A Night In Sugar Hollow | Sleep Story

Return to the village of Sugar Hollow for a night on the scarlet bridge. On this special night but once a year, you gather for a celebration beneath the jewel-toned leaves and starry sky to host a dinner with the souls you would most like to remember. They are part of the mosaic of your life. This magical dinner begins at sundown. At midnight, the guests return from where they have come, and you retreat to a rustic stone cottage and fall asleep. It's time to dream away.

Transcript

Fall into a deep sleep with this calm bed-time story for grown-ups.

You're listening to the Scarlet Bridge.

Return to Sugar Hollow on a perfect autumn evening for a magical night.

You walk beneath the canopy of jewel-toned leaves on a woodland path at sunset.

On a special October night,

An enchanted dinner is hosted on a scarlet-covered bridge built in the 19th century.

You gather with the souls who have crossed paths with you and influenced you most in your life.

You are in charge of the guest list and anyone may be invited.

In this reunion,

You share gratitude and joy.

Souls flicker and memories play out as your guests remind you of the most beloved parts of yourself.

At midnight you are led by the light of the moon and return to a rustic cottage to fall asleep.

It's time to dream away.

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

I am Michelle and as you listen,

You may think of my voice as that of your dear friend and guide.

I hope in the sanctuary you feel the most relaxed and safest that you have felt all day.

I am here to help you remember the healing powers of your imagination.

This is your time to shut out the world and go to places deep within you where anything is possible.

This time is for respite and for the celebration that you have made it through another day.

You can tune out my voice at any point and cross over the bridge to your sleeping life.

Customize this experience in any way that appeals to you.

The story is for you.

Wiggle and settle into the comforts of your bed.

Open your mouth into a big yawn and then feel the air come out in a sigh.

You are free to yawn and sigh all that you desire.

Signal to your body it's time to let down your guard and snuggle up.

Take in the deepest,

Fullest breath that you have taken all day.

Feel your body rise as if it could float towards the night sky.

Open your mouth into another big sleepy yawn and then sigh.

Let it all out.

Make a sound and simply let go.

Take in one more conscious breath and send cleansing air to the deepest parts of your abdomen.

Blow out your exhalation through pursed lips as if blowing through a straw and with the innate trust you have had your entire life.

You hand over the responsibilities of each breath to your autonomic nervous system.

Your body will continue to take care of your needs even when your attention goes to other thoughts and images.

You feel gratitude for your body for all the wonderful functions it does every day to keep you alive.

Your closed eyelids are like lush velvet drapes that block out the world.

When you tune out all the noise and sounds,

You may tune into your deepest desires and inner voice as the story begins.

Sugar Hollow is a picturesque village in the heart of New England where each season is postcard worthy.

The centuries old town is nestled in the valley of mountains with rolling hills that cascade into the village.

The outskirts are bucolic and peppered with apple orchards,

Maple farms,

And dairy farms.

The folklore of Sugar Hollow is steeped in magic and the unexplainable.

From an aerial view,

The village has a shimmering golden glow that illuminates the darkest of nights.

This glow has existed long before the advent of electricity and served to guide people to the healing village.

On a peak autumn night,

You have received an invitation to participate in a gathering of guests brought by your own choosing.

It's a gift and honor to have this opportunity to connect with those who have inspired you.

You are a mosaic of their influences and the threads of their impact are interwoven through the timeline of your life.

Memories of these kind souls may be conjured by a particular song,

A certain aroma,

A familiar meal,

Or an article of clothing.

You hold onto their presence,

Your guest list may include family,

Friends,

Writers and artists,

Teachers,

Neighbors,

Or even individuals who have inspired you that you have never met before.

They all will gather and wait for you at sundown on the Scarlet Bridge.

And just as they magically appear,

At the stroke of midnight,

They return to where they have come from.

The Scarlet Bridge was built in the mid-19th century by Ernest Caldwell,

A young man whose heart was set on courting a young lady by the name of Cassidy Clare.

His love for this woman was as deep as his love for his faithful horse Melody.

But Melody was afraid to cross the babbling brook that created a boundary between the two farms where the young lovers lived.

One summer,

Ernest decided to build a bridge by hand to connect the land and soothe the fears of Melody.

Ernest sourced the finest wooden boards and smoothed them to the point they were velvety soft to the touch.

He covered the bridge so that it would be a special place for the lovers to convene no matter the weather.

He also hoped it would give the bridge the longevity he sought to have with Clare.

He painted the bridge a vibrant shade of scarlet that shimmered beneath the moonlight.

The lovers would meet each night and part ways at midnight.

One day they would marry on this special bridge and thereafter would host a dinner party at the peak of Autumn's harvest.

And at every gathering,

Ernest and Clare would hope that the tradition would carry on for generations to come,

At some point after magical things began to happen on this bridge.

Even after dusk,

Souls would meet and golden memories would be created.

And that is how you came to find yourself walking on a winding path for a night of connection.

You step on a carpet of fiery orange,

Canary yellow,

And magenta leaves and route to the bridge.

The sun is a glowing metallic shade of orange and sunlight pours through the colorful canopy of changing leaves.

The last hour of honeyed light is cast over the rolling hills.

Apple and pear trees pepper the golden fields.

Beyond white wooden fences,

Horses graze on grass and fallen apples that speckle the landscape.

You take in a deep breath.

The aroma of sweet decaying leaves mingles with the smells of the rich wet earth and burning wood from the wood stoves of cottages and farmhouses that occupy the countryside.

You dress in clothes from another time,

Made of plush velvet and silk fabrics,

In rich hues of aubergine,

Emerald green,

And sapphire.

The attire is warm and fits perfectly.

Your feet are comfortable as they step on small twigs with buttery boots that rise high on your shins and secure around your ankles with perfectly tightened laces.

You stand confidently and walk with the rhythm of someone listening to a mood lifting song.

The sun begins to set.

When you arrive at a dirt path that winds around the kaleidoscope leaves and brings you closer to the scarlet bridge,

You look up to see ducks fly across the sky in a V formation as they migrate to a warmer locale.

A freight train rolls along in the distance.

The melodic sounds of its horn travel far on the cool night air.

The sound conjures a sense of longing as it comes with a reminder that everything has a season and we are simply passing through each one on the tracks of our life.

The sky erupts in streaks of lavender,

Peach,

Tangerine,

And yellow gold.

Chunks of fallen trees now line the edges of the path and are indicators you are getting closer to the scarlet bridge.

Tea light candles sit inside the tiny hollows of the old logs.

Tiny marigold flames dance on the crisp autumn air and illuminate the night as the sky turns twilight blue.

You continue on the path and hear the sounds of laughter and glasses clinking.

Music softly plays over the delicate sounds of the babbling brook.

You feel warm inside,

Filled with appreciation for this night about to unfold.

The ambiance of the rustling leaves and flickering candles conjures cozy feelings in this time of transition and change.

The scarlet bridge glows from within like a beacon of light in the darkness of sundown.

Gaslight lanterns emit golden light at the entrance to the bridge and Edison bulb fairy lights hang along the archways.

Together they bring a balance of the old world and the new.

Plump pumpkins and an eclectic array of gourds pulled from local gardens decorate the floor.

Over-brooming baskets of glass gem corn are on display.

You admire the vibrant kernels and shades of burgundy,

Purple,

Raspberry,

Teal and yellow.

The kernels are as opulent as gemstones and remind us that Mother Nature is the most decadent of creators.

You are the last guest to arrive and a hush comes over the guests when they see you.

In the safety of the scarlet barn,

You tap into the deepest part of you that is comfortable with receiving love.

Perhaps this part of you is sometimes hidden,

But it is now brought to the forefront with a deep feeling of serenity.

Gratitude grounds you in your body as you think how wonderful it is to have this unexplainable gathering of all your greatest influences.

You are greeted by the guests one at a time.

Like you,

They dress in timeless autumnal attire.

Your guests are as healthy and vibrant as they have ever been.

You enjoy the procession of greetings,

Sparkling eyes and warm hugs.

You appreciate this chance to reconnect.

Perhaps to people you never expected to encounter again or have not seen in a long time.

These people make you feel that anything is possible and they now congregate beneath the hollowed scarlet bridge with love and hope.

From head to toe you feel this love and appreciation and you ride each wave of emotion as it comes.

Some waves bring you back to earlier points in your life.

Some cause you to drift towards hopes for the future and for who you are still becoming.

The Scarlet Bridge is a sanctuary for gatherers in a place where no words are left unsaid.

Vulnerability is welcome and opens your heart like a magical key,

Bringing you towards freedom of expression and deep connection.

You're accepted and loved for exactly who you are.

That celebration begins as everyone takes a seat at the long mahogany table.

A gold tapestry runner sits in the middle of the table and falls over the edges.

Tall tapered candles burn down in antique candelabras.

Baskets overflow with local delicacies and baked breads.

Glass vases contain autumnal flowers and thistles.

The decor is a reminder of the delicate transition between the liveliness of summer and the approach of winter slumber.

You sit at the head of the table and listen to the chorus of familiar voices that chat animatedly around the table.

You may have never imagined all of these souls gathering together in one room.

And while you watch them gather,

You sit in reverent silence.

Your heart swells with gratitude.

You smile from the blessings of this balanced exchange of inspiration.

The person who most inspired you in this life is the first to rise and raise a glass for a toast to you.

They offer the deepest thanks for being part of your exclusive invitation and then extol your virtues and the personal growth they've witnessed.

You enjoy remembering what it was like to know of this person and imagine that you could create a life like theirs.

They empowered you in ways they may not understand.

But following this toast,

You have the opportunity to tell them how much they inspired you.

It is easy to be free with love and words because of the constraints of time for this gathering.

Each minute is a minute closer to midnight when time runs out to say it all.

And it makes you wonder how you may exist in your waking life knowing that time is finite.

The evening carries on.

The indigo sky may be seen from the inside of the covered bridge.

Stars shine brightly and a waxing gibbous moon rises.

It is a prelude to the sanguine moon that will be full and shine brightly days after this gathering.

You will return to this bridge on the night that the full moon rises to remember the sacred gathering and the moments that twinkle like the stars on a perfectly clear night.

Memories are conjured by the chosen dishes served at this gathering.

The sense of smell brings the complexity of taste to your palate.

Aromas bypass thought and go directly to the olfactory hub.

Joyous memories are stirred to life.

These stirrings of memories are enhanced by the stories retold by the guests.

As is the case with gatherings with loved ones,

You see yourself through the kind lens of their perspectives.

This tribute comes as a surprise.

It also feels welcome and timely.

You have needed and deserve to know that you have created a ripple with your life that continues to positively affect others.

A silent pause comes over the party as often does,

When feelings of satiation and contentment arrive.

Your eyes focus on the globe lights strung across the rafters.

They move ever so gently as a breeze blows through the tunnel.

You imagine the sounds of Melody's hooves on the wooden floor as she carried earnest to the bridge to meet his beloved.

The twinkling lights are hypnotic and you can see the layers of time existing at once.

You feel the energy of dinners and rendezvous past,

And time no longer feels linear.

The scarlet bridge is a memory keeper,

Holding love in the boards that a man carefully chose to build a bridge to his sweetheart.

As dinner comes to an end,

You and your guests walk towards the other entrance to the bridge.

A bonfire has been built in the center of the dirt pathway.

Split logs have been made into benches around the fire.

One by one the party guests file out to enjoy the warmth and light of the fire.

The luminous moon has a peachy tint to it on this night.

On a mountain in the distance,

A coyote calls out and is answered by his mate.

A train chugs through a mountain pass and the distant horns reverberate through the night.

You take a seat next to your closest ally and biggest cheerleader in this life.

Perhaps you have been blessed to have many,

Or maybe this is someone who only existed in your imagination.

Or perchance this person is a version of you.

A supportive loved one puts their arm around you as you nestle with the group around the fire.

Embers take flight on the breeze and fly overhead like orange gold fireflies.

You take in a deep breath and smell spruce trees and burning logs.

A guest brings out a guitar and plays timeless melodies that serve as the soundtrack for your last hour together.

The translucent orange flames become reflectors of the gathering and you can see all the guests captured in the glow of the fire.

You may hold on to this golden moment,

Free to return to it whenever you need to remember your resilience,

Your connections in this life,

And how wonderful it can feel to be alive.

And our heart once stated,

Souls tend to go back to who feels like home.

Perhaps that is why it is possible to convene and defy the impossible one night a year beneath the scarlet covered bridge of sugar hollow.

Midnight approaches and you say your goodbyes.

You take in a deep breath with each embrace and ride the splendor of the olfactory and physical sensations that bring you peace and connection.

This rolls in and your guests walk off one by one,

But not without promising to meet you again soon in your dreams.

Soon you are left standing beneath the light of the moon.

An owl hoots and brings you back to the present moment.

You feel deeply satisfied and also quite tired.

You return to the dining table and blow out the candles but for one.

The wax has dripped down onto the bronze candlesticks and hardened like icicles.

Your hands grasp the soul burning candle and use its light to guide you home.

You say goodbye to the scarlet bridge as if speaking to an old friend.

You will see again soon.

By the light of the candle and the moon you follow the babbling brook to a rustic stone cottage nestled in a clearing in the woods.

The fallen leaves shine in a metallic luster from the moonlight.

The stone cottage reflects a deep shade of blue from the midnight sky.

You walk up the creaking wooden steps to the porch and open the hand carved wooden door to enter the home.

It is dark inside and smells of cinnamon and old books.

Shadows dance on the walls from the flickering candle.

You walk up the stairs to your bedroom.

Each step makes you feel more and more tired and ready for sleep.

You walk into the bedroom and moonlight pours in from a picture window.

You look down at the brook which twinkles like a stream of sapphires.

You blow out the candle and place it on the windowsill as if it is an invitation for your special guests to make the return in your dreams.

As if to remind you that tonight was not just a dream.

You walk across the wide floorboards and change into cotton pajamas that feel soft against your skin.

The fabric smells of lavender and the sauberific fragrance relaxes you more than you thought possible.

You peel back a plush purple duvet and climb beneath the crisp cool sheets.

You sink your tired head and neck into the downy pillows.

Close your eyes and drift on the soothing feelings of gratitude and love that have carried you through this magical night.

You feel empowered by knowing that these meaningful connections remain throughout time.

Still guide you like the moon guides the sea.

A wave of serenity and sleep wash over you as you go deeper and deeper down.

As you approach the covered bridge that connects to your dreaming life.

I am going to count you down to a place of healing and restorative sleep.

To a place where you may find the stillness and peace that comes on a crisp autumn night that is perfect for sleep.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Finding rest.

Finding respite.

Finding solace.

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.

Good night.

Reviews

Beautiful story, lovely calming voice. 💕

Wonderful meditation. Your meditations always have helped me get to sleep. Thank you so much. Namaste 🙏