It's bedtime now.
Time to snuggle into bed and let your eyes softly close.
Let's take three deep breaths together.
Ready?
Good.
Notice how warm and safe and comfortable you feel.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Allow your mind to travel with the sound of my voice.
Beneath you,
Your bed has transformed and you find yourself lying on a soft patch of grass.
The sun is setting and the sky is alight with vivid pinks and purples,
Deep oranges and dark blues.
This was your last sleep in this spot and you roll around on the grass beneath you,
Hoping your next sleeping place will be as comfortable.
You start to hear the familiar yawns of your pack as all eight of you begin to wake.
You stretch all four of your furry gray legs out away from your body,
Pulling your head back at the same time.
Oh,
That feels so good.
Then you get to your large feet and you put your weight into your back legs as you let your narrow chest reach toward the ground,
Your front paws stretched out in front of you.
You yawn and open your mouth wide,
Showing all of your sharp teeth.
A quick little shimmy of your whole body from the tip of your long bushy tail all the way to the tip of your nose.
And you were feeling ready for a night of scouting.
You and your pack mates nuzzle each other and vocalize.
Your plan is coming into place.
You will be on the lookout and track prey.
Ideally,
You would like to find deer,
Elk,
Or moose,
But you also won't mind a chance for smaller mammals,
Birds,
Fish,
Lizards,
Snakes,
Or even fruit.
You muzzle into the air and breathe deeply,
Trying to see if there are any scents in the air that can give you a sense of what direction to take.
The pack decides on Northwest and off you go,
Your keen senses of hearing,
Smell,
And night vision on high alert.
After some time,
You find a trail.
You howl to your pack members.
Using facial expressions,
The position of your body,
And the position of your tail,
You point the way forward.
Excitedly,
The pack works together to track the prey.
Up ahead you see them,
Standing in the copse of trees.
They are somewhat spread out.
The pack begins to circle the group,
Stealthily moving so as not to be detected.
The hunt was so successful that you now boast quite a full belly.
Unlike some other animals,
You do not exercise moderation when you eat,
And you can consume up to 20 pounds of meat in one sitting.
Fortunately,
It is still early,
So you don't have to rush to find your lodging for the night.
The pack continues searching to the Northwest.
The ground begins to become more steep,
And rocks frequently rise out of the ground.
That member of the pack signals,
And following the sound,
You see a large cave looming up ahead.
A cave is a great place for a den.
The pack spreads out and begins marking your new territory.
After a night full of successful activity,
You are worn out,
And you find a nice spot at the back of the cave.
You will miss the grass,
But the silt on the cave floor is soft too.
You walk around in a circle,
Patting down the silt before flopping onto your side.
You start to feel a deep sense of relaxation coming over you.
From the tip of your wet black nose,
Up your long face,
To the tips of your ears,
Down your neck and back,
Into your body,
Legs and paws,
And all the way down your bushy tail.
Your back legs are tucked beneath you,
And your head rests on your front paws.
Your bushy tail wraps around you.
Your eyelids become heavy,
And you gently let them close.
Your breathing becomes soft,
And deep,
And effortless.
You are completely comfortable listening to the sounds of your pack breathing.
You breathe in,
Filling your lungs with the smell of the cave and of your pack.
The muscles in your body release,
And you feel fully supported by the ground beneath you.
You are completely relaxed,
And you let yourself drift off to sleep.
Good night,
Little wolf.
