Welcome to this soothing sleep story.
My name is Susie and tonight I will be guiding you on a peaceful,
Quiet journey.
A journey through a thick pine forest into a quiet meadow and toward a hidden place meant just for you,
The Cedar and Starlight Retreat.
A retreat nestled deep within the trees where soft lanterns glow,
Fairy lights twinkle gently against canvas walls,
And the night sky opens wide above you.
Before we begin,
Take a moment to settle into your comfiest,
Coziest position.
Allow your body to soften into the surface beneath you.
Feel the bed or floor or mat gently supporting you.
Relax your shoulders,
Unclench your jaw,
Allow your tongue to soften,
Let your lips part slightly,
Unfurl the space between your eyebrows,
And let your eyes rest heavily.
Now,
Take a slow,
Steady breath in through your nose and exhale softly through your mouth.
Again,
Inhaling even deeper this time and exhaling even slower.
One last time,
Breathing in forest-y pine smells and aromatics,
And breathing out any stress and tension and anything you no longer need to carry.
Just follow the sound of my voice and allow yourself to drift away.
You find yourself standing just at dusk at the edge of a pine forest.
You traveled here from a winding country road and you spotted a sign that said the Cedar and Starlight Retreat.
A bit tired from the day's adventures,
You decide to take a stop here.
It's drawing you in.
The sign itself feels warm and inviting,
Lined with lantern glows and the soft touch of moonlight beginning to spread across the sky.
The air is cool,
But gentle,
Carrying the scent of pine needles,
Soft mossy earth,
And distant cedarwood smoke.
A narrow path stretches ahead of you,
And as you take your first step forward,
The world behind you begins to fade.
The forest welcomes you in.
Tall pines rise all around you,
Their trunks strong,
Steady,
And firm,
Their branches forming a soft canopy of greenery overhead.
Moonlight filters through in quiet strands,
Casting silver patterns across the ground.
The forest floor is soft beneath your feet.
A plush cushion of fallen needles that muffle every step.
You move slowly and effortlessly,
Your body already beginning to soften and unwind.
You hear the gentle rustle of wind through branches,
And in the distance,
A nightbird is calling,
And then you notice it,
A warm glow ahead.
Small lanterns placed carefully along the narrow path,
Their amber light flickers gently,
Guiding you forward,
And you follow them,
Step by step,
Breath by breath.
And,
With each and every step,
Your thoughts begin to quiet.
There is nothing pulling at you here,
Nothing to remember,
Nothing to solve.
Only the path,
And the soft golden light inviting you ahead.
Gradually,
The trees begin to thin,
The air itself shifts,
It becomes softer,
More open.
And then,
You step out into a meadow.
The sky stretches wide above you,
Filled with soft,
Endless stars,
Beginning to peek their way through the twilight sky.
The grass sways gently in the night breeze,
Rushing softly against your legs.
You pause here,
Taking it in,
The openness,
The quiet,
The stillness around you that feels like a long,
Slow exhale.
You open your eyes from this magical moment,
And in the distance,
You see it,
Another warm glow,
Steadier this time.
Intrigued,
You begin walking toward it.
Each step is slow and unhurried,
As if time itself has softened.
As you get closer,
The shapes begin to form,
Canvas yurts glowing from within.
Strings of fairy lights,
Low burning campfires,
You have arrived.
As you step into the retreat,
Warmth instantly envelops you.
The scent of cedar,
Soft smoke,
And night air.
You hear the quiet crackle of firewood,
The soft hum of insects,
The occasional flutter of wings in nearby trees.
And then,
Soft footsteps.
You look down,
A small cat approaches,
Moving lightly,
Gracefully.
Her fur glows softly in the firelight.
You take a look at the name tag on her collar.
Daisy,
It reads.
She's a beautiful,
Diluted calico,
With hints of white,
Soft gray,
And light peach.
She pauses in front of you,
Looks up,
And blinks slowly.
Then,
She gently nuzzles her head against your leg.
A quiet hello.
She turns,
Takes a few steps,
And looks back,
Inviting you to follow.
You follow Daisy past softly glowing yurts,
Their canvas walls lit warm and golden.
Near a fire,
Someone stands,
Calm and steady.
They look up as you approach and smile gently.
I was hoping someone would arrive tonight.
Their voice is warm,
Grounding.
Welcome to the Cedar and Starlight Retreat.
They begin walking,
Slowly gesturing for you to follow along.
This place isn't about doing,
They say softly.
It's about softening,
Slowing,
Letting everything settle.
Daisy,
The cat,
Weaves gently around your steps.
The kind caretaker of this retreat has tended to it for over 20 years,
She says.
It began as her family farm,
And with many acres of land,
She imagined a place where people could go.
To soften.
Within this retreat,
You pass yoga decks nestled between trees.
Quiet,
Open,
Waiting for you.
You pass a small studio,
With glass windows glowing faintly.
Still and peaceful.
Everything here feels intentional,
But never demanding.
The caretaker tells you her name is Martha.
Martha leads you to a quiet corner,
Where you begin to see steam rising into the cool,
Brisk air.
You see cedar soaking hot tubs,
Filled with hot water.
Martha hands you a plush,
Soft linen robe.
One that feels made just for you.
She invites you to slip in slowly.
And she leaves,
Peacefully and softly.
The heat of the cedar tubs wraps around you instantly.
Loosening muscles.
Softening every held place.
Your shoulders drop.
Your breath deepens.
You slowly tilt your head back,
In pure joy and happiness.
And above you,
The stars.
You notice the galaxy is endless.
They twinkle in silver,
Gold,
And blue.
Across the night sky,
Like fireflies that surround you.
Daisy,
Soft-footedly,
Comes closer to the tub.
And curls up nearby on the deck,
Watching quietly.
Water moves gently around you,
In a soft,
Steady rhythm.
And you rest,
Letting everything melt.
After some time,
You step out,
Wrapped and enveloped in warmth.
You follow Martha along a soft path.
In the distance,
She shows you her old farmhouse.
Where she grew up as a child.
Where she spent many nights reading books,
Nestled by the fire.
Candles flickering all around her.
A fire in the heat,
Burning its embers ever so glowingly.
Nearby,
Chickens rest quietly in their coop.
Feathers are tucked,
Safe for the night.
You hear soft rustling.
Wild birds settling into branches above.
Everything is winding down around you.
Just like yourself.
You decide to return to your yurt,
After a slow,
Leisurely walk.
Through the tall grasses that brush your legs.
You return to a small campfire,
That Martha has tended to,
While you were in the soaking tubs.
The flames flicker slowly,
Steady,
Calm.
You sit on a log by the fire,
Made just for this moment.
Daisy pads around you.
Martha's voice is softer now.
Sometimes,
Rest is the most important thing we can give ourselves.
You watch the fire,
The glowing embers,
The slow rise of warmth.
Your body feels heavy now.
Comfortably heavy.
Your thoughts are slower,
Quieter.
Eventually,
Martha stands.
She leads you over to your yurt.
The canvas glows softly from within.
You step inside.
Warm light.
Soft,
Flush textures.
A quiet,
Cocoon-like space.
At the center,
A queen-sized bed.
Layered with soft blankets,
Plush pillows.
All inviting and warm.
Fairy lights twinkle gently along the walls.
Like tiny stars,
Twinkling just for you.
A small wood pellet stove crackles softly nearby.
Its warmth,
Subtle and steady.
Daisy invites herself onto the bed.
Circling once,
Then twice.
Then settling in,
Waiting just for you.
You climb comfortably into the bed.
The blankets wrap around you.
Softly.
Warmly.
Safely.
Holding every inch of your body.
You sink deeply into the mattress.
Every muscle loosening.
You breathe slow.
Steady.
Easy.
The fire crackles gently.
The lights dim softly.
Daisy rests beside you.
Quietly purring herself to sleep.
Outside,
The forest breathes slowly.
Everything is calm.
Everything is still.
You are held.
Warm.
Safe.
As there is nothing left to do now.
Nowhere left to go.
Just rest.
Drifting gently.
Softly.
Into a peaceful night of sleep.
