A warm welcome to this fantasy sleep saga where you are the main character.
Throughout this bedtime story series you will be guided on an epic adventure,
All the while accompanied by soft soothing music helping you to sink into an effortless sleep.
Here there is magic,
Wonder and mystery waiting round every corner.
Before we begin,
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 3,
Hold for 4 and breathe out for 5.
Let all of it go now.
Again,
That's in for 3,
Hold for 4 and release,
Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,
Today and tomorrow.
Again,
In for 3 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 gradually allow your breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.
Enjoy this new peace flowing through your body.
And now,
Let us continue your fantasy sleep saga and enjoy episode 6,
A Magical Boat Ride.
You wake up from a short nap to the sound of lapping water,
A soft breeze and a gentle bird song in the distance.
With your eyes closed,
You smell the cool waters of the river,
The damp wood from your little boat,
The hint of spring flowers and,
Unusually,
The faint whiff of tobacco.
And then,
A homely comfort fills your heart as you hear the low,
Humming voice of your wizard,
Your oldest and dearest friend.
You open your eyes to meet the gaze of your gentle old wizard.
He greets you with the twitch of a smile and a subtle wink as he puffs tight-lipped on his long wooden pipe.
He paddles your boat down a beautiful river and as your eyes adjust,
You take in every piece of this enchanted land.
The water is marbled with turquoise and sapphire.
And peppered with a silver starlight.
Scattered along the shore is a collection of colorful pebbles creating a beautiful mosaic on the pure white sand.
The great river carves through the landscape in front of you and a thick green woodland protects you on both sides.
There is a strange but curious radiance from the trees and it's as if these wonders of nature are calling out to you.
The sky is clear but for the odd wisps of cloud floating across the endless blue above.
Far off in the distance are the faint silhouettes of snow-capped mountains tracing the horizon.
And as you sit here,
Opposite your old companion,
Surrounded by the picture-perfect scenery,
You begin to remember how you arrived here.
It was yesterday morning when the old wizard rapped on the door of your little house under the hill,
Waking you from a peaceful shire slumber.
He came bearing good news.
You have been invited as a special guest to the land of the elves deep within the golden wood.
The wizard,
Being your trusty guardian,
Felt obliged to accompany you on this adventure.
And after a long journey through the rolling hills of home,
You came across an idle boat carved from a silver oak tree and perfectly smooth to the touch.
The last memory you have is simply drifting along calm waters.
Wrapped in a soft blanket and guarded by the ancient moon.
And here you are,
Another day and another adventure with your wonderful wizard,
Ready to journey into a new world entirely.
In the next moment,
You feel yourself banking to the right as the wizard steers you away from the great river.
Your boat threads down a small stream heading towards a tunnel of trees.
The light of the sun fades,
The birdsong is no more,
And you are met with a gentle stardust drifting through the air.
The leaves of the forest are a soft blue now,
Pulsing with a silver glow.
The water below is covered by a thin layer of white mist.
You trace your hand through the haze and a cool vibration trickles through your fingers.
Bit by bit,
You feel a deep and powerful magic envelop the woodland.
The atmosphere is rich and thick and a new heaviness begins to fill your body.
You breathe in this healing air,
Slow and deep.
You find yourself letting go of all thoughts and all worries.
You are entering a world of peace and you know that these thoughts no longer serve you here.
And with this realization comes the beautiful feeling of total release.
You can let everything go now as you drift through this blue and silver haven.
A deep sense of peace and comfort runs through your body,
Softening your heart and your mind.
You wonder what kind of magic can evoke such beautiful sensations.
As if hearing your thoughts,
The wizard turns to you with a smile.
It is the lady of the wood,
He whispers.
She cannot be far away.
And then,
Right on cue,
The leaves around you begin to transform,
Turning from a rich blue to a soft,
Shimmering gold.
A new light glows through the trees now,
As if radiating from the earth itself.
It is a light of hope,
Of love,
And of deep magic.
And then,
Emerging through the golden trees are tall,
Angelic figures with long,
Flowing hair and backed by a soft light.
You cannot believe it,
The elves stand tall and proud among the trees,
Shrouded in long cloaks of gray and blue.
They watch over you with kind eyes and an earthly enchantment radiates from them.
This land is singing now with the deep magic of the old earth and the magic of the elves.
Your guardians have all the features of youth and innocence,
But these wonderful folk are blessed with immortality and many of them are almost as old as the earth itself.
As this woodland symphony continues,
You feel your boat begin to float above the ground and the waters slowly disappear as you glide through the trees.
The magic of the elves runs through your body and a weightlessness washes over you as you let go of any holding on to night.
As you venture deeper into the forest,
The trees grow taller,
The trunks grow thicker,
And the leaves are a sea of shimmering gold,
Like a collection of magical fireflies flickering above you and peppering the land with a beautiful,
Soft glow.
Wrapped around the trees are spiraling staircases of hand-carved wood.
They tower up into the depths of the treetops.
Many elves line the twisting stairs,
Gazing down on you with a smile as they sing as one with this enchanted forest.
You are drifting through the borders of the golden wood,
Home to the Lady of Light.
It is unlike anything you have ever seen and you feel privileged to witness this magic unfold.
You cannot help but feel as though you have been here before.
A familiar,
Homely comfort washes over you and you allow this new magic to lift you just that bit higher as you let go just that bit more.
The wizard admits it is rare for the elves to put on such a display,
And even he does not usually receive such a welcome.
You truly are a guest of honor.
And then,
Bit by bit,
You feel yourself coming back down.
Your little boat has disappeared now,
And instead,
Your feet land on the huge golden leaves of the forest floor.
The soft,
Silk-like texture of the ground envelops your feet,
Filling your toes with a beautiful warmth.
All around you now is a woodland kingdom singing with an elvish symphony and filled with a golden starlight.
You have arrived.
