Welcome everyone,
Wherever you are,
However your day has unfolded,
This moment is yours now.
This is a soft space to unwind,
To let the noise of the day fade quietly into the distance.
As you settle in,
Take a slow,
Steady breath,
Feel the air moving through your nose,
And sigh it gently out through your mouth.
Let your body begin to soften,
Let your shoulders drop,
Let the muscles of your face loosen,
Let the rhythm of your breath begin to slow.
You are safe to rest here,
You've done enough for today.
In this story,
You'll wander through an orchard on a summer evening,
A place where golden light filters through the trees,
And time seems to move at the pace of your own breath.
With every step,
You'll leave behind the weight of the day,
And by the end,
You'll find yourself lying in the cool grass,
The world hushed and glowing as night gently gathers around you.
So,
When you're ready,
Close your eyes,
And let's begin our walk toward the orchard at sunset.
If you haven't already done so,
You may now get into a comfortable resting position,
And softly close your eyes.
Imagine the air is warm,
Soft against your skin,
And the evening hum of summer drifts lazily through the stillness.
You find yourself walking along a narrow path lined with wildflowers.
Small white blossoms,
And the faint purple of clover brushing against your legs as you walk.
The earth beneath your feet is dry and sweet-smelling,
Baked golden by the sun,
And the scent rises to greet you as you walk.
Each breath you take draws in warmth and scent,
Grass,
Petals,
A faint sweetness of ripening fruit in the distance.
You can hear bees somewhere nearby,
Still working even as the day folds itself into rest.
Their low,
Steady buzz seems to slow your own rhythm,
Guiding you toward calm.
With every step,
Your body begins to unwind,
Your shoulders drop,
Your hands soften.
You notice how the light falls across the path,
Long and low now,
Slanting through the air like honey.
The world has gone amber,
And the shadows of the hedges stretch long across the lane.
Up ahead,
You can see the orchard,
Rows of trees glowing golden in the light.
Something about it calls you,
A gentle invitation.
Your presence is welcome here.
You walk toward it,
Slowly,
Unhurried.
You pause for a moment and close your eyes.
The sun lovingly brushes your face,
A warm,
Steady kiss across your cheeks,
Your eyelids,
The bridge of your nose.
You feel your breath deepen,
In and out,
In and out,
The rhythm of life matching the hum of the day's last cicadas in the trees.
You start to walk again.
The path gently bends,
Curving toward a weathered wooden gate.
The metal latch glints softly,
Catching the last light of the sun.
When you reach the gate,
You rest your hands upon it.
The water's smooth in places,
And rough in others,
Warm from the day's sun.
You take a slow breath in,
And as you exhale,
You feel the tension in your hands begin to melt.
Your fingers loosen,
And your wrists relax.
With a gentle push,
The gate creaks open,
And you step inside.
The orchard greets you like an old friend.
Rows of trees,
Dappled with light,
Stretch ahead.
Their trunks are rough and silvered with age.
Their leaves are a trembling lace of green and gold.
The branches are heavy and plentiful with fruit,
Apples perhaps,
Or peaches,
Blowing softly in the fading light.
You can just catch the scent of them in the air,
Sweet,
Ripe.
You begin now to wander between the trees.
The grass is softer here,
Springy underfoot.
You slow down without meaning to,
As though the orchard itself has shifted your pace.
The hum of the bees has faded,
Replaced by the gentle chirp of crickets,
And the occasional flutter of a bird settling in for the night.
You reach out a hand,
And brush the bark of one of the trees.
It feels solid,
Grounding,
Ancient.
You breathe in its stillness,
Its quiet power,
And you feel your own heartbeat begin to mirror it.
Slower,
Steadier,
Deeply at ease.
You wander further,
Letting your senses guide you.
The smell of fruit grows stronger.
Somewhere nearby,
A soft breeze moves through the leaves.
You pause to listen as you gently breathe in and out.
The light is changing now,
Gold giving way to rose,
And then to the faintest violet.
You look up.
The sky above the orchard is a watercolour wash of mauve and peach.
The moon already is faintly visible.
You pause to take it all in,
Breathing in through your nose,
And out through your mouth,
Letting your breath go all the way down into your belly.
Your body feels heavy in the best way,
Weighted with peace.
You find a tree that just feels right,
Branches wide,
With grass soft and cool beneath it.
You sink down,
Easing yourself onto the ground,
Leaning back against the trunk.
The bark presses lightly at your spine,
Grounding you,
Steadying you.
You let your head rest back and close your eyes.
The air here feels different,
Cooler now as the heat of the day begins to lift.
You can hear the faint chirp of evening insects,
The rustle of leaves,
The slow,
Deep exhale of the land itself settling into night.
You take a long,
Easy breath in,
And exhale.
Feel your body growing heavier,
Melting into the ground.
Your shoulders release.
Your arms fall softly to your sides.
Your hands rest,
Palm up in the grass.
You feel your legs lengthen and grow loose.
Your whole body is being held by the earth,
By the slow,
Quiet rhythm of the orchard.
Without opening your eyes,
You know the sky above is deepening,
A dusky indigo with streaks of fading pink.
Through the branches,
Stars are beginning to appear one by one.
Tiny sparks of light.
You watch them through the shifting leaves,
The silhouette of the branches against the sky.
You notice the way the leaves move,
A slow,
Soft ripple,
Like breathing.
It feels like the whole orchard is breathing with you.
Inhale the scent of grass,
Sweet and dampening in the cool air.
Exhale and feel yourself drop deeper into rest.
Your eyelids grow heavy.
Your breath softens.
Without even trying,
You notice the thoughts that were running fast earlier have quieted now,
Dissolving into the hum of evening.
And all that's left is peace.
You lie there,
Listening to the faint chorus of night.
You can feel your pulse in your fingertips,
In the soles of your feet,
Slow,
Slow,
Steady,
And calm.
The sky darkens further,
Allowing the stars to grow brighter.
A crescent moon has risen,
Just visible through the highest branches.
Moonlight brushes your face,
Soft and silvery.
You smile just a little because you are relaxed,
And you are at peace.
You are safe here.
The orchard holds you.
The earth supports you.
And as your body drifts towards rest,
You let go completely.
Resting under the quiet trees,
The night air is cool against your skin,
And the orchard is whispering you softly toward sleep.
