A warm welcome to this soothing sleep story,
Where you will find shelter in the coziest corner of a hidden shire.
You will enjoy the sounds of rain on the window,
The distant thunder and a crackling fire as you bask in this beautiful world.
Before we begin,
We will do a short relaxation session,
Preparing you for a good night's sleep Please remember that there is no right or wrong here and there is no particular way that you should feel in these moments.
Each experience is as unique as us all,
So try to let go of any pressure you might be putting on yourself to feel certain things or perhaps to fall asleep quickly tonight.
It doesn't matter if you do or you don't.
If you simply follow my voice and allow this story to wash over you,
Then you will enter a world of deep relaxation where you can rest and recover.
So,
When you are ready,
Just feel the eyelids becoming heavier and heavier with each passing blink,
Until they gently close.
Remind yourself that this is your time to relax.
There is nothing left to do and nothing left to think about.
The day is done now.
Whatever has happened is already in the past.
And here,
In this moment,
The future is beyond our reach.
So,
If thoughts arise about the day or the week that has been,
Or the days ahead of you,
Then acknowledge that these thoughts are completely normal and valid.
They are part of what makes us human,
Which is a wonderful thing.
But also,
Kindly remind yourself that these thoughts or concerns are of no use to us now.
There is no need to engage with them.
They are simply thoughts,
As fleeting as shooting stars across a night sky.
You are safe tonight and you are protected.
You can be reassured by the fact that my voice and this story will never take you anywhere that is unpleasant.
Your sleepy cat is simply here to guide you on your own twilight adventures and to help you enter a world of magic and peace where you can be completely free.
And now,
We will do a short,
Guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.
This will allow you to slow down and relax,
Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,
Peaceful rest.
When you are ready,
Breathe in through the nose for three.
Hold for 4 seconds.
And breathe out for five.
Let all of it go now.
Again,
That's in for three.
Hold for 4.
And release,
Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,
Today and tomorrow.
Again in for three.
.
.
Home.
And let it go.
Continue to breathe in this way in your own time,
And with each breath out,
Allow your body to sink just that bit deeper.
And now allow your breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.
Enjoy this new relaxation and peace flowing through your body.
Allow your mind to soften and your imagination to come alive.
As we begin our story tonight.
You find yourself strolling down a long dirt track road with fields of long grass either side of you.
The distant sunset bathes the landscape in a golden glow.
But above,
Darker clouds are forming.
The air is becoming thicker and you feel a slight dampness around you.
The telltale signs that a thunderstorm is not far away.
You are on the borders of a familiar village that is tucked away in the rolling hills.
And tonight,
You are to meet with an old but famous halfling of this land.
There are many adventures planned for your stay here,
But you know that this evening at least will be a night of rest.
Relaxation and rejuvenation.
A night of good food.
A warm fire and all the comforts of home.
But first,
You must remember the way to your village.
You arrive at a fork in the road,
Splitting in two.
Left through a small burrow of overgrown trees,
Or to the right across the open plains.
For a moment,
You hesitate.
It has been so long since you arrived from this direction.
And then the smell of the sap from the trees reminds you.
Of course,
It is left.
You weave now under the hanging branches and round the long winding path of this little Evening birds hum a gentle song and a small trickling stream runs by you.
Another sign that you are on the right path.
As you know that your village has a river running right through the middle of it.
The woodland path follows this stream,
And you notice that the ground,
Now bedded with thick leaves,
Has become softer underfoot and gives the sensation of walking on clouds or gliding effortlessly through this land.
As if this world is enchanted.
And of course,
You know this to be true.
Eventually,
You arrive at a wall of thick,
Leafy branches,
Seemingly impenetrable.
And yet.
.
.
As you approach.
The branches slowly fold away.
Creating a small doorway illuminated with an orange glow.
As you step through the doorway,
You are kissed by the warmth of the sunset,
Still casting its final light across the land.
The world before you opens up,
And you see an endless parade of rolling hills,
Each one fronted with small round doors of different colors.
The hills have brick chimneys peeping out of them.
And a soft silver steam trickles above this village.
Creating a misty,
Magical haze.
All the lanterns outside each house have been lit.
From here,
They look like fireflies,
Hovering gently in the hills.
By your feet,
You follow the journey of the trickling streams.
Until,
At last,
It joins the winding river carving through the valleys.
You breathe slow and deep and take in all the wonderful little details.
You have made it at last.
You are finally home.
And now,
You start to descend the shallow hillside.
And eventually find yourself walking through the heart of the village.
You pass by familiar houses,
The homes of your friends,
And you remember some of the wonderful nights spent at each house,
Telling stories by the fire.
Enjoying delicious food.
And singing songs of adventure.
Of friendship.
And of hope.
Usually,
There are still many halflings mingling around.
Selling their wares at the market.
Chatting away across their fences,
Or finishing up some gardening.
However,
At this moment,
There is nobody out and about.
And the village is incredibly quiet.
You get the sense that these ever-darkening clouds above are the likely cause of this.
You continue to walk almost in a daze now.
For these streets are so familiar that you could find your way with your eyes closed.
Before you know it,
You are climbing up a dozen or so stone steps and towards a dark green door.
Perfectly round with a brass doorknob in the middle.
Two porthole windows either side pulse with a cozy firelight.
Just then,
You feel the few spots of rain on your hood.
Without another hesitation,
You knock.
The door swings open,
And you are met not only by a lovely warmth,
But by the smiling face of this dear old halfling,
Whom you feel so lucky to call friend.
You're late,
" they say with a loud chuckle,
As they fall into your arms,
And the two of you share a tight embrace.
Come in,
Come in,
Before the rain catches you.
Do not need telling twice,
And you step inside the house under the hill.
You know this place so well,
It is like a second home to you.
For many years you have enjoyed the comfort of this fire.
You have admired the thick oak beams perfectly circling from the floor to the ceiling.
The old maps of ages gone by that hang across the walls,
The little armchairs tucked by the fire,
And the perfect peace that envelops you every single time that you step through this door.
It truly is a haven.
Time for supper,
Your friend insists.
Have a seat,
Have a seat.
I'll be right out.
You remove your coat,
Your hood and your shoes,
And before you know it,
You are flopping down in your favorite armchair,
The one closest to the fire.
And you let out a slow,
Satisfied sigh.
Over in the kitchen,
Your halfling companion is stirring a large iron pot on the stove and humming a happy tune to himself.
The smell radiating from the kitchen is simply divine,
And you realize that he has prepared your favorite soup,
Especially for tonight.
Thanks for watching!
Humming.
You sit in peace for a moment,
Feeling your tired legs softening.
Your body becoming heavier in the chair and the warmth of the fire just relaxing all of your muscles,
Allowing you to sink deeper,
Deeper and deeper.
And then,
The old halfling emerges,
Carrying a small tray,
On which sits a steaming bowl of your favorite soup and a fresh roll of bread.
Baked this morning,
He adds with a wink.
After a long and difficult journey home,
This is exactly what you need.
The soup is the perfect temperature to eat,
And so without pause you dig in,
Savoring each delicious bite.
You let the warmth of the soup trickle down your throat.
And as it lands in your belly,
It sends a gentle pulse through your arms.
Your legs?
And across your entire body.
The bread has a slight crunch on the outside.
But is like a fluffy cloud on the inside.
Perfect for dipping into your soup.
You enjoy your supper in silence,
Both of you eating slow and steady,
And simply enjoying this moment.
You allow the beauty of this house to wash over you and you know that you are completely safe here tonight There is nothing that can find you in this hidden corner of the world,
And all of your dreams will be blessed by the magic of the house under the hill.
The crackle of the fire combined with the distant rolling thunder and the pitter-patter of the rain creates a perfect atmosphere.
This truly is a sanctuary of peace.
As you finish your final mouthful,
Your companion takes away your trays,
And you feel perfectly full and satisfied.
So full,
In fact,
That you notice a wave of tiredness starting to creep in.
The old halfling sits back down in the armchair next to you,
And slowly you start a quiet conversation.
You reminisce on old adventures together,
Sharing memories and laughter.
Gradually,
He asks you to tell him of your more recent travels.
And spare no details,
He insists.
Your dear friend also reminds you that here you are free to let go of any remaining worries,
For they are not welcome tonight.
This time is for you.
It is your time to let go,
To release and to surrender.
You are safe here,
" he tells you,
And you can be at peace in this land.
These words of comfort are soothing to your soul and you feel yourself exhaling so much weight.
You notice your thoughts are fading like wisps of clouds dissolving in the sun.
Your worries are falling away from you like little grains of sand.
Your body is completely free from tension and your heart is so very happy.
You give permission now for your body to be soft for your eyes to be heavy and for your breath to be slow.
You feel yourself drifting now,
Ever closer to the land of sleep.
Next to you,
Your halfling companion is muttering very quietly.
Telling you of some of the adventures he has planned for you both.
As your blinks grow heavier and your mind is becoming sleepy,
You only catch the odd word of his speech.
Elves.
With a bow.
Wizard.
Feasting.
And enchantments.
Well,
That sounds absolutely perfect.
You allow these five words to evoke the images of adventure.
Friendship.
And matching.
And now,
As you drift even deeper,
You can hear the faint turning of pages and a gentle scribble.
With a slight peek over to the other chair,
You see that your companion has started to write a new book.
You can really feel his comforting presence tonight,
And you are reminded of his words.
You are safe here.
You are protected.
And nothing can find you in this hidden corner of the world.
The distant thunder rolls on,
And being tucked away by the fire in this cozy little house makes the sound even more comforting.
You give yourself final permission to drift.
You sink deeper and deeper into the chair.
Your eyes are firmly closed now.
Your breath is slow and deep and your body is so very heavy.
You are surrendering to the magic of this land.
To the warmth of the fire,
And to this wonderful sleep,
Where dreams of adventure fill your mind.
And a perfect peace envelops you.
Thank you.
