May you find the best sleep and sweetest of dreams in this guided sleep meditation and bedtime story for grownups that will take you on a magical escape in the peak of fall's splendor.
With temperatures that inspire you to cuddle up in your favorite sweater and with crisp air that tingles your nose and feels cleansing to inhale,
You may find your body is electrified in bliss as you get cozy for the night.
You are listening to the changing leaves and in this story you may be transported to a forest as colorful leaves fall all around you and you find yourself at a cottage by the stream.
As the leaves fall upon the stream,
They spell out positive messages and reveal memories that bring you happiness and peace.
It's time to dream away.
I'd like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and as you are listening,
You may think of me as your friend and ally.
I am here just for you,
To let you know that you matter and your relaxation is of the utmost importance right now.
You deserve sleep and you deserve to conjure the most soothing of experiences to help you transition from your waking life to the dreamscapes that wait deep in the night.
And at any point you may let go of my voice and drift to sleep as this adventure is yours to choose.
In the safety of your bed,
Take in a deep breath and imagine that you are inhaling the crisp late day air of a mountain trail in autumn.
As you exhale,
You visualize your breath is like a hazy luminous stream that causes the leaves on the trees to begin to fall around you.
And you inhale again and you smell the sweet wet earth scented by decaying leaves.
The smell blends with a hint of burning wood in a wood stove as a trail of smoke wafts through the trees weaving in and around them like purple black ribbons.
This smoke trail leads to your cottage.
You exhale as you step on the trail,
Feeling as your comfortable shoes press into the earth's surface.
You look up towards the dark blue sky that is barely visible through the kaleidoscope of fall leaves in jewel tones of topaz and ruby and vibrant shades of canary yellow and chartreuse.
A slight nip is in the air,
Causing your scalp and face to tingle while the rest of your body is warmly bundled in an oversized sweater that is well worn from years of washing and wearing.
The same is true for the soft denim you wear and the plush socks that keep your feet warm and protected.
In your hand is a metal thermos that contains your favorite warm beverage.
Perhaps it is seasonal like a mulled cider or pumpkin coffee or hot cocoa or autumnal tea.
You remove the cap,
Feeling as the steam hits your face and the comforting fragrance wafts through the forest around you.
You take a sip,
Feeling as the smooth elixir travels down your throat,
Soothing you and warming you.
It takes you to memories of comfort and warmth,
Bundled in doors near a radiator or furnace or fireplace.
The patches of fall colors start slowly at first.
A leaf or two or a cluster here and there are beginning to go magenta and gold and orange while the rest of the leaves retain their green.
And if you think for a moment in your own life,
It is the little changes,
One at a time,
That prepare you and guide you towards major shifts.
They need not happen all at once.
Just one leaf at a time.
Slowly and gracefully surrendering to the seasons of change that come many times in a lifetime,
Much like fall.
And you look to these tall trees surrounding you like a fortress to see dark gray clouds roll in.
Non-threatening,
They float through the sky as it becomes monotone and murky.
The grays and neutral tones of the sky offer the perfect contrast to the vibrant colors that surround you.
And like watching a video in time lapse,
The green leaves begin to change before you like a chameleon.
Instantly fading from green to shades of yellow or brightening to reds and oranges until all the green in the leaves has switched over to fall's pallet.
A leaf or two floats down,
Down,
Towards the mulch path of the forest as a brown rabbit hops in front of you.
The anticipation of what is to come radiates through the forest,
Causing a wave of goosebumps to form on your body,
In part by the cool air and in part by the excitement this changing season inspires.
You walk deeper into the woods as all the trees are in their peak vibrance and awe-inspiring.
The clusters of leaves are like colorful dandelion puffs atop slender,
Tall,
Dark trunks.
You run your hand along the texture of a tree trunk,
Feeling its rough and cool bark.
You feel the strength of the tree,
Visualizing the roots so deeply embedded in the damp earth below you.
The tree lets go of its leaves so it may survive the winter ahead.
Like this tree,
You can feel your own internal strength,
And you may recognize times in your life that you must let go of things in order to thrive.
Your attention turns to the plume of smoke in the distance that now,
Like a black boa scarf,
Weaves through the tips of the trees.
The tangerine orb of a sun looks metallic,
Like pearly molten lava.
It is bright against a silhouette of purple mountains in the distance.
You take a moment and admire the myriad of colors,
The cool gray tones of the sky,
The warm saturated rays of sunlight that cast the forest in a honey glow.
The palette is like an overlap of the warmest of colors and the coolest of tones.
In the same way,
Fall is an overlap of summer's warmth and the impending winter's chill.
You stand in the in-between of two extremes in the delicate balance of fall.
As you walk further along,
The smell of burning wood wafts around you like a blanket of comfort.
You take another sip of your warm beverage as its sweet aroma is also met with the metallic smell of a babbling brook and the rich,
Damp bed beneath it.
You can hear the soft flow of water over stones,
Trickling gently.
And you follow the sound until you come to a clearing.
And there you find your rustic cottage awaiting you.
The gray stone cottage is also covered in the warm fall sunlight.
It is nestled among evergreen trees towards the back of the clearing and it looks out onto the brook.
You walk towards the brook to find an Adirondack style wooden chair that is hand crafted.
It is close to the silvery blue clean waters that run over the ebony and slate blue stones.
You walk towards the fresh water and dip your fingers into it,
Feeling the cool sensation as you wash off your face.
You are instantly refreshed as you lick the droplets of water on your lips that remind you of the taste of a cool metal spoon licked clean of ice cream.
You go to the wooden chair and sit close enough to the stream that you could dip in a toe if you desired.
You feel the curve of the chair's back that is contoured to perfectly fit the curve of your back.
You nestle your neck against the pine wood and angle your face towards the setting sun.
It appears as if the last light of the day is cutting through the forest like sparkles dancing around you like fireflies.
A maple tree with vibrant red leaves is nearest to you and as one of its broad leaves falls,
Dancing on the cool air,
It glides towards the rippled water,
Made golden by day's last light.
Your focus becomes dreamy as you are entranced by this leaf's gradual and graceful fall.
And when it lands on a wave,
The sparkling light on the water spells the word dream.
And in this moment you imagine your own dream yet to come true.
You look at the water's surface to watch it unfold like a shimmering watercolor painting come to life.
You see yourself reflecting back,
Happy and fulfilled as your dream is coming true.
Perhaps this is a dream you have held for a long time.
Or perhaps this is a dream you have forgotten.
But as you bask in the warm glow of the sun,
As the nip of fall hits your face,
You smile and feel electric energy travel across your skin.
This dream you watch play out may have many components to it,
Or it may only have one vision you have held for yourself.
Whatever this dream encapsulates,
You take this moment to enjoy the feeling of having a dream that is just yours.
It does not matter what anyone else thinks or what anyone else may say,
Because you deserve to nourish and cultivate this vision as you desire in this magical forest that is here just for you to enjoy.
You inhale the fragrant fall air as the sun makes its gradual descent towards the horizon.
You look at the bright yellow leaves of a river birch tree as one leaf slips away from a skinny branch and floats down towards the water.
Like the maple leaf it lands and the ripples of sparkling water form the word imagine.
The letters glow on the brook as if set ablaze with stage lights.
And suddenly you imagine a scene on the water of what your life could look like.
Imagine what the future holds.
All the possibilities within reach and all the doors that can open to what you desire and seek.
You close your eyes and take in a deep breath,
Feeling relaxed in your entire body.
Your muscles melt,
Your body feels heavy and your mind is at ease.
And when you open your eyes,
You see leaves falling all around you as if you were in the middle of a snow globe.
But instead of snow,
Leaves are falling all around in a synchronized dance.
It sounds like delicate wings of a butterfly flapping as more leaves than you could count are making their way towards the stream and landing on the clearing in a soft patter.
The gentle autumn wind begins to blow as the sun disappears and the glow of twilight illuminates the sky above.
You are surrounded by leaves as colorful as a stained glass window in shades of mahogany and gold and banana yellow and magenta and fiery red and plum and bright orange.
They fall all around you.
You are in the center of fall's rainbow as you listen to the rustling and inhale the honeyed aroma of leaves and decay.
And every leaf suddenly comes aglow.
Like a mini TV screen upon which your most precious memories play out,
You reach out and touch a leaf,
Feeling its jagged edges as they cause your hand to glow and a wave of warmth to travel up your arm to your entire body.
Your skin now twinkling as if covered in stardust.
On the leaf you see a memory of your favorite person in this life and one of your favorite memories with this loved one.
Another leaf falls and you see a memory of a celebration.
You see yourself full of joy.
Another leaf displays a favorite vacation.
Another shows you a loving embrace when you needed it the most.
Another leaf shows your best childhood friend.
When you are still and look to all the colorful leaves around you,
There are dozens of great memories illuminated on them as they are sparkling and twinkling.
And you are in the heart of your own life story.
Even in a season of letting go,
You retain the best of your experiences in life that have led you to this moment in time.
The air is getting chillier and fewer leaves begin to fall as the ground is now coated in an array of colors that shine in the silvery blue light of the moon that has now come out.
A fog moves in slowly like a sheer gray silk scarf,
Wafting and weaving through the silhouette of the trees and hovering over the gurgling waters of the stream.
Your eyes taking your thermos and feel ready to seek the comforts of the cottage.
Your shoes land on the damp leaves and the leaves curl around your shoes like gift wrap as you walk towards the entrance to the cottage.
You feel strangely released from gravity as each foot raises and you glide across the clearing to the stairs that lead to your cozy dwelling.
You ascend the stone steps to the porch that is mottled with fallen leaves as well.
You approach the front door and open it as you are instantly met with the dry warm air of the living area.
The room is dim but for the amber glow of the cast iron wood stove that illuminates the angular ceilings and exposed wooden beams overhead.
There is an over-stuffed velvet sofa near the wood stove in your favorite color with chenille throes in a myriad of jewel tones that remind you of the leaves outside.
You remove your shoes and slip your feet into a pair of fleecy slippers that feel like walking on clouds as you gracefully lead yourself towards the sofa.
The cottage is adorned with fall decorum.
A cinnamon broom made of pine sticks hangs from the wooden beams and the smell marries the fragrance of burning oak in the wood stove.
A bowl of apples rests on a handmade coffee table made of local reclaimed wood.
You place your thermos on the table,
Running your hand along its smooth ridge surface and it reminds you of tree trunks in the forest.
You sink into the sofa,
Listening as the wind blows leaves across the front porch and rustles the remaining leaves in the trees,
Letting them break away and giving them the freedom to take flight.
The sound of the wood popping and crackling in the stove adds an impromptu percussive sound.
You wrap yourself in a soft,
Recently washed throw that smells of clean laundry.
You feel each velvety knitted thread as you wrap it around you and bundle yourself tightly.
You peer out the four-pane window of the cottage to see the leaves falling in what will be the busiest night for the shedding trees.
Tomorrow the clearing will be a bed of leaves,
Perfect for your inner child wishing to dive in the piles.
You close your eyes,
Feeling warm and content,
And listen to the wind,
Softly whipping around the house,
Just the same as it has for centuries.
And the stone cottage remains intact and strong and a safe haven.
You take in a deep breath and exhale and imagine that you are floating on an oversized leaf.
In this dreamy landscape between wakefulness and slumber,
You surrender to the sensation of floating,
And this grand leaf falls from the highest point of the tree as you ride it down towards the earth,
Watching the sky disappear behind the silhouette of branches.
The leaf drifts towards the stream and lands on it,
And you ride the leaf as if it is a raft.
You lie on your back,
Looking to see the stars that peek out between the branches,
Covered in grey clouds.
You float along,
There is nothing but this moment.
The stream carries you through the woods,
And you glide on the leaf over smooth rocks.
The stream cuts through the fog that is an ethereal white veil,
Mystical and dreamlike.
It conjures memories of dreams you have had before.
There is a sense of deja vu,
And every now and then you have the awareness that you are safely bundled on the velvet sofa as the sounds of the wood stove bring you back to that moment.
But you float and drift between these two worlds.
The safety of the cottage offers you a sanctuary and safe place to continue on this imaginative sojourn down the stream and through the woods.
You feel as light as a feather,
As light as a maple leaf.
There is no yesterday,
There is no tomorrow.
There is only this blissful overlap of worlds,
Melting together like different colors of chalk on a sidewalk drawing left out in the rain.
You focus on the colors of the leaves,
And how they are changing follows a pattern every year with consistency.
So when the world feels uncertain,
When times are in flux and your life feels out of control,
Mother Nature's hand is at play.
The seasons always change,
And you may always rely on false splendor.
You feel yourself floating downstream,
Entering into your own dreamscape as you surrender to the calling of sleep,
Letting go,
Drifting deeper and deeper down,
Existing in so many places of deep comfort and relaxation all at once.
Your relaxation comes in layers,
Dreams built upon dreams,
Nestled in a cottage,
Floating on a leaf,
Comfortable in your bed at home.
And I am going to count you down towards sleep.
Your healing blissful oasis.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Finding peace.
Finding yourself.
Finding stillness.
Finding slumber.
It's time to dream away.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
It's time to wake up.
