Welcome to this guided sleep meditation called Cat's First Spring.
Let's begin in your bedroom and squeeze your pillow into a dreamy fluffy pillow.
Then settle into bed and rest your head into your dreamy pillow.
Please stretch your toes wide and open,
Fingers and thumbs join in too as you close your eyes and let the eyes inside go left and right,
Left,
Right.
Thinking of spring and all the things you see.
But what about the cat?
Please relax all of you now for the story has begun.
Yes,
The cat's first spring.
Often this happens when they reach their first birthday.
Now Toby the cat is one years old and is good and ready to explore the back garden alone.
His body clock tells him to hunt.
Yes,
Hunt at dusk and dawn.
The sun is fully alive and bursts into life very early in the morning.
Five o'clock Toby can see the sun popping out.
The birds are singing loud and clear and off he goes.
But stop.
What is it truly like being this cat?
A quick morning wash and licks himself clean,
Concentrating on all his furry coat.
From paw to ear,
Under the belly and everywhere is his gorgeous furry coat.
Then a good morning stretch.
All limbs,
His back,
His head,
His tail.
He suddenly looks like a rubber band,
Stretched very long.
He tiptoes heading for breakfast if you please.
He looks at the back door,
Licking his lips with his paws.
Off he goes out into the big world.
Cats aren't really tall.
They are sometimes the same height as the grass.
And all the spring flowers dance in the wind above his head.
His cat ears are like radar,
Moving freely all by themselves.
Then he sees a dark rain cloud rushing on the wind.
And before he could think,
What it was,
It rains,
It pours.
Though the sun keeps on shining.
Raindrops,
Millions hit the floor.
With each little raindrop,
A water bubble appears.
It looks,
It sounds,
Absolutely thrilling.
Then the big sky catches his eye with a gigantic rainbow.
Rain is exciting if you think.
Especially when the sun is out.
One furry coat begins to get wet.
And eventually,
Toby runs for shelter under a large fluffy green tree.
And drives himself off,
Leg by leg.
All the ground is no longer a playground.
And so he climbs high onto a tree.
Long,
Warm branches.
Perfect for a cat equipped with four paws.
A long tail to balance and claws to grip.
Hot steam begins to rise from the grassy floor like a magic white fog.
And for a moment,
He realizes how much things keep growing.
It's going to be hot,
Hot,
On this fine spring day.
And daylight hours are beginning to get long.
There will be no moon,
No stars,
Till 10 o'clock tonight.
All the birds have seen Toby the cat.
And will have to fly fast to get home.
To get out of his way.
And the mice that forage for food will have to run quicker and quicker away.
Because Toby wants to play.
And for now,
He will chase the butterfly that seems to move with the wind.
And then he dances around the bobbing bees.
Who are only interested in every flower they can find on this new day.
And later,
A steady march behind the hedgehog.
Whom he will see after the sun goes down.
Yes,
He knows the hedgehog is prickly.
But luckily,
Toby has made friends.
For another young cat has come to play.
And now,
Their friendship begins to grow each adventurous day.
Often waiting patiently for the other to arrive.
Then off they go,
Two young cats together.
Walking and talking,
Of course,
To each other.
Showing their new favourite places to sleep during a long sunny day.
Curling up to keep extra cosy in the cool shade.
And every day,
Will show each other something new.
New insects,
New birds arrive.
And the plant life continues to grow and pop in front of their eyes and nose.
And stroking and scenting as they leave a mark of where they've been that day.
Now,
Toby loves to climb and shows all his new places.
Plus,
Being so high makes him feel so big and tall.
And when their bellies rumble,
Off back to their homes.
Where a warm welcome is always given.
And as they walked home,
They noted how the wind did change from time to time.
Sometimes it was in a hurry,
And blew across all their body.
Lots of things dance to the sound of the wind.
But there's no place like home.
When you've been an explorer,
For that is what cats like to do.
Now,
Resting is almost like silence.
A sacred place for little animals they are.
And so into the home,
In search of your favourite soft things to lay upon.
Like your comfy bed.
Once you smile at each other,
And snuggle in for a while.
Then the deepest,
Softest sleep begins a new journey into dreams.
Yes,
Into the dreams of a cat.
Maybe they become giants for a change.
And make everything else smaller.
Do they help themselves to the fridge,
After watching you do it so many times?
Then again,
Are they not perfect as they are?
Being themselves,
Using their gifts and talents.
Which is a bit like us.
Time to be yourself,
And dream a happy dream about you.
Doing what you really like to do.
Your heart is like a happy button.
Let it sing a merry tune.
So sweet,
Adventurous dreams.
From me and the cats,
To you,
To you.
