A fantasy sleep escape awaits you in this bedtime story for grown-ups and guided sleep talk down.
You're listening to Mermaids of Santorini and in this meditation you travel to the island of Santorini,
Greece.
You walk around Ia amidst the iconic blue domed whitewashed churches and charming villas as the fiery orange sun disappears behind the sapphire sea.
You travel down the caldera to a cove and the vibrant sherbet hues of the sky cast the village in a pastel glow.
You reach the cove at twilight when the mermaids come out to play.
They invite you to join them and you spend the night swimming with dolphins beneath a starry sky and crescent moon.
They guide you to a sanctuary below the sea where you may sleep safely far away from the cares of the world.
It's time to dream away.
I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and as you are listening,
Know that I am here to help you on your voyage to a night of healing sleep and sweet dreams.
You may think of my voice as that of your trusted and playful friend who is here to remind you of the imaginative parts of your mind that may be used for your own greater good.
Many times the imagination is wasted on worry,
When it can be used to transport you to the most beautiful and fulfilling places on this earth and beyond.
You deserve an escape and you deserve to make your mind a safe and splendid place to be.
You have made it through another day and earned this time for peace and joy and rest.
To find a safe place to get cozy and to cuddle up and tend to your needs.
And at any point,
You may feel free to let go of my voice and cross over into your sleeping life if that feels best.
You are the expert on what you need right now.
Close your eyes and take in a deep breath.
Imagine your lungs are like balloons that you fill to their greatest capacity.
And when you can inhale no more,
Open your mouth and enjoy a big juicy yawn.
No one is here to judge you.
You are in a judgement free zone.
Let your breath cascade into a big sigh and release anything that doesn't serve you right now.
And breathe in again deeply.
And as you do,
You notice the air smells of the sea.
Salty and misty,
You can almost taste the marine water when you fill your lungs.
And as you sigh out your breath,
It becomes the vehicle that transports you to Santorini,
Greece.
Your feet step on a cobblestone road that snakes around the white washed cyclotic houses and cave homes,
Constructed in the recesses of the cliff centuries ago.
The village sits atop a hill known as Eagle's Nest,
A caldera formed by volcanic eruptions.
The pristine white lime water facades glow in the golden orange light cast by the late day sun.
You listen to your soft,
Sold shoes pat upon the glistening stone walkway that looks like a honeycomb in this golden hour light.
The winds off the Aegean Sea are capable of great force,
But today they are soft and gentle.
You wear white linen pants and a buttoned white linen shirt.
The cotton breathes well and the salty air massages your skin through the fabric that billows around your sun kissed skin.
Your body retains warmth from a day spent in the sun.
Your skin radiates heat,
Now cooled by the delicate breeze.
Once bustling with tourists,
Times now are quite different and the village streets are a quiet sol that brings you peace.
High atop the sea cliffs,
You can hear the sapphire blue waves crashing against the rocky shore.
You turn on a winding lane that weaves around cave houses once carved into the volcanic rock and built up with additions and gardens.
Hot,
Pink bougainvillea grows abundantly and cascades down the white and cornflower blue fences like curly tresses of mermaid hair.
The simplicity of the colors,
White,
Blue and pink,
Make an elegant display evoking purity and vivacity while old everything feels new and heavenly.
You stand atop the cliff and feel you could touch the sky you are so very close as the sun lowers.
Volcanoes roll across the horizon like dark waves that have risen out of the blue sea.
The fiery sun begins to dip behind the sea and the water glows like molten lava.
You feel the last impressions of the sun on your face and walk to a ledge where you stand at a look out.
You feel like you could see forever from this vantage point.
You have witnessed many sunsets in your life,
But this one is the pinnacle.
You would choose this sunset above all others to showcase and telepathically transmit the intense beauty to anyone unfamiliar with the pleasures on earth.
And the last rays emit light with an undeniable force and promise that they will return again before being consumed by the sea.
You inhale the smell of the bougainvillea and its sweet aroma reminds you of honeysuckle.
The saccharine perfume combines with the salty air and creates a soothing blend that conjures memories of seaside vacations that brought deep relaxation.
There is a feeling of magic in the air where the night to come is unplanned and so much is unknown.
And yet you sense that adventure awaits and this foreign destination will conspire with the universe to unlock beauty you never imagined existed before.
The fiery orb of a sun goes down for the day and the lowest points of the sky look like vibrant brush strokes of amethyst and raspberry pink.
The deep shades near the horizon soften as they rise towards the sky and cirrus clouds float like tufts of pink cotton candy.
Hues of peach and lavender and buttercup yellow are like swirls of rainbow soft ice cream.
The pristine landscape of Ia is drenched in a shower of purple and pink.
The dark blades of white windmills look like slender brushes that paint the sky as they spin.
Santorini at Sunset is a watercolor painting that comes to life.
You feel like you are the protagonist in a storybook.
You grasp your hands around the cool metal cornflower blue bars of a gate that overlooks the twinkling Aegean Sea and stretch your body.
You point your heart towards the sky and luxuriate in this tender moment.
You relish how good it feels to be alive right now.
In a place where the temperature is perfect and everything around you has a softness to it,
The wind,
The sweet and salty aroma of the fauna and the sea,
The cotton clothing that caresses your skin,
The quiet sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
You have found a perfect moment in the timeline of your life where everything feels right.
And you imagine capturing all of these feelings and this beauty and distilling it into a glowing liquid that you pour into a glass vial so you may forever wear it around your neck.
So that this beauty could remain close to your heart.
You hear a loving whisper,
Come to the sea.
And you are not sure if it was imagined or real,
But the power of suggestion is strong enough that you begin to descend the winding paths of the village down towards the water.
Your feet land on the smooth weathered stones of the narrow walkways that weave through intimate settings of boutiques and restaurants that are closed.
The village is so sleepy that you feel as though you are the only soul to inhabit Ia.
You hear the phantom clinking of glasses and jangling of silverware at the now empty taverns.
It feels as if the entire island has gone into unnecessary hibernation and you relish the adventurous nature of your walk down the cliff.
Every sight is new.
You see a white dog curled up in a ball napping on a turquoise woven doormat that rests before an alabaster house.
His eyes lazily open and you watch his thick black lashes move to reveal the kindest brown eyes.
For a moment you connect and with an unspoken invitation you scratch the tops of his ears.
He seems to consider following you but then flops his head back on his paws and returns to sleep.
And when you walk you feel more like you are floating in a dream.
The emphasis of each step is on the moment the soles of your feet arrive mid-air.
They barely grace the stone pathway of the historic lane before taking flight again.
You again hear the familiar whisper,
Come to the sea.
And it is accompanied by the crescendoing sound of crashing waves.
The sky darkens into the soothing blues of twilight and the stars begin to appear.
All the while you walk,
The sea is visible in rolling sapphire waves that appear in the empty spaces between the pure white buildings.
And when twilight sets in,
It is hard to tell where the sky ends and the sea begins as they marry in this endless blue body.
You arrive at a wide staircase that leads to the shore.
It is like a thick beige ribbon wafting between the black volcanic rock.
You saunter down,
Counting each step that leads you towards the sparkling water.
The sliver of a crescent moon rises high above the sea like a puppeteer holding the invisible strings that choreograph the movement of each wave.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
You are getting closer and closer to the cove.
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Eight,
Nine,
Ten.
You walk down the cliffside pathway that leads to a beach and a fishing community.
It is now desolate.
You arrive at the shore and walk a paved path towards a pier that juts out into the reflective,
Glittering deep sapphire sea.
The volcanic rock rises high above you and you feel protected between the numerous formations that surround the cove.
Again you hear the whisper,
Come to the sea.
You walk out on the pier.
It is surrounded by shiny ebony lava rocks that glisten in the incoming tide and the silver moonbeams.
The waves crash against the shore in a gentle hush.
The iridescent sea foam contrasts the dark shoreline of hearing like hundreds of pearls being gifted to the land by Poseidon.
You look to the sky and stars above and make out the outline of a mermaid's tail just below the north star.
The formation twinkles and glows like the neon lights of Times Square,
Flashing in Morse code with this message,
Come to the sea.
There is a sailboat at the end of the pier and the shiny white facade is lustrous in the moonlight.
You see your name on the boat,
Written in script in a metallic teal color that swirls like moonbeams and Aegean waves.
You walk to the sailboat and board.
Whether or not you have prior knowledge of how to operate this beautiful vessel,
Your intuition guides you like in a dream.
You undo the thick braided rope that wraps around the silver dock cleat and feel its weathered texture in your hands.
The tactile sensations of this expedition become intensified and you are hyper sensitive to every feeling.
The salty sea mist rises and coats your face and you lick your lips to taste the saline droplets.
You notice the strength in your muscles as you wrap the rope into a coil.
The night winds are cool and feel nice against your sun kissed skin.
As you navigate the boat towards deeper waters,
You see a fluke flash above the waters and splash down.
It is emerald green and glittery,
Unlike any tail fins you have seen on a mammal.
It guides you and hypnotizes you every time it breaches the crests and dips into the indigo water.
Like a side view mirror struck by sunlight,
Or a twirling disco ball,
The light keeps flashing off the tail as you journey further and further out to sea.
Small islands created by volcanic rock loom above the water like the karsts of Southeast Asia.
They feel protective and insular.
The fluke disappears and you remain mystified.
The water is shallow enough for you to anchor the boat.
You methodically go through the process in the quiet of the night.
You find a place to sit and look at the stars and inhale the clean salty air.
You feel the boat continue to rock to and fro,
Back and forth.
It relaxes you deeply and you again hear the whispers now sounding off in a chorus.
They welcome you and beckon you.
You walk towards the bow of the boat and absorb the silvery light of the moon as if you are moon bathing.
It showers down on you and makes you feel that anything is possible.
You see a circle forming on the rippling water as six fluke splash in an array of colors as vibrant and diverse as tropical fish feeding on coral reefs.
And when they reveal their tails,
You realize you are facing a pod of mermaids.
They dive beneath the water and then splash through the surface towards the night sky with such vigor you would not be surprised if they took flight.
You see their long flowing hair that cascades and curls down their strong backs.
They invite you to join them.
They swim towards the sailboat and circle it playfully.
It all feels like a dream.
And you question your ability to catch up,
But they hear your worries telepathically and soothe you with this message.
You can do this.
The water twinkles beneath the bow and you remove your shoes and feel the cool lacquered wooden surface beneath your bare feet.
You balance on the rocking boat and walk to the edge.
You take a deep breath and dive into the Aegean Sea with the grace of a competitive diver.
And the moment the tips of your fingers grace the water,
You feel a tingling sensation travel through your body to your toes as they point towards the crescent moon.
You are awash with shimmering light that illuminates your dive into the salty water.
Your body transforms and you are blessed to find you have a mermaid tail.
You feel free and strong.
As you swim through the sea towards the pod of mermaids,
You come to the surface of the water and float on your back.
You flip your fluke towards the sky and watch it delicately fan the air.
You run your hands across the fins of your tail and relish this new sensation.
You feel invincible and part of a secret world at sea,
Far away from the concerns of being a land dweller.
And you intuitively know that this is a special power.
You may enjoy for one night only.
The mermaids swim to deeper parts of the sea and you think of the folklore of mermaids and mermen who helped weary seafarers and led them towards safety.
The pod of mermaids now lead you towards healing and peace.
For they know that life on land has been hard and want you to connect with the beauty of the sea and the night time sky.
The writer Nikos Kazanzakis expressed,
Since we cannot change reality,
Let us change the eyes which see reality.
And in a magical experience beyond the scope of what has become your reality and may make you feel stuck,
You may open new pathways to a new life.
And just as you first discovered the novelties of life as a human when you were a curious child,
You now embrace the novelties of being a sea creature.
You relish the silence that is found deep below the surface of the sea.
You dive deeper and deeper down where the water becomes cooler and you can hear the soft clicks of life on the sea floor.
You return to the surface of the reflective waves and hear the mermaid sing out in a unique cry.
It has the melody of a mysterious song and is returned with a playful squeal from a dolphin.
You peer across the water and see a pod of dolphins approach.
Their silver-gray dorsal fins are glossy and sleek and they cut through the darkness and reflect the moonlight when the dolphins form arcs over the waves.
And in the depths of the Aegean,
The mermaids and dolphins frolic together and sing out in splendor.
And they turn to you and invite you on the spontaneous celebration of life.
The dolphin approaches you and brings her beak or rostrum towards your neck and nuzzles in a friendly greeting.
You run your hand along her rubbery back in a reciprocal sign of love.
And she encourages you to take hold before swimming off towards the pod of mermaids and dolphins that enjoy the night together.
Your flukes move in tandem with the dolphin and you feel the fluidity and grace of your new body.
You feel light and free of the gravity and constraints of being human.
You feel the waves gently massage your body,
From your fingers down to the tips of your fins.
And for a moment you become the observer and see yourself smiling and riding through the waves along with the blissful sea mammals.
You take in the beauty of the sapphire water and glittering stars and the remoteness of this time and place where anything feels possible.
Your new friend slows down and bobs in the waves as you release your arms from her body.
You bob on the gentle waves as well and simply float.
The dolphins reconvene and look back to you and the mermaids.
They cry out and you know they are bidding you well and wishing you a good night.
No words need to be spoken because your sensitivities allow you to read the energy of everything.
And you remember the times in life you have felt so in tune with your intuition.
And this night is a reminder of that wonderful gift you may have forgotten.
The mermaids surround you in a loving circle and then dive into the sea.
You follow them first led by the light of the stars and moon.
But they continue deeper and deeper down.
Towards a sea cave once formed by volcanic rock.
From what you can make out in the water,
Now dark as a twilight sky,
The formations appear to be an ancient civilization.
And when your vision can no longer make out the details,
The tails of your mermaid guides begin to glow in an array of colors.
From turquoise to blue,
To lavender and fuchsia and emerald green.
Their graceful movements cause their tails to twinkle like glow worms illuminating a cave.
And deep within the underwater caves,
There is a plush bed of seagrass that delicately floats with the tide in slender green tendrils.
A mermaid with amethyst hair and a matching tail lead you to your room,
Carved out of the black lava rock cave.
You swim into the cozy nook,
Which is like a safe pot.
It is ideal for sleeping.
You notice how much easier it is to breathe underwater in your new body.
Each breath comes and goes as gently as the current.
Your body undulates above the seagrass.
And everything about this moment has fluidity.
It feels good to surrender to the sensation of floating and just being.
The other mermaids retreat to their sleeping caves and you carelessly float in your own.
So far,
Far away from the noise of the world above,
You nestle and get cozy.
You feel inspired to dream the most magical of dreams on this night of enchantment beneath the sea.
Letting go.
Surrendering.
In the dark stillness of the underwater world,
You are free to simply float.
The water is like silk on your skin,
Gracefully flowing and moving softly.
And you trust this moment and this feeling of deep inner peace,
Deeper and deeper within.
In the deepest parts of the sea,
You close your eyes and drift.
You drift towards sleep.
Towards imaginative dreams where anything is possible.
Because when you allow yourself to believe it is so,
It comes to be.
And I am going to count you down to a night of healing slumber.
6 5 4 3 2 1 Surrendering to the softness.
Surrendering to peace.
Drifting.
Letting go.
Finding solace.
Finding your sanctuary.
Finding sleep.
It's time to dream away.
Good night.
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If you want to know more about the research that we do at the University of Michigan,
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If you want to know more about the research that we do at the University of Michigan,
Please go to our website.
If you want to know more about the research that we do at the University of Michigan,
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