Welcome to this guided sleep story meditation.
We're going to explore the forest together and then find the cottage of our grandmother.
This could be a biological grandmother that you know if you have a good relationship with them.
But it could also be the archetype of a good grandmother.
Someone who loves you unconditionally,
Who knows what you need,
Who can hold you in the sweet space of grandmother love.
Someone who has exactly the wisdom you're looking for tonight.
So if you haven't already,
Take your time to get settled.
You might want to take a few deep breaths.
Or just notice what your natural breath wants to do right now.
And feel the way the bed is supporting your body.
The earth beneath that.
Acknowledge the land that you are on and your relationship with this land.
And then relax your shoulders.
Relax your neck and your jaw.
Maybe move it around a little bit if that feels right.
Imagine the space of your heart widening a little bit.
Softening with the gentle flow of breath.
Feel your belly expanding.
And relaxing.
Your legs getting heavy and soft.
Imagine that your thoughts could soften slightly with your eyebrows.
The space around your eyes.
Your lips.
Your ears relaxing.
Now imagine with me that we are in a beautiful forest.
It is a warm day in early fall and the trees are just beginning to turn colors.
The sun is dappling through the branches and leaves onto the cobblestone path ahead of you.
The air is warm but there's a slightly cool breeze.
The perfect temperature for you.
You take a deep breath,
Smelling the beautiful scent of maple trees and earth.
Drawing the clean,
Clear air into your lungs.
You feel your shoulders relax a little bit more.
Comforted by the presence of your tree friends and the familiar path in front of you.
You walk along the path,
Listening to the chirping of the birds.
The birds sound free and healthy,
Cheerful,
Happy to be here on this perfect day.
They are singing freely as if they have no fear of you at all.
As if they are letting you in to their daily chat.
Take a moment to listen and just see if there is anything specific that these birds would like to tell you.
You know that in a normal forest the birds might not sing to you,
But this is a magical place.
This is your grandmother's forest.
It is a place where you know you are always welcome,
Always safe.
You walk along,
Enjoying the gentle rhythm of your walk along the path.
Swaying your hips from right to left,
Left to right,
One foot in front of the other.
The path passing under your feet as if it was helping you walk,
Inviting you to your destination.
As the path curves gently ahead,
You notice one of your favourite parts of the journey to grandmother's house.
There is a wide range of berry bushes just ahead,
Filled with bright,
Ripe berries,
Your favourite kind.
You can smell their juice and fragrance and immediately know you must pick some for your grandmother.
And perhaps taste a few yourself if you want to as you move along.
As you go,
The ripe berries seem to fall into your hand,
Landing in the little basket you are carrying,
Along with another gift that you are bringing for grandmother.
You sing a little tune with the birds as you work,
Gently picking the berries,
Receiving this gift from the earth,
This gift from the path.
Joyfully filling your basket,
Knowing this is something you can enjoy that can also be a gift,
Shared with your grandmother.
Eventually,
Your basket is full enough.
You bow deeply to the beautiful berry bushes,
Thanking them for their gift,
Honouring them for what they've brought you.
You continue along on your journey,
The faded cobblestones under your feet offering the perfect rhythm to walk along.
The trees are gently changing from yellow to red and back to green as you walk along,
Observing the way they change colour in groups,
As if they have some silent conversation only the trees can hear.
You listen for a time to see if you can hear the trees whispering as you walk along the path.
At last,
You reach your grandmother's cottage.
It is beautiful and bright,
With a big sprawling garden in the front,
Full of ripe tomatoes,
A few stalks of corn,
And many bright flowers in colours you love.
The garden feels familiar and safe,
A place you've been many times before,
The scent of the flowers feeling like a welcome home.
You knock gently on the door and hear your grandmother's voice calling you from within.
The door is unlocked,
You step inside,
And the cottage feels warm,
Cosy and inviting,
A fire roaring in the fireplace,
Big comfortable chairs set up next to a tea table,
And your grandmother cooking in the kitchen.
The slight scent of honey candles burning is always in the background here,
And you see one lit by grandmother's worn old cookbook,
Helping her to see the recipe.
Welcome,
Grandchild,
She says.
You give your grandmother a hug and offer her your basket.
It's filled with berries from the past,
As well as another offering you had ready for her.
It's just the right gift for today,
The right thank you for holding space for you,
Preparing you food and medicine,
Offering you wisdom,
Giving you a place where you can feel rest and love and at home.
This gift is something she loves and appreciates,
And she receives it with joy.
Grandmother gestures for you to sit down.
She's just finished her cooking in time for you to share the food with her.
She offers you a plate,
And it's exactly what you need right now.
It's nourishing and delicious,
But also medicinal.
It carries something special within it that always makes you feel better.
As always,
It comes with a hot cup of tea,
A special tea with those same qualities meant to soothe any aches or pains in your body or your heart.
You take a sit and immediately begin to feel a little bit better.
Tell me,
My love,
What's on your heart?
Grandmother loves to listen to what's happening in your life,
Your heart,
Your mind,
And your body.
And so you tell her.
Grandmother just listens.
If you'd like,
She'll offer you wisdom and advice.
If all you need is space and presence to share,
She has that too.
She has the gift of always knowing exactly what you need.
So you go ahead and keep telling her whatever it is that you have to say.
And when you're finished,
You listen for any advice or wisdom that comes from her.
Even if it's just a hug,
Even if it's just witnessing with her kind eyes.
The two of you sit and talk,
Listening to each other's stories,
Thoughts,
And feelings.
You sip tea and share food.
And as you spend this time with grandmother,
You begin to feel much better.
When the tea and the conversation and the food are all finished,
You start to feel very sleepy and want to rest.
Grandmother already has the daybed ready for you,
Covered in soft blankets and pillows.
A quiet space where you can rest and relax.
Maybe listening to the gentle sounds of grandmother humming,
Cooking,
Cleaning,
Reading,
Whatever grandmother likes to do in the quiet.
And so you lie down,
Feeling the pillows and blankets,
Just the right temperature,
Just the right support.
You begin to feel sleep weighing on you,
Wanting you to rest and be still.
You feel your body nestling in,
Feeling perfectly safe,
Calm,
And connected.
Grandmother pats you gently on the back,
Letting you know how loved you really are,
How much you belong with her,
How you are always welcome,
But of course,
Always free to go.
And so you settle deeper into the daybed,
Knowing you're exactly where you need to be,
And allow your body to drift off into a gentle sleep.
