wooden bench near the edge of the cliff and sit down. The view stretches for miles. You can see valleys below tiny villages in the distance and other monasteries balanced on nearby peaks like little castles for the sky. The mountains in the distance look like giant sleeping dragons and the clouds flow by like gentle white ships.

Let's take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. The world feels quiet here, like it's holding its breath just for you. Like it's holding its breath just for you as you sit and observe the world. The sun warms your face, the wind wraps around you like a soft blanket. You close your eyes. You feel the strength of the rock beneath you, you feel the openness of the sky above you. You feel completely still like the mountain itself. Breathe in and gently breathe out. This is your moment of peace, high above the world, close to the clouds and close to yourself. Now take one more deep breath in and gently let it out. Let the cliffs and clouds drift away. Let the quiet of methiora stay with you. Wiggle your fingers like birds soaring through the air, stretch your arm like sunlight reaching over the valley and, when you're ready, gently open your eye. You did it. You just visited Methiora with nothing but your breath and your imagination, and whenever you need to feel, grounded and lifted at the same time, this peaceful place will be here waiting.

Well, that concludes our meditation for today, but before we go, let's learn a few things about Meteora. Meteora is in central Greece and the name means suspended in the air. Central Greece and the name means suspended in the air. That's a pretty good description, because the monasteries are built on top of giant stone pillars, some more than 1,000 feet high. Long ago, monks climbed the rocks with ropes, ladders and baskets to build quiet places to pray, far away from the noise of the world. At one time there were 24 monasteries, but today only a few are still active. Visitors come from all over the world to climb the paths, visit the peaceful rooms and stand where the earth touches the sky. Meteora is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site so that its beauty and history can stay safe for generations to come. Thanks for joining me today on Minute to Meditate. Until next time, keep exploring, keep dreaming and remember. You carry the magic of the world in your heart.