A Night In Egypt: A Desert Sleep Story & Meditation

Travel on a magic carpet ride to Egypt. You soar through the air with a sacred African Ibis, who guides you to land on a felucca floating down the Nile River. You disembark and join a caravan at sunset and travel to the pyramids and to the Great Sphinx. Upon arriving, you climb to the top of the Great Pyramid and take in the enduring beauty that came from the human imagination. You return to camp and sit around a fire before retiring to your luxurious tent. It's time to dream away.

Transcript

Drift into a deep sleep fast with this guided meditation and sleep story.

You are listening to A Night in Egypt and in tonight's story you will take a magic carpet ride through time and space to the Egyptian pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx.

You will travel on a falooka at sunset before joining a caravan in the desert.

In the comforts of a regal tent you spend the night beneath the stars and full moon that shines above the magnificent pyramids.

It's time to dream away.

I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.

I am Michelle and as you are listening,

Think of my voice as that of your trusted friend and fellow adventurer.

I am here to remind you of the beauty in this world and in the human experience.

It's easy to get sidetracked and forget,

But each night before you slip into a land of dreams is the perfect time to remember.

To cast away on the sails of your imagination and use it to self soothe and conjure good feelings.

You earn this time every day just for you.

To unwind and cater to every need and desire.

I will usher you towards a night of restorative sleep.

And any time you wish to let go of my voice and surrender to sleep.

Know that's ok and you can return to this story again in the future.

Get cozy in your bed and snuggle up.

You are safe within the sanctuary of your room.

And with this protection,

You may explore the sanctuary of your mind.

Close your eyes and follow my voice as you take in a deep breath.

Imagine the words I speak circle around you in a swirl of letters that unlock a world of peace and relaxation.

As you exhale,

And sigh away all you need not focus on.

Inhale again and let your breath turn into a comforting yawn.

Your guilt free yawn signals to your body that it's time to stand down,

Melt into your bed and surrender to a feeling of release.

And then sigh audibly if you like.

Your breath is your key to unlocking this journey.

And if your mind wanders from the story,

You can focus on a few conscious breaths.

Feeling more relaxed than when we first began,

You now breathe with the ease of a small child in a dreamy sleep.

And when you exhale,

Your bed begins to float on air.

It rises towards the ceiling of your room and becomes a translucent portal to another world.

You look through it to see a galaxy of stars shining on the purple-blue velvety canvas of the night.

Your bed rises and passes through the ceiling as if going through a bubble.

On the other side of the portal,

Your bed becomes a magic flying carpet.

You feel the soft fibers of the vibrant blue and gold fabric beneath your fingertips.

Your bed clothes have been replaced with soft linen pants and a buttery button down shirt that billows on the breeze.

You sit up in balance in the center of the rug and watch the tassels flutter and appear like gilded fringe tickling the air.

You take in a deep breath and inhale the crisp clean air of the night.

On this magic carpet ride,

You travel through the ever changing hues of the sky.

That is at first midnight black and then sapphire blue and then cornflower blue.

As you travel through these rich colors,

You go back to a simpler time many decades ago.

The light of the beaming sun replaces the moonlight and the brilliant glare of this largest star known as the sun hides all the other stars.

And you are floating across the crystal daytime sky.

And below you see the rolling waves of desert sand and rich green irrigation fields that run along the Nile River.

The wide long river snakes between the rich green papyrus reeds like a silvery blue ribbon carrying millions of round mirrors.

The magic carpet guides you down and you fly closer towards the water.

You are soaring parallel to an African ibis,

A sacred bird believed by the ancient Egyptians to be responsible for maintaining the universe and creating magic.

The bird has a wide wingspan of brilliant white feathers that have a black outline as if drawn by a fountain pen dripping in ink.

Two scarlet stripes are revealed only when the wings are fully expanded.

Otherwise they are modestly concealed by white feathers.

You feel as majestic as the bird and you continue to fly above the Nile River,

Your hair is windswept by the desert breeze.

Ancient Egyptians believed that if an ibis draws close to you,

You are receiving a spiritual message and calling.

You inhale the salty,

Vegetal smell of the flowing river and feel the intense heat of the sun on your skin.

The ibis leads you towards a phallouca,

An Egyptian wooden sailboat with an ivory cotton sail.

You drift towards the deck and then softly brush against the wooden planks before coming to a stop and landing on the vessel.

The ibis sings out to you in what feels like a blessing before taking off towards the sun.

The rays are so bright,

The sacred bird disappears behind the white gold light as if passing into another universe,

Disappearing before your eyes.

The captain notices you and smiles warmly as if you were expected all along.

And with the encouragement that you should treat the boat as if it is your own,

You settle on the vessel and walk towards the starboard so you may look into the rippling water.

You remove your shoes and dip your feet into the warm river.

You feel the silky waves travel between your toes and massage your feet.

They prepare you for the trek ahead.

The river's mist is a soft veil that covers your face and cools you.

The sun begins to travel towards the horizon and the clear blue sky is now awash with pastel streaks of cotton candy hues of pinks and purples,

Blues and yellows.

Wisps of clouds appear like stretched tufts of Egyptian cotton,

Floating as gently as the late day tide.

The falooka is guided towards a narrow channel and your feet brush against the slender reeds of papras.

You feel safe,

Tucked in the canopy of green as the small boat comes to the riverbank.

You slip your feet back into your shoes as the falooka docks.

The captain comes to help you disembark and your feet land on the rich fertile bank of the Nile.

You say goodbye just as the sun becomes a magenta glowing orb that slowly dips beyond the rolling golden hills of desert sand.

You walk to the center of Giza where you meet a caravan of fellow travelers and camels who you are meant to join on your journey to the Great Pyramid.

You instantly feel a kinship with the other travelers.

While they do not speak the same language,

Their eyes convey kindness that transcends words.

You feel a sense of belonging as they begin to track onwards beneath the light of the setting sun.

You settle into a rhythm while walking with the group.

You listen to the gentle brush of sand against your feet and the shuffle of the caravan across the desert landscape,

Hypnotizing you with its consistent hush.

You hear the dampened sound of the camels hooves gracefully clopping on the dry earth.

The smells of the desert become stronger as you trek onward.

You pick up exotic notes that are sweet and dusty and earthy all at the same time.

They are very different from the smells of the fertile river bank of the Nile.

And the air becomes drier.

You feel the heat of the sun-kissed earth even as the sun disappears behind the rolling amber mounds of sand.

Saturated hues of raspberry and amethyst and twilight blue now dance across the sky in thick brush strokes.

The breeze kicks up sand and the desert winds feel even warmer than the still air as if nature's blow dryer has been turned on low.

You hear the gentle murmurs of fellow travelers,

Not certain of what they are saying,

But their voices convey the same awe that you are feeling inside.

You imagine the centuries of Egyptians surviving in the challenging landscape,

Relying on the Nile for survival.

A few of the guides in the caravan light their torches to illuminate the path once the sky begins to darken.

You are not sure how long you have been walking,

But find that with each step onwards,

You hear thoughts drift away.

Your mind finds stillness the further along you go on this trek through the desert.

Led by the glowing flames of torches,

A full moon rises in the clear sky and casts the golden sand in silvery opal light.

The Egyptians were the first to practice the art of hypnosis,

And you find yourself being hypnotized by the dancing shadows of the caravan and the glow of the torches that appear on the rolling canvas of soft sand.

Blowing grains of sand rise above the earth's surface and form a veil that mystically hovers over the landscape like fog.

You see the three pyramids of Giza in the distance,

Reappearing and disappearing behind the dunes as you climb one and then another like riding waves.

In the magnificent moonlight,

The pyramids gleam in the darkness of the desert.

You are mystified by these structures.

Built long before the help of technology,

It is astounding to witness these long-lasting masterpieces of mankind.

The pyramids point towards the sky,

Full of archaeological evidence of the power of the imagination.

All that has been constructed by humankind in this world has at one point been imagined.

Seeing the pyramids up close gives credence to this idea that anything is possible when an idea is set forth.

You feel a tingling sensation from head to toe as you look at the celestial sky and recall times that you may have wished on a star.

Have you forgotten how this feels?

To envision and cast that dream on a night sky,

Hoping for the day it is realized,

And maintaining that light of hope in your heart,

You carry with you the belief that this will come to be.

The caravans dismantles and the guides lead the camels and travelers to the encampment and sleeping quarters for the night.

You take this time to explore on your own and feel a renewed sense of wonder that you have not felt in some time.

Each step towards the pyramids feels like you are floating in a dream,

Hovering over the desert like the grains of blowing sand.

These wondrous structures appear larger than you ever imagined,

With two smaller pyramids surrounding the great pyramid.

The stillness in the desert is unlike anything you have experienced before.

You hear your relaxed breath,

Softly hushing like the shuffling sand.

You come to the great pyramid and there is a catch in your throat and you swallow,

Like swallowing a swirl of warm honey.

Inspiration and admiration sees you.

You place your hand on one of the weathered stones that has endured thousands of years of storms and the sands of time.

And you feel the power and strength of your resilience when you connect with the energy of the pyramid.

You take in a deep breath and begin to ascend the pyramid steps,

With no other soul around to watch you on your solo mission.

One by one,

You find your balance and climb,

Going further and further up towards the sky.

You inhale the fragrant desert night air,

Perfumed by Arabian Jasmine.

You keep your eyes looking upward,

Focused only on your goal.

The bronze edges of the pyramid form a beautiful contrast against the dark ebony sky.

You reach the top of the pyramid and stand proudly,

Looking out on the surrounding desert.

You feel like you are on a mountainous island,

Looking out on a sea of sand.

You look to the full moon and know that it comes with special powers.

That on a full moon you may release all that you have been carrying and no longer need.

Thoughts and old ideas about yourself,

Patterns and habits that no longer serve the life you want are let go.

You take in a deep breath and when you exhale,

You send away all feelings you no longer wish to have.

There is only this moment and what is to come.

And when you take in a breath,

You look to the starry sky,

The same blanket of stars that the ancient Egyptians once looked to with wonder.

And you think about all that you still want to experience in your life.

You feel what it is like when these unrealized dreams become realized.

For there is so much more to learn and to explore on this wondrous planet.

You stretch your arms behind you and your heart points towards the moon and stars and you feel aligned with the universe.

The three pyramids of Giza were built so their points align with the stars and you realize that this is the place to find perfect alignment.

And when you are in tune with yourself,

You may attract all that you desire.

You look across the desert to see the encampment where you will spend the night.

You begin your descent down the great pyramid,

Focusing on one step at a time,

Feeling more tired and relaxed with each step.

Focusing as you go.

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You focus on this moment and the journey it took to get here.

You continue to come down the pyramid,

Your soft linen attire billowing on the breeze.

The night airs cooler and feels refreshing against your skin.

You make it to the base of the pyramid and walk towards the camp led by moonlight.

You come upon the great Sphinx,

Which served as protector of the pyramids for thousands of years.

Kept in ill repair at a point in history,

A pharaoh came to the Sphinx and sought reprieve from the desert sun in its shade.

He fell into a nap and dreamt the Sphinx could not breathe because of the sand.

And it caused him to wake with a new mission.

He took it upon himself to clean the Sphinx of sand and build a protective wall to prevent further erosion.

You look to the Sphinx,

This mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion,

And hope that you may have insightful dreams tonight as well.

You say good night to the Sphinx,

Feeling an otherworldly sense of protection in its presence.

You continue towards the beige canvas tents that rise out of the sand.

A large bonfire burns in the center of the camp,

And the marmalade flames rise so high it appears like they could lick the velvety sky.

You are met by a guide who gives you a steel cup containing a local stew and invites you to join the group by the fire.

You take a seat on a hand-made Moroccan pouf made of beautiful jewel-toned silks.

You sit down and run your fingers along the seams and admire the craftsmanship.

You wish to connect with every sensation at this magical moment in time.

You listen to the melody of foreign languages spoken by your fellow travelers.

Hypnotized by the flames,

Warmed by the prepared meal,

You are the silent visitor,

Taking you in.

You feel part of something special.

You finish the rest of the stew and its exotic spices linger and warm you from the inside out.

Being satiated and content,

Your muscles begin to relax.

You feel the soft burn that comes after a busy day.

Each exhale comes out like the soft sigh of a contentedly sleeping child.

You feel relaxed and at ease and your muscles soften like candle wax beneath the desert sun.

The fire crackles and pops and you watch the tangerine gold sparks shoot towards the sky and through your bleary eyes they twinkle and travel so far.

You cannot tell the difference between the golden sparks and silver stars.

Before you fall asleep,

You rise and say good night to the other travelers of your caravan.

You look into their warm eyes cast in the gilded light of the fire and feel like you truly belong here.

A guide comes to take you to your private sleeping tent.

You walk past other canvas tents to see that your tent faces the three pyramids.

The heavy flaps of the door are tied back and you look inside to see your vintage trunk has arrived.

And been placed next to a canopy bed that sits in the middle of the luxurious tent.

Moroccan glass lanterns are placed on the earth and lit with candles that flicker within.

The jewel toned glass is in rich shades of ruby and amethyst and topaz and sapphire and emerald.

Colorful and vibrant.

The inside of the beige canvas is cast in a rainbow of light.

Next to the bed is an antique stand upon which a metal thermos sits.

You pick it up and it is full of Moroccan mint tea that is the perfect temperature for sipping.

You feel the freshness of the mint tingle your lips as the soothing liquid cascades down your throat.

Next to the thermos is a washing basin with floating jasmine petals and clean water.

You take a terry cloth washcloth from the stand and dip it in the water and wash away the desert dust from your face and hands.

You inhale the jasmine and feel the cool water droplets on your face and arms.

They quickly dry in the desert air.

You walk to your trunk and open it to find a fresh pair of cotton pajamas folded neatly on top.

You slip out of your clothes and change into them.

You walk to the canopy bed and peel back the covers.

The Egyptian cotton sheets are soft and cool on your skin.

You bury yourself beneath them and sink into the plush bed.

The pillows form around your head and neck.

The kaleidoscope of colors dance in the room and you look towards the pyramids and the night sky.

You see the stars aligned with the tops of the pyramids and become in tune with the alignment of your body.

From head to toe,

You take note and feel healing energy travel through your nervous system.

You feel the same tingling sensation as if standing beneath a rainfall shower head.

The crown of your head tingles and so does your neck and spine,

Your arms and legs,

Your hips and joints.

Your body relaxes and sinks deeper and deeper down into the plush mattress.

You inhale the soothing scent of jasmine and exhale.

You look to the pyramids one last time and realize the same magic deep inside you was also inside the visionaries who brought these magnificent,

Lasting wonders of the world into existence.

And every day you bring something into existence that was not here before.

You are a vital life force with the imagination and ability to dream.

You close your eyes,

Your eyelids are like shutters that fall heavily upon them and block out the world so you may ride on the dreams to come.

You have one last thought of the Sphinx and imagine that tonight he is your Mr.

Sandman.

And with the protection of the Sphinx and the magic of the African Ibis,

Powerful dreams may inform you of all you seek to understand.

So you may awaken tomorrow with guidance towards the life you desire and deserve when you awaken come morning.

You are getting closer to the bridge between your waking and sleeping life.

Drifting,

Free to let go of my voice and surrender to the magic of sleep.

Free to embrace every feeling of softness and safety that comes at this moment in this tent in the sacred desert near Giza.

And I am going to count you down to a night of healing,

Deeply restorative sleep.

Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four Three Two One Finding peace,

Finding magic,

Finding dreams,

Finding release,

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.

Good night.

Reviews

Michelle is the only one to get me to sleep for YEARS!

I LOVE this one, Michelle! It Inspired me to watercolor paint felucca!

Molto interessante si. Bravissimo! Grazie!

This was really nice. The voice was soothing and the content was calming. Will probably use it again

I fell into a deep sleep every time. I am very thankful for the excellent work.

I drifted away with ease. It was so good to sleep. I've had a hard time recently. This was very helpful, thank you.

I have always wanted to see the pyramids and I felt like I was really there with these vivid, descriptive details. Of course it took a few times to hear the entire story because I kept falling asleep before the end. Thank you, Michelle, for this wonderful journey.

So far, each time I’ve listened I fall deep asleep before the story ends. Thank you!

Fell asleep!

I never get to the end! I go to sleep quick and get to rest.

Wonderful meditation. I really appreciate your method of getting your mind to turn off
And then gently fall asleep. Thank you 🙏

I’m such a fan. I don’t think I have ever not fallen asleep during one of Michelle’s sleep stories. Her format works very well.