Take a power nap in this timed sleep meditation and story brought to you by Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and as you are listening,
Think of my voice as a gentle guide here to usher you into a special respite in the middle of the day.
You may get cozy and relaxed before drifting into a restorative nap.
A bell will sound at the end,
Bringing you peacefully back to consciousness so you may resume your day feeling refreshed and ready to begin again.
Sometimes naps leave you feeling drowsy,
But studies show that only 20 minutes are needed to get the full benefits of a nap and prevent you from nap induced grogginess.
This meditation is perfectly timed so you may sleep beneath the 30 minute threshold and awaken feeling better.
So find a safe place and close your eyes,
Letting go,
Wiggling out any tension in your body and taking in a deep breath before you sigh it all out.
Take another breath and without judgement,
Let your inhale turn into a big yawn as you let that yawn become a sigh of relief as you exhale.
This is your time for a little getaway.
With your eyelids heavy,
You may visualize on the backs of them that you are walking barefoot in the grass alongside a wide,
Gently flowing river.
The grass is a vibrant shade of green,
Engrossed tall along the edges of the rocks.
Wild flowers add pops of color in shades of lavender and soft pink and bright yellow.
A cool breeze comes off the water,
Carrying the smell of minerality and rich earth.
And it feels as if your tongue has come upon a metal spoon as the soft mist reaches your lips.
Ventures old white and brick mansions with tall pillars and sprawling verandas are perched across the river upon rolling emerald hills.
You walk towards the shore,
Balancing your shoes on your fingertips as you stand upon the cool,
Wet rocks smoothed by the river over time.
You feel as the rocks massage your feet and hit pressure points that allow you to relax.
The sun peeks through the puffy,
Shimmering white clouds overhead,
With warm streams of golden light landing upon your face and refracting in the gentle waves of the river water.
You pass by a sweet older gentleman who grasps a fishing pole and greets you kindly.
You watch him for a moment as he casts his line and launches the bait into the murky water.
You wish him well before continuing down the shore,
Where you come upon a secluded inlet.
There is a grassy knoll covered in the shade of a weeping willow tree.
You listen to the gentle whisper of the willows as they blow in the river's breeze.
Your feet relish the velvety grass as you watch the iridescent blue and teal green wings of a butterfly flutter above the blades as they flow in the summer's wind.
You take a seat in the grass beneath the canopy of the willow tree and lie down,
Feeling the softness of the grass like a gentle pillow that forms to the contours of your back.
With your head nestled upon your clasped hands,
You look up to the willows as they blow like strands of yellow-green curly tresses.
They have a hypnotic effect as you watch them sway to and fro,
Back and forth.
The gentle waves of the river flowing in the distance,
Lapping over the rocks and shore.
And this moment feels like perfection.
The kind of experience that inspires melodies and lyrics to be written.
The kind of beauty that inspires artists to lift a paintbrush or a camera to capture this feeling.
The feeling of being free and alive.
The feeling of being one with nature.
As it ebbs and flows.
The feeling of surrender that comes when willows float on a breeze,
As ripples form upon the river and as stones are nudged along the riverbed.
You surrender to the sounds around you,
To the warmth of the slender streams of sunlight that come through the willows,
To the coolness of the earth beneath you.
To imagine what it must feel like to float on the river,
Flowing with the current as your feet gently dip down and grace the smooth silt of the riverbed.
How lovely and cooling it would feel to have the river take you away.
You would not need to navigate or think,
You could just be.
You realize this is the perfect setting for a nap.
You are letting go,
As you are so relaxed,
As you are calm,
As you are giving in to the sensation of an afternoon nap.
Breathing down and down,
Letting the sounds and physical sensations soothe you,
Restore you as you find rest and relief and peace,
Enjoying the journey as it comes.
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As you are so relaxed,
As you are giving in to the sensation of an afternoon nap.
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As you are so relaxed,
As you are giving in to the sensation of an afternoon nap.
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As you are so relaxed,
As you are giving in to the sensation of an afternoon nap.
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As you are giving in to the sensation of an afternoon nap.
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As you are giving in to the sensation of an afternoon nap.
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As you are giving in to the sensation of an afternoon nap.
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