Snowy Island Dreams | Bedtime Story & Sleep Meditation

Enjoy a relaxing sleep story set on a barrier island during a winter storm. Journey by ferry to an island inhabited by more animals than humans as snow begins to fall. You walk through the woodlands on the island on a winding path. You seek refuge in a cozy cottage by the sea as pristine snow blankets the beach. Lulled by the sounds of crashing waves, a howling winter wind, and a crackling fire, you hibernate and enjoy this time for peace and refection. It's time to dream away.

Transcript

Drift to sleep with ease in this calm bedtime story for grown-ups.

You're listening to Snowy Island Dreams,

A sleep story set on a barrier island during a winter storm.

Journey by ferry to an island inhabited by more animals than humans.

A snow begins to fall.

You walk through the woodlands on the island and follow the winding path to the beach.

You take in the enchanted setting and then seek refuge in a cozy cottage as pristine snow blankets the beach.

Lulled by the sounds of crashing waves,

A howling winter wind,

And a crackling fire,

You hibernate and enjoy this time for peace and reflection before you 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,

Think of me as a dear friend and a trusted guide.

Let my voice carry you like an ocean tide as your breath ebbs and flows and brings you to a deep state of peace.

Bedtime can be the most precious and soothing time of day when all your attention is focused on your comfort and needs.

Should a thought interrupt your quest for repose,

Cast it away like a skipping stone launched across water.

Only healing and relaxing ideas and sensations are welcome now in this sanctuary of your room and mind.

You deserve this moment for yourself.

You deserve to self-soothe and set the tone for your dreaming life in this time-honored practice of settling down.

Customize your listening experience in a way that suits you best.

Your experience may be different with each listen,

And that's how it's meant to be.

But all that matters is right now,

And you are free to fall asleep at any point you desire.

As you settle into your bed,

Open your mouth and yawn.

Let this yawn become a big sigh,

And with this sigh,

Sink into the comforts of your bed.

Let everything go with intention.

You intend to be free of tension and stress,

And your breath is here to support this mission.

In this haven for sleep,

You can sigh and yawn all you wish.

Slowly sip in air through your nose,

Feel your lungs fill,

And your body expand.

Let out a second audible sigh.

The sound comes out of you with the same carefree waves of saltwater waves crashing on the shores of a barrier island.

Feel your body become heavy and relaxed with this conscious breath.

Your muscles and nerves stand down to become loose and unwound like soft candle wax.

Your muscles melt over the weight of your bones,

Your joints release tension,

You feel every point of your body as it connects with the bed that supports you.

Your bedding seals you in a protective shield of warmth as you enjoy another round of conscious breathing at your own pace.

As you inhale,

Yawn,

And sigh,

Feel the connection to your breath and let go.

And whenever you hear me utter the words,

Let go,

You tune into the present sense of peace and savor it as you become more and more relaxed.

One more round.

Inhale,

Yawn,

And sigh.

Explore the freedom of yawning,

Sighing,

And releasing.

Appreciate the gentle shift in your energy from a few moments ago.

As you let go,

It's time for the story to begin.

There are places one may go that offer a season of new beginnings.

Sometimes these gifts come by choice,

Sometimes by surprise.

The barrier island is a quiet refuge free of cars and modern noise.

And it is a place where people often find themselves rediscovering their desires in the quietude of nature.

Come wintertime,

The animals in the island woodlands far outnumber the human visitors.

They set the tone for the barrier island,

Hibernating and slowing down in a state of rest that human visitors long to replicate for themselves.

You set out on this escape with a singular mission to find peace and connect with the magical chambers of your mind.

Somehow,

Deep down,

You know that a snowy day in a cozy cottage will help you connect with your intuition and imagine the changes you would like to experience in your life.

The barrier island is known to be a place for dreaming,

Visited by some of the most creative minds looking for insights and guidance.

And you hope to get a new glimpse into your dreaming life to guide you towards your waking dreams.

You walk on a snow-dusted concrete pier that leads to the last ferry departure of the day.

The sky is elephant gray,

With low-lying silvery gray clouds that hover just above the crashing waves of the bay.

The sun peeks out from behind the clouds in brief intervals.

As it descends toward the horizon,

Dusk will soon approach.

The daylight hours are the shortest of the year,

And the darkness makes you long to hunker down and sleep more than usual.

Nature gives you permission this time of year to revel indoors,

The quiet moments by a fire.

As you walk on the pier,

Salt water mist lands on your lips.

A soft scarf wraps around your neck and chin,

Keeping you warm.

The perfume of the salty water is more subtle in the cold,

Particularly in the harbor.

Its rich and heady,

Fertile aromatics are but a distant dream that will come with the return of summer when crabs and seaweed scatter the shore.

You are but one of a handful of passengers that board the ferry,

A much more modest and smaller vessel than the one that transports visitors during the high season.

These winter travelers like you long for the peaceful magic found on a quiet island.

The sounds of music,

Jovial conversations,

And clanking dishes travel from a harbor-view restaurant bustling with patrons.

White and blue holiday lights surround the trim of the rustic dwelling with shake siding.

And while the mood there is celebratory and bright,

Part of you becomes relieved in knowing that you have a cozier night ahead,

Away from the noise and distraction of others.

You can reassess what is right for you.

You are able to put your needs first.

You walk slowly up the squeaky silver ramp to the ferry that glistens with pearly droplets from melted snow.

Silky blue-gray waves lap against the glistening white metal side of the boat and pier.

Beyond the harbor,

White crusts of breaking waves blend with the gently falling white snow.

With each lapping wave,

The ferry gently rocks back and forth,

And back and forth.

The final passenger boards with his black Labrador Retriever.

The friendly dog wags his tail when your eyes meet.

His shiny ebony coat is speckled with oversized white snowflakes that the pup shakes off before curling up comfortably at his owner's feet.

He is a well-traveled dog.

The captain loosens ropes tied around the wooden beams of the dock with the help of a college-aged deckhand on her winter break.

The two have a camaraderie honed over many summers spent running the ferry together.

Their eyes sparkle with a glint of intrigue brought on by the weather and wintry beauty that casts the mainland and water in powdery snow.

Your body just relaxes,

And your mind is at ease as you let go.

You feel a deep sense of trust on this journey,

And the sensation is enhanced by the confidence instilled by the crew.

You feel part of a secret world,

Known well by seafarers,

Carrying on in centuries of tradition.

In this moment,

You deeply understand the calling of the sea.

As you long to be swept away into a new experience,

Your trust helps you to go with the flow,

Knowing that everything has been taken care of,

And all you need to do is appreciate the journey to your cottage.

On the bucolic island,

You inhale deeply,

Noticing how the clean metallic smell of fresh snow mingles with the briny air.

The ferry slowly travels through the shallow waters of the inlet,

And picks up pace once it is beyond the shoreline.

The whistling winds trill like flutes,

The perfect accompaniment to the whispers of the ocean.

The ferry creaks from time to time,

Like a stray violin solo joining nature's orchestra.

You huddle by an old radiator between the windows and benches that clanks with the promise of warmth.

Your feet become toasty as the rubber soles of your boots retain the hot air.

The radiator makes the air as hot and arid as the desert in summer.

A window is slightly cracked open,

Its frame is aged to the point that it cannot close completely.

This allows for the brisk winter air to break through and offer a pleasant contrast.

The ferry travels across the bay,

Continuing to rock and lull you.

Conversations between passengers are cordial,

Yet buried beneath the hum of the engine,

Golden lights twinkle on the dock of the barrier island,

And their light cuts through the misty air and falling snow.

You notice a single bird that has not left for the winter as it soars before the boat as if leading it to the pier.

The captain turns off the engine and the vessel slows down,

Floating on the waves that lead it into the harbor.

Much unlike life on the mainland,

The small general store and restaurants and businesses are closed for the season.

Three deer stand near the pier,

Curiously watching as the ferry docks.

The snow begins to stick and evenly coating the wooden planks of the pier with a dusting of white.

The headlights of the ferry reflect on the flakes that become iridescent in their brilliance.

Once secure,

The ferry captain opens the metal sliding door.

His ruddy face offers a gentle smile as he extends a strong hand to assist the few passengers off the boat.

As you step into the snowy night,

The air smells different in this harbor.

The perfume of pine trees brings a sweetness to the damp air.

You walk into the snowy oasis and wish your fellow passengers a good night.

Though strangers,

You all enjoy this shared moment of wintry beauty on this mystical night on the bay.

The black lab and his owner race off towards their home,

Leaving a set of footprints and pawprints in their wake.

Chunky snowflakes fall on your face and lashes.

You feel grateful for your warm winter boots and puffy parka that wraps around you like a sleeping bag.

You walk through the darkness,

Guided by footlights on a wooden pathway that winds through the woodlands and past quaint cabins and homes.

Most are closed for the winter.

In the absence of their owners,

Foxes,

Deer,

And rabbits come out to forage through abandoned gardens on the properties.

The wind massages your back as you continue to walk.

This enchanted barrier island conjures thoughts of fairy tales,

Of Snow White and her cottage in the woods.

The wooden pathway rises many feet above the forest floor,

And some animals find shelter beneath its protection.

They follow the snow-dusted planks from the harbor side to the seaside,

Where your cottage awaits.

As you inhale the cool,

Briny air,

You hear the gentle ocean sounds in the distance.

You take in these last moments of freedom before the storm encourages you to hibernate for the night.

The blanket of snow on the path thickens the closer you get to the beach.

You spot the hoofprints of a deer and decide to follow them towards the ocean.

You see the deer below the boardwalk,

Having jumped from the pathway to the rolling dunes that lead to the sapphire ocean.

This time of year,

The animals that remain on the island are your only neighbors.

The other passengers are on the other side of the island.

You watch the young doe as her breath condenses and she curiously moves closer.

She is unafraid of you,

And you feel good being considered trustworthy.

Snowflakes gather on her thick,

Black lashes,

And her reflective eyes pour into yours.

You bond with her in this beautiful moment on the snowy island,

And in doing so,

You feel as though you are further bonding with nature and the barrier island.

She looks at the ocean and back at you,

As if inviting you to follow.

At first,

You don't understand or fully believe it,

Until she begins to walk and then stops to turn around again.

You decide to follow her,

Choosing to walk the frozen sand to your cottage in lieu of the man-made walkway.

Once confident that you are following her,

The deer prances through the ice-covered seagrass and breaks out into a run as her hooves land on the sand.

You remove a small lantern from your bag,

And the light reflects on the wet,

Caramel-hued sand and patches of untouched snow.

The snow crunches beneath your feet,

And your rugged soles make it easy to maintain your balance.

As you descend the stairs to the beach,

Hearing the ocean crash against the shore soothes you.

You feel a sense of relief and bliss.

This solitude has been something you have been seeking,

And here it is.

All for you.

The smell of the pine trees around you feels festive.

The air is so very clean and fresh.

You close your eyes and inhale and exhale,

Paying attention to every sensation at this moment.

You open your eyes and watch the young deer playfully run up and down the beach,

With a burst of spontaneous energy.

The wind causes your scarf to billow,

And you start to run as well.

You savor each breath through your nose,

Feeling the air warm before it arrives in your throat.

You feel more alive than you have felt in some time,

And you begin to laugh at the silliness of this moment.

Silly only because.

There is a certain threshold society imposed that you crossed.

On the barrier island,

It's okay to be carefree and childlike,

And do things for the sake of fun.

Far away from societal rules and norms,

You feel free to express yourself in the ways that most children do before they are taught otherwise.

The doe gets the closest she has since your encounter,

And parades around you one last time.

Her eyes smile,

Your lips turn up in response as big snowflakes melt on them,

And you say good night.

She darts down the beach in the opposite direction to return to her den for the night.

The sky darkens into a palette of purple-blue as translucent gray clouds ride on the wind.

As you walk across the sand and snow,

You see where the drifts of sand are now blending with drifts of snow.

The golden sand and dancing white snow put on a show.

You feel as if you are inside a snow globe.

Glittery snow crystals cover the swaying mint-green beach grass,

And you run out onto the sand,

Feeling your lungs fill with the cold air.

You feel inspired to run and jump on the drifts of snow and sand.

The ocean is an endless aqua gray behind you,

And large waves crash into the sand.

You walk fast and then jog in a sense of newly found freedom.

No one is watching,

And you may exert all your energy in this mind-tingling experience,

Feeling fully alive.

You spin with your arms outstretched toward the sky.

You taste the clean snow on your tongue.

You cannot help but smile in gratitude as you appreciate that this is all yours.

Laughter escapes from your snow-kissed lips because you feel so good.

If you wanted,

You could fall into the snow and make a snow angel,

Or you could continue to run up and down the drifts.

Whatever you most desire is what you do right now.

You come to a set of stairs that lead to your cottage and stop to catch your breath.

Every exhalation condenses on the air and mystical puffs.

Despite the coolness,

You feel warm from the inside out.

You watch the waves crash into the shore and imagine how wonderful it must have felt for seafarers returning home from long voyages as they came upon this island.

The stormy water is full of white caps.

In communion with the incoming storm,

The sea becomes turbulent.

You feel reverent as you rise,

And also ready to head home as complacent tiredness takes over.

Your body feels heavier with each step as you ascend them to the boardwalk.

You count the steps as you go.

1,

2,

3,

4,

6.

You arrive at the wooden walkway and turn right.

The snow falls heavier,

And the wind creates small cyclones on the earth.

You walk a few paces before encountering the familiar hand-painted sign that bears your name and welcomes you home.

Pine trees and cattails form a canopy around the path that leads to your front door.

Nestled within the wooded area is a rustic cottage.

The wood siding has been weathered by time,

Sunlight,

And the sea.

The sky is now a shade of plum black,

And you have arrived at the cottage just in time.

You follow a mulch path to the front of your home.

The front door is whimsical and contains a vibrant stained glass window that takes up half of the door.

The glass pieces are a kaleidoscope in your favorite colors.

Frost covers the perimeter of the window.

You shake the snow off your boots and dust white flakes off your coat before you bend down to retrieve logs and kindling stored in a box beneath the roof of a wraparound porch.

You open the door and set the wood on the ceramic tiled floor of the foyer.

You take off your winter layers and slip your feet out of your boots and socks.

You bury your cool toes into plush slippers that offer pillowy warmth.

You gather the wood and walk into the dimly lit living room.

The ceiling is high and expansive in this beach cottage.

The walls and crossbeams are a shade of linen white.

In places around the room,

Floor to ceiling windows and sliding glass doors.

Look out into the surrounding woods and beach.

You are always connected with nature inside the cottage.

Photos of you enjoying the beach at different stages of life hang on the walls and sit in frames atop antique side tables and a mantle.

They depict you as a child in the sand on a hot summer day.

Black and white photos capture you laughing with those you love,

Friends,

Family,

Pets,

Whoever has made you most happy.

This cottage is the keeper of your happiest moments.

It is a haven where you reflect on the simple pleasures that have given you joy.

And in this space for gratitude,

You feel empowered to envision more dreams for the future.

Mementos and items collected from the beach sit on the sills of bay windows that look out on the snow falling on the beach and the ocean behind the house.

A few luxurious throw pillows are scattered in one of the windows where you often sit and write or read or enjoy your favorite drink.

You peer out into the darkness to see the reflective water as ocean waves crash on the frozen earth.

Sparkling snowflakes create a thick white fog as they come together,

Swept on an ocean breeze.

Soon the storm will bring white out conditions,

But by then you will be peacefully asleep,

Dreaming through the storm.

You relish feeling so warm and cozy inside as the wind rustles the pine branches and whips around the cottage.

You carry the kindling and logs to the opposite side of the room,

To a fireplace adorned with a mosaic of pearly white seashells.

You remove a lighter from a box made of driftwood and ignite the dry kindling with ease.

You sit on the floor until the flames grow and add a log.

With little effort,

The flames kiss the soot-dusted fireplace and illuminate the room in honeyed light,

Warming you as the wood crackles and embers fly up the chimney.

You stand and light a soothing candle atop the mantle that fills the air with a perfume of eucalyptus.

The soporific natural oil blends perfectly with the sweet aromatics of burning wood.

Feeling so tired and heavy,

You drag yourself to an oversized,

Plush sofa,

The soft lighting of the fire,

And the warm colored glass lamps around the room make for an inviting time to rest.

You wrap a turquoise chenille blanket around your body and sink your head into your favorite throw pillow.

You feel safe and cozy indoors as the storm increases in intensity outside,

And you bask in the glow of the fire,

Feeling wistful and dreamy,

Feeling connected to all the people who came before you and habitually sought warmth by a fire.

You peer at the hypnotic flames and shadows that dance on the walls,

Lulling you with the same sense of serenity that you experienced watching the waves roll in.

Your heart rate slows to the lowest beats per minute it has been in some time.

You feel your body slowing as you let go.

Your eyes are so tired that your lids feel like heavy sandbags when they close shut.

You pull the velvety blanket up to your chin and snuggle.

A tingling sensation brought on by bliss and serenity radiates from the tips of your warm toes to the crown of your head,

Breathing in and breathing out,

Letting go.

Right now,

Every part of your being recognizes how wonderful it is to be right here,

To be in this relaxed body,

In this dream-like refuge that is all for you.

And as you relax further,

You let yourself go deeper and deeper within.

You examine and take note of all the space between your joints and relaxed muscles.

You feel good.

You go deeper and deeper within,

To the most important parts of you,

To the place where your very essence thrives in stillness.

You feel in alignment with the best parts of being you and being human any time in your waking life.

When you need respite,

You can return to this memory and this special experience in the beach cottage on a snowy barrier island.

In the heart of this room is where your calm exists.

The wind and snow continue their dance.

The ocean crashes against the shore.

The sea just continues to do what it does,

No matter what storm comes along.

It keeps its rhythm.

This continuity of being is something that exists within you as well,

Like the sea.

You can withstand the storms of your life and still be true to your nature and your authentic self.

You have a purpose in this life and right now your purpose is to let go.

You are doing all you need to do,

Using your inner compass to guide you.

And right now you are guided deeper and deeper down to sleep,

Towards ease,

Towards repose,

As you feel calm in the heart of the storm,

Knowing the storm will pass and that nothing lasts forever.

Finding surrender.

If anyone were to witness this moment,

Or you were to rise above and peer into the scene from the outside looking in,

You would see the relaxed face of a person who is so deeply content.

Everything about this moment is soft and comforting as you approach the snow-dusted bridge to your sleeping life.

One step at a time,

One breath at a time,

You are closer and closer to a night of deep healing sleep.

As you let go,

As you dream the dreams you are meant to dream on this island of enchantment,

Finding peace,

Finding bliss,

Finding sleep,

It's time to dream away.

Reviews

All your meditations stories are great. This story is right up there with the others.

As always, the best meditations Melbourne. I love your voice & stories. They've been helping me sleep for years now 💕

Another wonderful story that I finally got to hear completely after the third time. The ocean has always been my peaceful place and I felt such peace here. Thank you, Michelle.

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻Thank you, Michelle. Each time, I fell asleep so fast, I have no clue about the content, other than what you’re giving away in the introduction! Curious though…🙏🏻🌟😴🌟🙏🏻

Wonderful story. Almost put me to sleep. Bookmarked!

Lovely as always! I probably will listen to it another 20 times to be able to hear the whole story. Fell asleep quick and soft.

I'm amazed and grateful each time I listen to a new sleep story. Each is fresh, soooo creative and interesting, and just "full" of love and talent. You are incredibly gifted. Thank you so much. I can't even begin to imagine all that goes into the creation of each story!
Sending gratitude :)

Excellent! Love listing to your stories! Fell asleep for 6 hours then listened again as I missed most of it.