Hello,
This is Stephanie Hudson.
Welcome to my New World Healing Sleep Meditation of Christmas Past.
In this meditation,
The folk of the New World will use their magic to transport us back in time to a place of Christmases gone by.
When every sparkle,
Shimmer and scent tantalized us with its originality and each moment passed so quickly,
We would have to wait all year long for that moment to come around again.
Now if by any chance your Christmases were not as happy as you would have had them be,
Take this time to create a new story wherein you discover the real spirit of Christmas.
One you may return to time and time again.
Now make yourself comfortable,
Close your eyes and know that you are safe.
Take a deep full breath in through your nose.
That's it.
Then let it out on a long sigh.
This is your time to relax and really let go.
Settle deep into your body now and with each breath sink deeper into the support beneath you until you become part of the vessel that will carry you through the night to the New World.
And here we are outside an old school hall.
The warm glow from within dances across the snow,
Catching each frosted branch and rosy red berry with its Christmas promise.
As we step inside onto the wooden parquet floor,
Its treacle-coloured varnish collects in darkened pools at the hall's perimeter.
A welcome blanket of air drapes its arms around us to guide us in and closing the doors behind us,
We notice snowflakes cut from folded squares of the softest tissue paper stuck onto the icy windows.
The condensation collected around them reminds us just how lucky we are to be here in the warm at Christmas time.
It is busy around us with the hustle and bustle of Christmas,
But no one shall disturb us.
We are merely guests of a time gone past where we can come and go as we wish.
And just look,
Around and about gather angels,
Their fluffy white halos and white satin gowns caught underneath their school shoes in their eagerness to meet the real Santa Claus.
Soon they will sing their Christmas carols,
Their face painted with pride and lifted to the rafters just as their teacher has instructed.
As we watch them,
Each colour,
Sight and sound melts into one.
For it isn't just the music,
Nor the warm festive glow,
But each and every one of us at this very moment is united in a story,
A dream of hope and sacrifice,
Love and perseverance.
Over in the corner the old tierne is coughing and spluttering amongst china cups of red and green,
Whilst gaily printed napkins stand to attention in a plastic tub labelled Please Take One.
Around and about sit happy faces,
Some in thickly knitted woolen jumpers with red-nosed reindeer and happy snowmen who laugh merrily away.
And draped over the wooden beams above are garlands of golden tinsel that catch the twinkling lights from a huge Christmas tree that has taken pride of place next to the school stage.
Just look at us,
We are now but children again,
Gazing up at the Christmas tree and making our most sincere of wishes for the best Christmas ever.
And as we are called away to decorate our Christmas cards,
We become absorbed in the smell of paper glue and the sparkle of Christmas glitter.
Unsatisfied of what we have achieved,
We rush off to take our chances at the lucky dip.
Reaching into the sea of finely shredded crepe paper,
We hope for a prize to beat all prizes.
And as we close our fingers around a neatly wrapped parcel,
We drink in the scent of mountain pine and warm roasted chestnuts.
That will be our next stop.
And sure enough,
The chestnuts do not disappoint.
Packed into brown paper bags that sit in a tray above the old wood burner,
Its flames crackling and spitting behind its blackened glass.
The chestnuts are warm to the touch,
And we cradle them in our gloved palms whilst comparing prizes.
Having tasted one or two,
Our heads turn once again to see a jolly soul bustling around with a tray of mince pies and milk chocolate rolls.
Two for the price of one,
She calls,
Her butt and nose catching the glow from the flames.
And picking the best of the bunch,
We are surprised when she snatches a glance this way and that,
Before handing us each a broken one and whispering,
Don't tell anyone else,
Or they'll all want one.
Chuffed at our spoils,
We sit together to watch the caroling commence,
Joining in between mouthfuls with the words we know and some we don't mixed in for good measure.
This is truly a Christmas to beat all Christmases.
We are warm,
We are full,
And we are children once more.
Breathe in now,
All the sights and the sounds of a time since past,
A time when every day was the only day and adulthood sat quietly on the horizon.
And as we drift off into a calm,
Relaxing sleep,
We should remember,
The old school hall is always there,
And we can come back to it any time we wish.
For this is our place and our time,
A time free from worry or doubt,
A time when our biggest concern is whether our lucky prize is as good as the one we might have had,
If only we'd have waited a while.
This is our Christmas,
And ours alone.
Not to be forsaken in the rush to grow up,
Not to be forgotten as we stand on the horizon,
But to be held in our hearts for each day forward,
As we embrace the true spirit of Christmas,
One of kindness and humility,
Wherein we share the best of ourselves,
And we leave the rest behind.
Sleep soundly,
Dear soul,
And when you awake,
Have a very merry Christmas.
This has been Stephanie Hudson.
I hope you enjoyed this guided sleep meditation.
If you did,
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