Anna And The Water Dragon

In this sleep meditation, Anna discovers how to summon a water dragon who helps her overcome her shyness and fears. Together they discover the pearls of wisdom that enhance Self-Discovery, Courage, and Connection. This mindfulness meditation and story is 21 minutes long and drifts into calming music and the sounds of birds and wind chimes. It aids settled sleep, builds resilience, empathy, and self-esteem, and is helpful for children who are anxious at school. Chrissy Ortner has a background in Educational Psychology and Clinical Hypnotherapy.

Transcript

Welcome.

I wonder if you love dragons as much as I do.

Perhaps you've heard of water dragons whose scales shimmer like quicksilver when they break through the ripples and waves of lakes and the deepest of seas.

To ride such a dragon is tricky for not only must you deal with slippery wet scales,

Water dragons dive and twist at high speed making it difficult to hold on.

You must also be able to trust in yourself to hold your breath when underwater and to trust that your dragon will bring you back to the surface at the right time when you need to breathe.

So if you're ready to learn more first you must wriggle into the most comfortable position,

Close your eyes and take three very deep breaths just like a dragon does when it wants to find you and go to that very quiet place that still place in your mind where the dragons are waiting.

Sometimes you will see them,

Sometimes you will feel their presence and sometimes you might notice their distinctive smell or hear a gentle swish of a tail.

The dragons come in those moments when we're so relaxed and calm that we've forgotten we were even looking for them.

When our eyes are closed and all we can see are colors swirling to the beat of our hearts and the gentle sounds of our own breath.

In those moments we might notice the softness of our pillow or the soothing warm comfort of our special resting place and as you drift gently to that place now,

Knowing that the dragons will come as you relax more,

I'd like to tell you about Anna and how she came to discover the water dragon.

Anna lived by a beautiful lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains and piney forests.

In the summer there were abundant wildflowers.

The air was filled with the sounds of honeybees and the scent of sweet pollen filled the air.

Anna loved to watch the skylarks chasing each other's tail.

She'd lie on her back in the long grass with eyes closed,

Feeling the warmth of the sun on her lips,

Her cheeks and her forehead and imagining that she too was drifting high above the trees,

Swooping and diving to a beautiful blue sky.

On those days it was as though everything in nature was talking to her.

Come play,

Whispered the trees that called her to climb high in their branches.

Come splash with us,

Beckoned the ducks that bobbed in the shallows of the lake.

Even the crickets seemed to sing to her in a chirrup-chirrup chorus.

On those days Anna sometimes thought she even felt a tingling feeling coming from the earth through her bare feet,

As if it too was happy that the sun was shining and was appreciating feeling alive.

On those days there were hills to roll down that left her laughing and feeling a little dizzy and it was when she was playing in nature that Anna always felt happy.

Here there was no one telling her what to do or what to think.

Here she could be herself and follow that inner voice that felt loving and curious.

Anna preferred to be alone.

She didn't like going to school.

Sometimes she felt anxious that she wasn't like the other children and didn't quite fit in.

She was drawn to play on the banks of the lake,

Where none of that mattered.

And the only thing on Anna's mind that day was dreaming of dragons,

Just like you will be soon.

Anna's teacher had read a story during the week that had captured her imagination.

A dragon had lived long,

Long ago in a deep lake,

Similar to the one in front of her now.

And as Anna lay in the sun that sleepy afternoon,

She wished with all her heart that she too could summon such a dragon.

She wondered what a water dragon might look like and what would it say.

But those thoughts drifted away,

Just like yours are now,

As she relaxed in that warm comforting place with eyelids that long to close,

Just like yours are now.

And it was when her mind was calm and her body was still that she heard it.

I'm here,

Came a whisper on the breeze.

Or was it just her thoughts playing tricks on her,

She wondered.

Anna opened her eyes.

She was alone,

Except for the ducks nearby and the busy bees tending to the flowers.

Then she heard it again.

Listen carefully,

Came the whisper,

As she once more closed her eyes.

I'm here to help whenever you call me.

The whisper sounded gentle and kind.

The light behind Anna's eyelids seemed somehow brighter.

And the colors that swirled before her were beautiful pinks and golds.

You wish to see a water dragon,

Said the voice.

I felt that yearning in your heart.

I sensed your excitement.

So let your body relax even deeper now,

Taking three slow deep breaths and feeling the energy of the earth rippling through your whole body.

Anna was surprised at these words,

But as she took those three deep breaths,

It felt so good to relax.

She felt a deep vibration coming from below,

Rippling through the earth.

And when she opened her eyes,

The water on the lake had begun to ripple in a circular pattern,

Spreading out to reach the shore.

And suddenly there was a loud whooshing and splashing,

And a shining silver dragon surged out of the water.

Anna gazed at it in astonishment,

And for a moment she felt frozen in time.

The dragon was twice as tall as her.

Anna was a little surprised to see it was glancing down at her feet,

And occasionally cocking its head to look behind her.

Anna,

Who had at first been feeling very nervous,

Began to wonder if the dragon was shy.

It paddled over to her very slowly,

As if trying to gain her trust.

She noticed its serpent-like body was arching and rippling as it swam.

Anna could see its pale wings were tucked in close to its body,

And its powerful feet were webbed just like a duck.

As it drew close to the shore,

Anna heard it draw in a deep breath,

Before the dragon eased itself out of the water and onto a small beach.

It was so close now,

Anna could smell the dragon.

It smelled a little like smoked fish,

And as the water trickled off its scales,

They changed from silver to yellow and blue,

Matching the colors of the sand and sky.

You're a chameleon,

Changing your colors to match your surroundings,

Thought Anna.

The dragon bowed down low,

And then their eyes met.

Lovely to meet you,

She heard it say,

And as the words rumbled deep in her heart,

She felt herself smile.

The dragon's eyes were golden and cat-like.

You're beautiful,

She whispered.

This must be a dream.

What's your name?

My name is Elysian,

Replied the dragon.

I have lived here for hundreds of years,

And I'm the guardian of the lake.

Why have you called me today,

Anna?

Anna was surprised that the dragon knew her name.

It seemed to understand her thoughts,

Because it said,

I know who you are.

I feel the heaviness in your heart.

Oh,

I thought you were just a story,

Said Anna,

But I came here longing to find you.

Some days I feel very alone,

She said.

Elysian nodded.

When I was a hatchling,

I felt very alone.

I was so different to all the other creatures that lived by the lake,

Different to the ducks and the fish,

Frogs and the lizards.

I longed to fit in and be like them.

For many years,

I hid beneath the surface,

Worrying about what others would say or think about me.

But you look so strong,

So magnificent,

Said Anna.

Elysian bowed once more.

Thank you,

My dear.

The lake has taught me so much.

Just like the water in this lake,

You too have an inner strength that is vast and unexplored.

Perhaps we can find it together.

Climb aboard my back and we'll dive together into the water,

For far below are the pearls of wisdom.

Elysian lay down and Anna carefully climbed up onto the water dragon's back,

Leaning onto the tucked in wings and wrapping her arms around the dragon's slender neck.

As they entered the water,

Anna felt all her worries leave,

Dissolving into the cool blue.

The water became darker the deeper they dived,

And Anna felt the dragon's muscles and scales ripple beneath her as they swam further and further down.

Her hair fanned out behind her as the dragon swam strongly.

They were in almost total darkness when Anna saw some shimmering specks of light below.

Reach out your hand now,

Said the dragon.

Can you catch hold of them?

Anna held out her hand and touched the first tiny light that reminded her of fireflies.

It was almost round and felt smooth.

She placed it in her pocket and collected two more before the dragon turned upwards once again and then burst through the surface of the water as they both drank in gulps of fresh air.

Elysian took Anna back to the beach and they both dried off in the warm sunshine.

Anna took out the beautiful pearls from her pocket.

You have collected pearls of wisdom,

Said the dragon,

To remind you of how special you are.

Just as difficult experiences have shaped you,

So too a grain of sand has been shaped into a beautiful pearl.

It is not perfect.

None of us are supposed to be.

The first pearl was a beautiful shade of pink that reminded her of the colors of dawn.

This is the pearl of self-discovery,

Said Elysian.

As Anna held it in her hand,

She felt a warm soothing energy seep into her heart.

It whispered that she,

Like every living thing,

Came from the light.

But she had her own special talents that made her unique.

Embrace your uniqueness.

You have special abilities that are the source of your strength.

Those who tease you do not understand how we're all needed to make our world beautiful.

The night sky is only beautiful when all the stars are shining.

Anna's fear of being different began to melt away.

She took a deep breath and felt so much calmer.

The second pearl was a vibrant blue,

Just like the midday sky.

This pearl is for courage,

Said Elysian.

Believe in yourself and let your confidence shine brighter than any fear.

As Anna held it in her hand,

She felt a surge of confidence flowing through her.

Holding the pearl of courage,

She knew that she no longer needed to hide away and feel lonely.

She was strong enough to follow her dreams.

Close your eyes,

Anna.

Imagine a star shining brightly within your heart.

With every kind word you say to yourself,

That star shines a bit brighter.

With every brave step you take,

It shines even more.

This star is your inner strength and it's always guiding you.

The final pearl was a beautiful green.

This pearl represented connection and as Anna cradled it in her palm,

She felt a sense of unity with everything around her.

It whispered that she was never really alone.

There were always people who would care and help her.

There'd be people who would stand by her side and also people who would need her help.

Everyone at times feels not good enough,

Said Elysian.

Show kindness and understanding to others,

For this can heal wounds and build trust.

With the three pearls of wisdom in her hand,

The dragon smiled.

Each day,

I return to the bottom of the lake to collect more pearls of wisdom and sometimes I help others discover them too.

I'm so glad you found me.

I'm so glad I found you too,

Said Anna.

Will you always be here if I need you,

Elysian?

Of course,

Said the dragon.

But if you can't come here,

You can always find me just by closing your eyes,

Taking three deep breaths and calling my name.

Anna traveled to that lake many,

Many times to swim with Elysian and sometimes it was just for fun.

Sometimes she invited people who needed her help and some days she even heard Elysian's voice in her mind at school whispering,

Can you hear me?

You're perfect just the way you are.

I can see that today you're shining just like a bright star.

And every day Anna learned more about herself,

More about her friends and how to care and protect the beautiful world that we live in.

And you too can visit Elysian whenever you need to,

Just by taking those three deep breaths and calling his name.

And you too can feel confident and proud of who you are because you have special talents that will help make this world a more beautiful and caring place.

And it's easy to trust that you can make a difference in the world just by believing in yourself.

And the dragons are here to help you learn more,

Relax more,

Have more fun and have so many adventures just by closing your eyes.

And I wonder how many adventures you'll have tonight,

Allowing your bright star to shine just by taking those three deep breaths and allowing yourself to dream those wonderful dreams now as you drift and dream.

Dream,

Allowing every part of your body and mind to relax as you call in your own special dragon.