Fall asleep fast with this cozy bedtime story for grown-ups.
You are listening to Prairie Dreams.
In this calming sleep story,
You travel to a simpler time,
To a prairie homestead in the 19th century with a companion of your choice.
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote,
It is the sweet,
Simple things of life,
Which are the real ones after all.
Enjoy a simpler time where the open prairie extends like an emerald sea in an endless expanse of grasses blowing in the warm breeze.
Spring brings a chance to explore the town of Golden Prairie before you return to your homestead with your companion and pup.
You ride in a horse-led wagon through the open land to your cabin before it rains.
You retreat to your rustic home and fall asleep to the sounds of rain on the roof.
It's time to dream away.
I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and as you listen,
I encourage you to imagine my voice is that of a trusted guide and fellow adventurer.
Let me help you remember the beauty of the human experience as you drift into your sleeping and dreaming life.
For thousands of years,
Bedtime has been a sacred time for respite and healing.
You deserve to savor each moment as you come down from your day and surrender to sleep.
Let this be a time that you look forward to connecting to the deepest parts of yourself as you set sail on the wings of your imagination.
Customize every detail to what feels right to you.
Start off with a brief guided meditation or go right to the story.
You may fall asleep before the story ends if that feels best.
This is a place for pleasure,
Not rules.
You know what you need best.
You are a powerful being who can unlock unlimited powers when you tap into your creative mind.
Feel your body become heavy like a flint stone as you sink into your bed.
While it is durable and strong,
Flint also has the power to spark a fire and while tired and letting go,
Your mind has the power to spark new ideas in your dreaming life.
Let out a sigh of relief.
You have made it to this point in time where absolutely nothing is required of you.
All concerns can wait for another time.
Sip in a new breath through your nose,
Slowly as if savoring a favorite drink.
Your nose prepares the air for your lungs and body.
The oxygen travels with a message of vitality and promise.
Open your mouth into a yawn.
Feel the flow of energy throughout your person and let go of any places of tension as you sigh.
Help these places release with your breath.
Inhale again when you are ready.
Imagine the air in your room smells of the distinct prairie aromas of sweet grass,
Wild flowers and a fresh water stream.
When your body expands to its fullest with this healing oxygen,
Open your mouth into a yawn and then sigh.
Let go.
Enjoy one more round of conscious breathing.
As you inhale,
Yawn and sigh at a pace that feels right.
Feel your body cloaked in the warm afternoon sunlight.
The light travels from the crown of your head and down your torso and legs and arms and over your hands and feet.
You feel the warm,
Sparkling light around you.
Return your breath to normal.
And in the sanctuary of your room,
Your body and your mind,
You are safe to let go as the story begins.
Throughout the history of human existence,
Admirable souls and pioneers have dared to leave the certainty of their homes for a chance at something better.
The promise of a dream is so great to these wanderers that the familiar is left behind without regret.
Dreamers are the pioneers who recognize life is about movement and exploring the uncharted because it feels better to try something new than to stay stagnant and safe.
Golden Prairie is a small,
New grassland town where dreamers and pioneers come together to trade and feel a sense of community.
The town is many miles from most homesteads,
And those who live outside of Golden Prairie hibernate throughout the harsh months of winter before congregating again beneath the glow of spring's sunlight in the town's square.
You guide your horse and wagon down the dusty dirt road of Main Street,
Traveling alongside a companion of your choice.
Perhaps this is a dear friend or someone from your past.
Perhaps this is someone you hope to one day meet.
You are a team and have survived a long,
Dark winter,
Living off the stored gifts of the land.
Your beloved dog sits between you,
Alertly seated on its haunches with an open mouth that gleefully catches the fresh air.
The sun's warmth is interrupted by the occasional sharp wind that comes in brisk with a reminder of what was.
But the bustle of the town is a hopeful indicator of what's in store in the warmer seasons.
Everyone says hello and waves as you pass.
People run throughout the town,
Their lungs joyfully burning with their return to activity and play.
The air smells of sawdust when you pass the lumberyard,
Where stacks of fresh logs are piled by workers.
You park the horse and wagon outside the general store and your pup dutifully stays put,
As if looking after the horse.
You carefully disembark with a basket of eggs collected from your spring chickens.
You feel the wagon bounce beneath your boots as you leap out and land on the dusty,
Firm road.
Your companion exits as well.
You walk into the rustic store as a woman in a bonnet and floral dress exits with her four children in tow.
They say hello in a friendly exchange and you step into the cool,
Dark store.
The general store is basic and yet sells everything one might need to get by.
From grains to soaps to linens and tools,
Fine sawdust glitters in the sunlight that pours through the windows onto burlap sacks of feed and seeds.
You approach Winnie,
The matriarch of a large family and owner of the shop.
Her children are always helpful little professionals and understand the family business from an early age.
Her six-year-old son Thomas is set to haggle with you for the eggs you brought in to sell.
And while you could have made a few pennies more,
You enjoy giving the kid a win by agreeing to his price.
Winnie takes note and when it comes time to purchase a few yards of fabric that you will use to make new clothes for the summer months,
She winks and gives you a deal.
Golden Prairie is unique to all the other pioneer towns in that fairness and integrity are principles that everyone upholds.
Empathy encourages acts of goodwill,
As life is hard enough on the prairie and it costs so little to be kind.
Winnie's daughter Felicity carefully folds the fabrics and ties them neatly with a cotton string.
Winnie warns that there may be an evening storm.
The sky is perfectly clear,
A piercing shade of crystal blue,
But you trust Winnie completely.
She is wise beyond intellect and her instincts are sharp,
And the reason she has so successfully run the general store.
With this in mind,
You and your companion keep the visit to town brief.
You return to the wagon and notice your loved one has purchased two bottles of sarsaparilla as a surprise.
The popular beverages were made and bottled by Winnie's children in the winter months.
A town local stands in the center of the dirt road and plays his fiddle,
Giving the perfect soundtrack for this spring day.
Horses and wagons and excited children rush by and applaud or whoop in his direction.
Occasionally someone leaves the musician a donation of food or a drink to keep him hydrated as he vigorously plays one tune after the next in the sun.
As you settle into the wagon,
Your companion hands you a cold bottle with beads of condensation running down the exterior of the brown glass.
The intense afternoon sun shines on your face and the cool elixir offers a welcome contrast to the dry,
Dusty air as it flows down your throat.
The tonic is known to remedy aches and pains from inflammation and you can feel it soothing you immediately,
If only from the power of suggestion.
You grab the reins and guide the wagon out of town towards the countryside.
All blades of grass shine like satin green ribbons that billow in the spring breeze like rolling waves.
The sky and prairie seem to have no beginning and no end.
Beneath your hat or bonnet,
Loose pieces of hair are wind-swept and softly tickle your forehead and neckline.
The scenery quickly becomes pastoral as the heart of downtown is no more than seven buildings.
The farther you travel into the prairie,
The more wildlife you see.
Birds sing out their songs in high-pitched chirps to remind the other birds that they are still here or have returned to the prairie after a winter migration south.
Periwinkle,
White,
Pink and lavender wildflowers bring pops of color to the glistening gilded fields.
They aromatize the air with soft floral perfumes.
Rabbits dash through the pastures,
Hiding in the shadows of tall grass and wheat.
Prairie dogs hop out of the earth and stand on their hind legs,
Happy to be awoken from periods of dormancy in the winter as they savor the daylight hours of spring.
Coming from the future,
You understand what the dwellers of Golden Prairie do not.
While they long for advancement and new discoveries to come in the future,
You know the cost these technologies will bring.
Your insight heightens your appreciation for the simple things.
And the idea that the grass is always greener rings true in the prairie that has the greenest,
Most supple grass you have ever seen.
Or at least it's the greenest you have consciously acknowledged.
You tend to acknowledge more in this quieter world.
Or you are connected with nature every second of your waking life.
There are no electronic distractions or to-do lists to take you away from the physical world and present moment.
Your companion asks to take over and you meet their childlike gaze with agreement.
You pass them the well-worn reins and lean back into the wagon.
Sipping the last of the sarsaparilla,
You savor sweet and spicy notes of the botanicals and the burst of flavor enlivens your entire palate.
The refreshing taste lingers as you clasp your hands behind your neck and rest against the wagon.
Your pup places their front paws and head on your lap.
Their glassy eyes close as they drift to sleep as the wagon rocks back and forth as you journey onward.
In the distance the first clouds appear.
Moving gracefully over the prairie,
They create dark shadow figures on the grass.
And in your gut you feel a pulse as you realize Winnie was right.
Unexpected storms are common on the prairie and you appreciate her insight as you pass your neighbor's homestead.
They are the only neighbor for miles and seem to be hunkering down for the storm as well.
Your companion guides the wagon to a slightly bumpier path,
A shortcut that runs parallel to a stream that leads to your property.
It is the quickest route lined by a few tall trees that rustle in the breeze.
The canopy of leaves filters the sunlight to create a captivating lace-like pattern of shadows that land on your earth-toned hand-stitched attire.
Your clothes are sturdy,
Functional,
And have a resilience not found in modern fashion.
The threads are meant to last.
The fabrics endure with the same spirit found in the pioneers.
Your companion parks the wagon close to the stream for your horse to take a sip of the fresh water.
It is crisp and metallic,
Still carrying the aroma of freshly melted snow and an earth that only recently thawed completely.
You hop out of the wagon and your pup follows you towards the stream.
They sip the clean water.
These moments give you the most pride and a deep feeling of connection to your animals.
You are able to provide for them.
Their glee at the stream fills you with joy as well.
The animals on the prairie remind you every day to appreciate and enjoy the simple things in nature.
You rinse out the empty sarsaparilla bottles and fill them with clean water from the stream to enjoy later.
You love the clean,
Cold taste of the water as much as your animals.
It is another gift from the prairie you do not take for granted.
Life on the prairie is purposeful and even the most basic chores have meaning and bring fulfillment.
You never have time to ask yourself why you are doing a task or what is the meaning of this.
With every choice and action you are connected to your survival and to the survival of those you love and nurture.
Even time for play and joy has a purpose.
The rewards of your work and the greatest purpose for being here.
Lavender gray clouds float across the sky like dyed tufts of cotton and create shadows on the prairie.
You meet your companions eyes and know words need to be spoken.
Unspoken communication is something you greatly appreciate about your relationship.
You rally the pup and horse in return to your homestead.
You bring the horse and wagon into the safe confines of the barn.
Your companion steps outside to gather the goats and sheep and corral them into the barn as the first rain clouds let loose on distant fields.
You call out to the chicken and ducks with a familiar cry that lets them know it is time to be fed.
You enjoy watching them as they waddle,
Cluck and quack in a race to their place in the barn.
After eating they soon settle on bales of fresh hay that lend a sweet comforting smell to the air.
You stand in the archway of the modest barn with your dog at your heels and look out at the incoming clouds.
The openness of the prairie gives you views for miles so you may watch the gradual incoming clouds long before the storm arrives.
The sheets of rain fall like soft blue and grey chiffon curtains that land on a field of shadows formed by the clouds.
The sun still breaks through the clouds above your property and a rainbow forms over the prairie.
You smell the rain before it arrives at the homestead.
You tend to rely on all your senses on the prairie more than you do in your modern life.
There is so much information to glean when you are tuned into them.
Even the slightest change in the weather prompts a wave of goosebumps to form on your body.
You are always aware of what is happening and what is to come.
The prairie awakens your perception.
The air becomes cooler suddenly and without warning and you wrap your arms around your body in a hug.
You gather your new fabrics from the general store from the wagon and the bottles of collected stream water.
You check in on your companion who carries a few dry logs for the fire.
Most nights have been warm enough to not need one,
But you anticipate the rain will bring a chill and dampness to the cabin and are glad your companion thinks the same.
You and your companion follow your pup who races to the cabin as the dark storm clouds roll in like an incoming tide.
The golden sheen of afternoon sunlight is lost in a silvery mist.
The air the color of purple gray.
Emily Murphy wrote,
On the prairie one can see the color of the air and you watch as the color constantly changes.
The contrast of the gray tones of the air makes the prairie grass seem more saturated and vibrant in rolling green shades that persist with life.
Nights like this bring in early bedtime as sleepiness sets in when the outside air is a timeless color.
No way of telling if it is day or night.
Nightmares will awaken you with the promise of a new day and the storm will be a distant dream.
You walk up the creaky steps into the cabin and your pup and companion wait for you to open the door into the dwelling.
You set the glass bottles and new linens on a hand carved wooden table as your companion brings the dry logs to the fireplace and lights an oil lantern.
Fresh prairie flocks flowers plucked from the morning fields are in a glass mason jar and aromatize the room with the floral notes of spring on the prairie.
The blooms grow in clusters of purple petals that mimic the shape of stars.
They add a pop of color to the neutral tones of the log cabin walls and wooden floor.
You gather some cornbread,
Freshly churned butter,
And a small jar of honey that you will serve with some soup kept warm in a black cast iron cauldron.
You feed your pup who begs at your heels for the rations of scraps saved for them in a clay pot.
Your companion has a fire roaring in the fireplace as the deluge of rain arrives.
The patter of rain on the roof is soothing and brings a message like the whispers on the prairie breeze,
Encouraging you to take it easy.
Each droplet of rain is a reminder to feel gratitude for the warm,
Dry refuge you have created for yourself and your loved ones.
You bring a tin mug of soup and a piece of cornbread slathered with butter and honey to your companion who sits comfortably in a rocking chair by the fire.
Your dog eats in the kitchen,
Devouring their food so fast that they join you by the fire before you have even sat down to enjoy your first spoonful of soup.
You sit next to your companion in a rocking chair and enjoy the simple meal.
The rocking of the chair reminds you of the rocking of the wagon,
A soothing sensation that is part of prairie life.
In tandem with the whispers of winds across the grasslands and with the tapping of the rain,
The prairie is a place to lull and hypnotize you into a state of peace and rest.
The cabin is more intimate and cozier in the firelight as the outside world becomes pitch-black.
You feel warm and content with a sense of fullness from your meal.
You look at your companion and thank them for coming along on this journey through time.
They smile and express,
There is no one else they would rather be with than you.
You skip out on cleaning the remnants of your meal.
Such chores are better suited for daylight hours than in the dim light of a fire and oil lamps.
You pour water from a cobalt blue porcelain pitcher into a wash basin that rests on a cherry wood washstand.
These fanciful items were brought from the east.
You wash your face with the last bar of sage soap.
Knowing the summer months come with the resources to make many more bars of soap.
Your companion readies for bed and dresses in thick cotton bedclothes that are simple and match your own.
The fire burns into embers and the soft glow illuminates the wooden bed frames that cast shadows on the log walls.
You return and peel back the covers to climb onto the firm mattress.
The hinkering sounds of your companion preparing for bed lull you into a deeper sense of safety,
Grateful that they are there with you.
They return to their bed and you listen as your dog snores from a blanket on the floor.
You and your loved one converse about the day,
About your favorite memories together,
About the feeling of the soft breeze on your face,
And the kindness of the souls in Golden Prairie.
The peals of laughter from children running in open prairies and throughout the town square.
The way the sunlight turns the grasslands into fields of gold.
The wonders of the prairie that you have yet to explore together.
The swimming holes and prairie dogs.
The smells of sawdust and fresh wildflowers.
You talk about all that you love about the grasslands and the simpler time.
And without awareness,
You cannot tell who is the last to speak before you both succumb to sleep.
You drift floating towards your sleeping life.
You imagine that you are wafting across the blades of prairie grass and wheat fields as if floating on an ocean wave.
The rain continues to fall and you are safe and dry in the cabin.
Your mind wanders through settings that soothe you and through sensations that will lead you to the sweetest of dreams.
Letting go.
Surrendering.
Tucked beneath the heavy wool blanket and crisp cotton sheets that smell of spring fields.
Feeling the arms of sleep embrace you in a soft comforting hug that says you are okay.
You are safe.
You are ready for sleep.
And so you let go.
Finding bliss.
Finding peace.
Finding respite.
Finding sleep.
It's time to dream away.
Dreaming.
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