Hello and welcome to Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and you are listening to A Summer's Night Atop the Trees,
A hypnotic story and guided meditation that is best enjoyed when you have a time you can be alone,
Safely rest and before you go to sleep.
As always,
This may be best experienced while listening with headphones.
This visualization will take you on a magical summer's journey along a babbling brook in the woods,
Guiding you to the safe and cozy confines of an enchanted treehouse of your own design.
So bunker down and cuddle up as you find yourself open to the expansive possibilities of the mind and of your own sense memory.
As you lie down,
You find yourself feeling heavy and relaxed,
With a bed supporting you below and a blanket or covers containing you as you snuggle and release tensions from the day,
Slowing down your breath and giving yourself the time you so very much deserve as you connect to the present moment,
Right now.
Knowing that when you hear the words,
Right now,
You have no other choice but to drift to a deeper state of relaxation as you notice how your contentment becomes magnified.
You may allow all your air to escape your lungs as you sigh it out.
Doesn't it feel good to sigh and just release and let go,
No longer answering to anything but your own whims and desires right now.
You may even let that sigh turn into a great big yawn.
This is your special time and you are permitted to do whatever you need to do to ease into this state of relaxation and to set the tone,
Embracing the state of ease and awareness of your present state.
Let's take a few breaths together,
Empty out your air and breathing in and breathing out and breathing in and breathing out.
And each time,
See if you can just go a little deeper,
Letting the soothing night air go to the deepest part of your belly as your abdomen expands and your ribs rise to the tips of your collarbones before you release and exhale.
Because all that tension and contraction is very much okay,
Our muscles and body rely on being tense and then releasing.
But sometimes through habits of stress or when we stop paying attention to our bodies,
The tension accumulates in hidden places.
But right now,
You can clear out that tension,
Finding it in the hidden attics and compartments of the body.
You may envision a lock or maybe a few locks placed wherever you find yourself holding tension or stress.
And you may feel the cool metal smoothness of a large key in the palm of your hand.
Taking this key to each and every lock that is on your body and listening as you insert the key and unlock the tension.
Opening yourself.
Being so open as the tension escapes into the night,
Leaving you to feel at ease and at peace,
Unlocking all that you have been holding and opening you to the healing powers of this meditative adventure.
And this tension is now floating away from your body like a glittery stream of energy going out towards a starry night sky and disappearing into a place where all things that are no longer needed may go.
As you are continuing to breathe in and out,
Visualize if you will that you are walking deep in the forest on a summer's eve.
The sun has set.
The air is becoming damp and cool.
And the forest surrounding you is aglow from the bright moon above,
With hues of deep purples and greens of the forest and fauna surrounding you.
And you are barefoot as you walk along a babbling brook,
Occasionally feeling the gentle splashes of cool fresh water that reach your toes,
Inhaling the night air,
Smelling of cedar,
With the slightest hint of a rainstorm in the midst.
You continue to walk along the wet,
Smooth stones that border the stream.
And your feet feel the solidness of them below you,
Reminding you of how stable and constant the earth below you is.
On this night walk,
The fireflies have come out to play,
Dancing around you with their delicate glow,
With such beauty you feel as though you are in a globe,
Like a snow globe,
But in lieu of snowflakes you are surrounded by glittering light.
And it feels magical and surreal,
Causing you to make note of how magical the most simple and natural of experiences can be,
As you vow to make more effort in connecting to this in your daily waking life.
You continue on,
The lightweight cotton attire you wear is flowing in the summer's breeze,
Feeling as though you could float along the path you follow beside the stream,
Feeling jubilant and light,
Without a single care or concern beyond treasuring this experience.
Your vision,
Like a camera lens,
Capturing and taking in the silhouette of the tall,
Blooming trees around you that contrast the starry night sky.
You notice the dark clouds coming in,
Deep hues of charcoal gray and amethyst as they roll along the glittering stars,
And you feel your mind drifting to this ethereal dreamlike state,
Feeling a gentle wind that electrifies your skin from head to toe.
In the near distance,
You see your forest home aglow and set atop a tall sequoia tree.
You continue along the stream as you approach a moon bridge which gleams in hues of silver and gray.
You continue to walk along the high arc of this footbridge,
Knowing you are getting closer to your treehouse,
Easing closer as you inhale and exhale,
Feeling very tired and very relaxed.
And this bridge leads you higher and higher,
Connecting to the grand entryway of your charmed treehouse.
And this home is designed with your love and imagination,
As grand and unique and timeless as the sequoia that supports it.
You step into the foyer of this open air home with open windows on every side,
Feeling the gentle breeze as the comforting smells of eucalyptus and lemongrass waft towards you.
Through the skylights above,
You see the swaying shadows of branches that create a game of hide and seek with the moon and stars and clouds above.
The room glows as if you were safely inhabiting the orange and golden embers of a summer campfire.
Beyond the glow of the orange and yellow lanterns that rest in each window are the colorful kaleidoscope of mason jar lanterns that hang from the lofted ceiling above in hues of sapphire and ruby and amethyst and emerald.
And these colorful lights reflect rainbows on the glistening redwood ceiling.
And in the center of the room is a rustic wood stove that begins to light up and burn as you enter the room as if to welcome you.
And the gentle breeze blows through,
The tree home gently swaying,
Feeling as though you are softly rocking in a sailboat out at sea.
You feel yourself feeling very tired.
Your eyelids heavy and resisting closing as you take in the beauty and safety of this lofty inspired space.
And you walk as if floating across the glossy redwood floor towards your bed.
The bed,
Like your home,
Is inspired by the nature that surrounds you.
Like an oversized cumulus cloud,
It is plush and soft and waiting for your tired and heavy body to lie down.
And at the end of this bed is a soft,
Cool,
Cotton night shirt that you ease yourself into taking in the clean fragrance of lavender with its intoxicating and soporific powers helping you come down from the day,
Falling heavily into this bed.
And one by one,
Almost intuitively,
The lights above begin to dim,
Slowly darkening the room so that just the orange glow of the wood stove allows shadows to dance around the room.
The wind continues to blow,
Gently rocking you in your bed as if you are in a cradle,
Swaying a little as you go.
Right now.
The rustling of the leaves is met with the sound of a gentle summer's rain that begins to fall,
Making the air cooler and fragrant,
A clean rain.
And the night feels like a dream or a fairy tale you once were told as a small child,
Spectacular and comforting,
Resonating deeply with dreams you have had before.
And one last time,
Through your heavy and tired eyes,
You just take in the beauty of your treehouse,
Imagining how lovely it will be to awaken in the morning when the sunlight streams through the windows and branches and when the birds greet you with a morning song.
But right now,
You are ready for slumber,
For the deep healing sleep that comes from a fulfilling day,
And you feel so loved and welcome in the space,
Communing with the beauty of nature and the beauty you have created in this majestic home.
You feel the tranquility of the moment,
Closing your eyes as the heaviness of your lids is winning over any desire to stay awake,
Drifting and drifting,
The soft rain lulling you to sleep,
The sweet healing dreams that await are beckoning you.
And as you close your eyes,
Memories of joy come flooding to you,
Feeling a warm,
Tingling sensation all over,
Feeling so heavy,
Feeling so relaxed,
So in tune with the sacred time that is just for you,
Cuddling under the weight of the quilt atop your bed,
Still,
At peace,
And full of gratitude,
Knowing that any time you may bring yourself to this place,
This Neverland of sorts that is just for you,
And how good it feels to have something existing just for you,
Solely existing to provide you with a nurturing comfort and sanctuary,
Only for you.
Feeling happy and warm,
The fire continues to burn,
And inside you feel a warm orb warming your torso and all your inner organs as you inhale and exhale,
Serene and grateful,
Plugged into the moment,
And feeling all the muscles in your body tired from being used to their greatest capacity today,
Now they may rest,
And you may rest,
Breathing in and breathing out.
You are free to drift,
Drift further and further away to a dreamy world,
Shadows dancing around you,
From the fire that burns brightly,
Beautiful and serene,
High atop the trees,
In your beautiful refuge,
A place where even your waking reality is like an intoxicating dream,
And you are floating deeper and deeper down,
Drifting away,
Closer to sleep,
As you inhale and exhale,
Finding surrender,
And if anyone were to witness this moment,
Or you were to rise above and appear into the scene from the outside looking in,
You would see the soft sleeping face of a person who is so very happy and relaxed,
So safe and snuggled into a beautiful place,
A respite,
And you will fall into a sleep with dreams that are harmonious with the natural beauty that surrounds you,
The air offering a freshness that purifies you within as you inhale and exhale deeply,
Finding sleep,
And it makes all of right now easy to let go,
Because you can let go and relax,
You can drift asleep,
And do all that you need to do to heal and recover from the day,
And still have the great fortune of a new day,
With more adventures waiting for you as you let go right now,
Drifting down,
Down,
Down,
Letting your consciousness drift away with the summery night winds into the night,
Traveling,
Finding rest and ease,
Finding enchantment.
I am going to count you down to this place of restorative and beautiful dream filled sleep,
And with each number going down,
You have no choice but to go deeper and deeper into yourself and into relaxation.
10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Finding release,
Finding peace,
Finding sleep.
Good night.
