Hi,
Thanks for joining me,
Clara,
On this guided visualization for relaxation and sleep where you'll experience spring in a valley in a remote area of the Himalayas before the sleep story begins.
I'd like to take a few moments for a simple breathing exercise to help with relaxation.
Find your favorite comfortable place,
Whether lying or sitting down,
Ensure your spine is straight and the room is dark or has lowered lights.
Close your eyes,
Take one slow deep breath through your nose into your belly.
When your lungs are full of air,
Take a moment to pause here and then slowly exhale.
Exhale all the air out of your lungs,
Taking a second to allow your body to let go and have a second to relax.
Let's repeat this type of breathing.
Slowly inhale into your belly,
Pause,
Then slowly exhale,
Letting go of all the energies that haven't been helpful for you today.
This calming breath work is one of the best ways to help relax.
If you feel any anxiety or stress during the day,
Consider taking a few minutes at different points to focus on how you breathe.
If you practice this breathing method,
You can expect better sleep,
Concentration,
And exercise,
Which is beneficial for your spirit or soul.
It was supposed to be spring here,
But a bitter wind from the east blew in a blizzard that lasted two days and three nights.
Fortunately,
Just as the storm started,
You reached a small inn at the end of the mountain pass.
The innkeeper welcomed you warmly,
Giving you the last room,
A small room at the top of a steep set of stairs.
From the window,
You watched as the mountain range became completely obscured by a whiteout of snow.
Then,
You headed to bed and covered yourself with a warm blanket made of silky,
Pure white sheepskin.
You slept soundly,
Exhausted by days and days of walking on the trail and lulled by the winds outside,
Raging and buffeting the walls.
Intermittently,
You woke up only to fall back to sleep as if in a spell cast over you by the ferocious storm.
So,
Here you are,
Two days later,
Waking up completely refreshed,
Brilliant sunshine pours through the window.
You toss the heavy cover aside and walk over the soft Indian rug to the window and look at a very different view than the one from the day before yesterday.
The morning sunlight filters through the clouds to highlight distant mountain peaks covered by luminous snow touching the sky and glaciers rising beyond.
And you can still see the moon faintly visible in the blue sky.
Gazing at the landscape inspires you to move on,
Go further,
And explore.
So,
You pack your gear into your backpack and leave the room,
Grateful for the sound sleep and shelter it gave you during the storm.
When you walk downstairs,
The kind people who run the Rising Sun Inn welcome you and tease you about how long you slept.
You joke back that the room cast a magic sleeping spell on you.
Looking around the room,
You notice all the candles in the kitchen have burned down into waxy puddles,
But a warm fire crackles in the hearth and the delicious aroma of breakfast in the air makes you hungry.
As you sip your cup of tea,
You look out of the front window and see that a path has already been made through the banks of snow and that a group of three yaks is moving along it with bells around their necks,
Loaded with packs of supplies.
There are no roads here,
Only the trail,
Which is much the same as it's been for centuries.
The inn is in a remote,
Lofty place and the high altitude gives you a slight feeling of lightheadedness,
Even though you've acclimatized yourself during the time you've spent hiking here.
Breakfast is served and with it,
The inn owners bid you farewell as they need to leave to get supplies from the nearest town several miles down the pass.
They place a white silk carter scarf around your neck as they leave.
When you thank them,
They tell you it's a farewell gift to bring you good luck on your journey.
The inn seems empty when they've left.
As you eat your food and sip your steaming hot tea,
You study the faded,
Beautiful patterns on the rug and think about this inn,
A centuries-old waystation for the sages and saints who chose this region to find solace,
Explore mountains,
Forests,
River valleys,
And lakes in their quest for self-realization.
One of them was Bhagwan Swaminarayan,
Who left home at 11 and embarked on a seven-year spiritual journey across India,
Spending three years in the Himalayas.
He sheltered at this inn before resuming his travels,
Crossing glacier after glacier,
Traversing deep gorges covering about 80 miles in nine days.
He navigated this rugged,
High country without maps,
Food,
Or money,
Wearing nothing but a loincloth around his waist.
In temperatures that plunged way below zero,
It was the rare sadhu who attempted this route.
You're no sadhu and are unsure what you seek here in these mountains other than adventuring and absorbing the breathtaking landscape that makes your spirits soar.
Before leaving,
You attach a pair of crampons to the bottom of your boots to stop yourself from slipping on the ice and the snow,
Which still coats the fairly steep path.
You put on your jacket,
Grab your backpack,
And head out.
On to the trail.
When you start walking,
The sun feels warm on your back.
The narrow path winds through the mountain pass.
The air is crisp from the cold,
And as the sun gets higher in the sky,
The only sound is the snow melting,
Forming rivulets alongside the path.
The air at these lofty heights is crystal clear,
Often at nightfall,
While stopping at other places overnight on the trail.
You've walked outside and watched the stars come out silently,
One by one,
In the infinite cosmic fields.
They shine brighter here because of the altitude,
Far removed from any artificial light.
After a while,
You overtake the yaks carrying the supplies to another village.
The yaks are stubby,
Covered with dense curtains of fur.
They stop and look at you curiously with glossy eyes as you walk past them.
The herdsman is dressed in traditional gear and wears a beanie hat.
He waves at you when you pass him.
The trail now traverses gently down along the fold of a mountain into a valley.
The sun gets higher,
And it gets warmer,
And as you walk along,
You shed your clothing,
Your coat,
And your sweater,
And you have to stop several times to put clothes inside your backpack.
The path is melting,
Too,
So it's time to stop and remove the crampons from your boots.
With the warmth and the thaw,
You notice a shift in yourself.
Your heart is melting,
And with each footstep,
Your spirit incrementally feels lighter,
And in no time,
You feel a powerful change has occurred within yourself.
Eventually,
You find yourself walking beside a crystal clear river.
It's so warm here,
It's almost like you've stepped right into spring.
Up ahead is a footbridge crossing the river.
Colorful prayer flags flutter in the refreshing breeze from the cold mountain water.
As you walk across the bridge,
The refreshing draft ruffles your hair.
On the other side of the river is a grassy meadow with white,
Blue,
And deep purple anemone flowers.
Spring has arrived at this valley.
Now,
You notice the sound of birds.
Everything has woken up from the long winter and is alive.
The scent of the flowers and the green grass is delicious,
Almost intoxicating.
The path continues across the field towards the next mountain range,
Which is still covered with snow.
After a while,
The combination of warm sunshine,
The sounds of life,
And the fragrance of the flowers overcome you.
You take off your backpack and take out your sleeping pad.
Using your pack as a pillow,
You lie down and look at the clear blue sky and the fluffy clouds forming above the high,
Snow-covered peaks.
You feel like you're floating at this high place and altitude,
So you close your eyes and drift off to sleep.
