Welcome to Bedtime Alchemy,
Dreamlike meditations to empower your inner world.
My name is Ashley Bentley,
And this is your space to release,
Realign,
And reconnect with your inner wisdom.
As you settle in and listen,
Your mind will naturally drift into a theta brainwave state,
A state of deep relaxation and heightened receptivity.
In this state,
Your subconscious becomes the fertile ground for transformation,
Effortlessly absorbing the imagery and ideas woven into these stories.
Your dreams are your own inbuilt therapist,
Guiding you toward understanding,
Healing,
And growth.
As you drift into sleep,
Your mind will work with these stories like a master artist,
Blending their messages into the fabric of your subconscious.
Each night,
This gentle process reshapes how you see yourself,
How you move through the world,
And how you embrace your unfolding journey.
Tonight,
We step into the realm of the Echoing River,
A sacred river within,
A place where the echoes of the past flow gently into the promise of the future.
This is an invitation to release what no longer serves you,
And to embrace the strength and wisdom of your journey so far,
And to trust in the unfolding of what's to come.
So,
Take a deep breath,
Settle in,
And let's begin.
As you settle into bed,
Allow your whole body to relax completely.
With each breath,
Imagine yourself sinking deeper into the comfort of your bed,
As if the Earth itself is cradling you,
Inviting you into a world beyond time.
Now,
Just imagine,
Only imagine now,
You're standing at the edge of a vast,
Moonlit forest.
A narrow path,
Illuminated by soft silver light,
Beckons you forward.
With each step,
The air grows warmer,
Filled with the soothing scent of night-blooming flowers and the hushed whispers of leaves in the wind.
The path winds gently downward,
Guiding you toward a hidden place known only to those who seek it,
A sacred river that flows beyond the limits of time.
As you step through the final veil of trees,
You find yourself standing on the banks of a shimmering river.
The water glows softly,
Reflecting the night sky in hues of deep blue and silver,
And it moves with a gentle rhythm,
Whispering secrets carried from the past,
Present,
And future.
This is no ordinary river.
It holds the echoes of all that you have been,
And all that you are becoming.
You kneel at the water's edge,
Feeling its cool mist kiss your skin.
As you listen closely,
You begin to hear voices within the current.
The river is speaking to you,
Carrying whispers from your past,
Reminding you of moments of strength,
Resilience,
And love.
These echoes ripple through the water,
Gentle and kind,
Showing you that every step of your journey has brought you to this very moment.
Let this reminder of your strongest moments simmer within you.
The moments where you survived and carried on moving forward,
And reunite with the many moments of love you so generously gave and didn't have to.
The responses from these expressions of love do not matter.
Some will have graciously loved you back,
And others too wounded to reciprocate.
This matters not.
The feelings you are now experiencing are the fullest expressions of love you've ever felt before.
And you realize,
At this moment,
That they all emanate from within.
You no longer need to wait to receive love and strength.
This is not how they are born.
They are only born from within.
When you love another,
That love is yours and only yours.
The love that others feel is their own,
Ignited from your spark.
There is an infinite well of love within you,
Just waiting to be tapped.
Just waiting to be remembered.
Waiting to be believed.
And you have now remembered.
You have now found this flow of never-ending love within you.
And the belief is known and cannot be unknown.
And perhaps you might think your strength could have been stronger at certain points in your life,
But look how far you've come in spite of all the challenges and setbacks.
Look at the beautiful strength within that has always been there,
Keeping you going,
Even when it felt like you no longer could.
This strength builds over time,
Stronger with every passing year,
With every passing challenge.
Activating this love and strength within now drowns out any previous lingering doubts.
They are simply washed downstream.
Listening again to the river,
You hear another voice calling.
This one is softer,
Lighter.
It carries the promise of your future,
The gentle encouragement of all you are meant to be.
The river does not rush or demand.
It simply flows,
Inviting you to trust in its steady movement.
It reminds you that just as the water carves new paths through stone,
You too are ever-evolving,
Shaped not just by struggle,
But by the quiet power of persistence and grace.
As you stand,
You feel an urge to step into the river.
The water is fresh and inviting,
Wrapping around your ankles like a loving embrace.
Wading in slowly,
Feeling the cool sensation as it swirls gently around your feet,
Carrying away the weight of the day.
The river whispers as it moves,
Offering healing not through force,
But through flow.
As you immerse yourself in the flow of the divine river within,
You completely surrender to the moment,
Allowing yourself to feel the sacred wash of the current.
And then,
You notice something remarkable.
Small orbs of golden light appear just beneath the water's surface,
Shimmering like fireflies caught in the depths.
Each one pulses softly,
Drawing your attention,
Inviting you closer.
As you bend down and cup your hands into the water,
One of the glowing orbs drifts into your palms.
The moment your fingers touch its surface,
A memory emerges.
Not as a thought,
But as a feeling.
As if the river itself is revealing something hidden within you.
You see a time when you were strong.
When you faced something that once seemed impossible,
And yet,
You endured.
The memory is vivid,
Yet gentle.
And as the light of the orb dissolves into the water once more,
You feel a deep knowing settle within you.
You have always been resilient.
You have always carried this strength within you.
Another orb floats toward you,
Drawn to your presence.
This time,
As you touch it,
A forgotten dream surfaces.
Something you once longed for,
But set aside.
And it glows with quiet promise.
Not as something lost,
But as something waiting,
Patient,
And unwavering.
The river holds no judgment,
Only possibility.
It reminds you that your dreams are never truly gone.
They are simply resting,
Waiting for you to notice them once again.
You wade further along the river,
The water reaching just above your ankles,
And watch as more orbs drift past,
Carrying stories and whispers of time.
Some hold lessons that you have learned,
And others reveal paths yet to come.
Each one glows with the wisdom of the river,
A reflection of all that you are,
And all you are becoming.
As you stand in the flowing water,
You begin to understand this river is not separate from you.
It is a mirror,
A sacred space where past,
Present,
And future intertwine and support.
The ripples in the water reflect not only the night sky,
But the very essence of your journey.
Flowing onward,
Always moving,
Ever evolving,
Always becoming.
You reach down one final time,
Cupping your hands in the water,
Letting the golden glow of the river seep into your skin.
And it fills you,
Not just with knowledge and comfort,
But understanding.
You are not bound to your past,
Nor do you need to rush toward the future.
You are here,
In this moment,
Exactly where you are meant to be.
You step back onto the riverbank and sit,
Watching as the orbs begin to rise from the water.
One by one,
They float into the air,
Drifting upward like lanterns set free into the night.
They shimmer and dance,
Forming constellations of possibility against the vast,
Star-speckled sky.
As you watch,
The orbs begin to shift,
Taking shape before your very eyes,
Moving together in mysterious ways,
Forming moving pictures in the sky,
A story,
A journey.
You see yourself not as you are now,
But as you are becoming,
Handling life with grace,
Moving through challenges with confidence and wisdom,
And using the strength and wisdom of the past to support you,
Rather than weighing you down.
You see moments yet to come where you speak with certainty,
Where you walk with ease,
Where you embrace life fully,
Unburdened by hesitation or doubt.
Each formation in the sky reveals a new possibility,
A glimpse into the strength,
The joy,
And the wholeness that already exists within you.
The orbs swirl together,
Weaving a tapestry of your own unfolding journey,
Showing you that the future is not something to be feared,
But something to be met with an open heart.
The river hums beneath you,
Its current ever-flowing,
Carrying these visions toward the horizon.
A gentle breeze passes,
And you know that these images are not just dreams.
They are reflections of the life you are already stepping into.
With a deep breath,
You rise from the riverbank,
The echoes of your future lingering in the sky above,
And the river continues its gentle song,
Flowing onward without hesitation.
You close your eyes for a moment,
Imprinting its melody into your heart,
Knowing it will always guide you when you need it most.
The landscape around you feels different now,
More vibrant,
More alive,
As though the river has awakened a part of you long forgotten.
And ahead,
The path home stretches before you,
But there's no urgency.
You take slow,
Gentle steps,
Feeling the warmth of the earth beneath your feet,
And the cool night air wrapping around you like a protective cloak,
And the trees seem to whisper words of encouragement,
Their branches swaying in quiet celebration of your journey.
And you pause at a small clearing where the moonlight pools like liquid silver.
In the center of this clearing stands a lone stone,
Smooth and ancient,
As though placed there by the river itself.
As you run your fingers over its surface,
You notice symbols carved into its face,
Patterns that feel both unfamiliar yet deeply known.
You understand without words that this is a reminder,
A marker of your journey,
A message from the river that you may return whenever you need to.
And you rest your hand over your heart,
Feeling the rhythm of your breath,
Steady and calm.
The river continues flowing through you,
Always.
Its essence remains within you,
Guiding you long after this night has passed.
And with a deep breath,
You step back onto the path,
Feeling lighter,
Clearer,
And deeply at peace.
And each step carries you closer to sleep,
And you take with you the wisdom of the river,
The knowing that you are always moving forward,
Always growing,
Ever evolving,
Ever becoming.
As you drift into sleep,
Feel the echo of the river's embrace within you,
And let it carry you into dreams filled with light,
Transformation,
Healing,
And endless possibility.
You are safe,
You are whole,
And you are exactly where you need to be.
Sweet dreams,
Dear one.
