Welcome to this guided sleep meditation called Sailing a Ship.
Please let's begin in your bed and squeeze squeeze your dreamy pillow for a great dream to begin.
Settle into bed now.
Closing one eye for the world of sailing.
Closing the next eye for an amazing,
Large,
Very large ship.
Let the eyes inside go round and round.
In a way ships are all responsible for exploring all around this world.
Think for a moment how the brave,
High energy and super adventurous people would take that journey.
So are you ready to take that journey too?
Simply nod your head if you agree.
Relax your eyes looking deep into this dream.
Now connect to your feet for a moment to wriggle your toes as you say goodbye to land.
Say goodbye to all those tall trees and houses that you leave behind.
For in a way they are stagnant but each day upon a ship is different.
Moving forwards flowing with the world of water the sea.
Let's dip our toes into a way of life as you relax and gain a knowledge about being a sailor.
Breathe deeply and smoothly like the waves of the sea.
Maybe you can smell the salty clean air rushing through you making you feel alive and well.
There's lots of rules being a sailor but also lots of luck and superstition.
You won't be taking any bananas upon your ship.
Say goodbye to this yellow bendy fruit.
Bananas are believed to cause lost cargo and even shipwrecks so that will never do.
But it was due to the fast transport needs or even toxic fumes and of course spiders in banana crates.
And now think of your lips.
Yes because whistling upon a ship has said to summon mighty winds or even storms.
How unlucky is that?
But whistling was seen as a distraction not really concentrating on your work or simply bothering your fellow worker with that same whistling tune.
Now you mustn't wear anything green for that would make a boat seek land.
And changing a boat's name requires a formal denaming ceremony.
This is to appease the sea gods.
Lastly no flowers please.
No flowers upon the ship for they are associated with funerals and graves.
And now for sailors good luck.
Starting with one small animal that is always welcomed.
The ship's cat that brought luck,
Kept rodents away and were companions too.
A pig or a rooster tattoo on your feet believed to guide sailors home if they drown.
And odd numbers using odd numbers of nets for fishing was very good luck.
And of course sighting dolphins was considered a good omen.
So luck and unlucky brought a tight run ship with much outside their control.
Sailors developed these rituals to keep order and safety during a dangerous voyage.
And now this floating ship is everyone's home.
Daily duties begin and responsibilities if you please.
Such as sails and rigging,
Raising and lowering,
Trimming sails and mending rigging.
There was also navigation,
Steering this ship and observing the weather and dangers that could be anything really.
Then there was maintenance,
Scrubbing and scrubbing the decks.
Pumping,
Bilges,
Carpentry,
Towering and keeping the vessels watertight.
There was also the job of watchkeeping,
Standing on lookout for hazards by day and always by night.
Sometimes there were guns for warships,
Loading,
Cleaning and manoeuvring cannons.
The general work and labour was hoisting the anchor,
Swabbing and mopping the floors and lots of general cleaning.
Yes the crew was swapping down the decks all of them making it teamwork.
Then specialised roles that were always for centuries kept the ship alive and well.
The list is long,
Keeping you fit and strong with supervised deck crew and rigging.
Carpenter,
The ship would always need repairs.
The cook that prepared meals often from preserved food.
The surgeon and barber provided medical and dental care.
And then the quartermaster managed the ship's daily operations.
Yes a life at sea and food and drink.
Diets relied heavily on salty pork and biscuits and peas,
Often lacking fresh produce.
And ale and beer were common drinks because they wouldn't go off.
But conditions were cold and wet and cramped.
And this caused quite a bit of discomfort.
The work kept many busy but sailors found ways to pass time.
Though boredom and poor conditions were common.
So singing for entertainment with lots of special songs.
Although discipline was strict with routines and punishment to maintain order.
All of these things would make a championship and all its valuable crew.
It's time to snuggle down and rock gently to sleep.
Take your turn to work,
Play and sleep.
Stars are many each night for sure.
And a moon that seems to follow you in all directions you sail.
But what a glorious sunrise there will be when you and the crew sail on the sea.
So sleep,
Sleep well and deep.
Into the motion,
Into the motion of the sea waves.
And dream big.
