Get to sleep fast with this relaxing bedtime story for grown-ups.
You are listening to the Stars of Sardinia.
In this calm sleep story you travel to the Italian island of Sardinia surrounded by the crystal blue water of the Mediterranean Sea with coastal cliffs and sandy beaches.
DH Lawrence wrote,
This land resembles no other place.
Sardinia is something else.
Enchanting spaces and distances to travel.
Nothing finished,
Nothing definitive.
It is like freedom itself.
The ancient ruins are the birthplace of legends and myths that linger in the air as you explore one of the most geologically ancient landmasses in Europe.
In the company of travelers and locals you enjoy a storybook dinner in the forest that showcases the treasures of the island.
The stars shine brighter in Sardinia and reveal images that unlock feelings of wonder.
After a perfect day and evening you return to your villa and 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 your friend and a guide that will help you on your voyage to a night of healing sleep.
Your imagination is your superpower and you may use it to transport you to the most beautiful and fulfilling places on this earth and beyond.
You have earned the sacred time to unwind and find pleasure before you drift through the passage to your sleeping and dreaming life.
Personalize this practice to what feels best for you.
It should feel boundless and liberating.
Your needs and desires are the most important things right now.
Enjoy a brief meditation or advance to the story if you prefer and feel free to welcome sleep at any point as you may always return to listen again.
Sink deeply into the safety and comfort of your bed.
A wonderfully soothing sensation flows over your body from head to toe.
Think of how special it is to have a sanctuary where you may shut out the noise of your life and the outside world and cater to yourself.
Your heavy eyelids fall upon your tired eyes like sandbags.
Release the day with a sigh and make a sound if that feels good.
Your breath takes on the sound of the surf as you inhale through your nose and fill your belly.
It expands like the bell of a jellyfish floating in the deep sea.
Every molecule of oxygen travels throughout your bloodstream with a message that it is time to go on a holiday.
Open your mouth and yawn.
If you need to pretend to yawn you will find your yawn soon becomes genuine and signals to your body that you are ready for sleep.
And then sigh away all your cares and concerns.
They can wait for another time because this is your time.
Revel in the beauty of release.
Free of all stress,
Judgment and noise,
Inhale again and this time sip in the splendor of the present moment.
Safe and serene,
You let down your guard so your imagination may flourish and then yawn and sigh and sink into your bed.
Enjoy one more round of conscious breathing and imagine the air brings a whiff of the sea on a sunny day enhanced by helicrism,
The perfume of Sardinia,
The helicrism flowers smell sweet of honey and tea and spicy notes of curry and green hints of wood.
Your breath and this fragrance help you drift away from your room as you settle.
It's time for the story to begin.
There was once a passionate woman who spoke fondly of her childhood days spent on the beautiful island of Sardinia.
She longed to return and always did in her mind.
Sardinian dreams brought her to a simpler time where she connected to the ancient land and ran free in the breeze off the Mediterranean Sea.
Her life prevented her from returning often but her endorsements were so persuasive that even strangers would book a flight or board a ferry to the island at her suggestion.
And with her insistence you too became enchanted with the land of ancient groves,
Wild hinterlands,
Jutting coastlines and seaside villas.
The stars of Sardinia shine beyond night sky showing up all hours in the twinkling eyes of kind souls,
The magical flora,
The shimmering waves and the unexplainable magnetism of the island.
The nurturing land is home to four thousand year old olive trees that are the oldest in the world.
It is no wonder why trees would wish to endure and thrive in this paradise in the heart of the Mediterranean.
Mystery lurks in sea caves and ancient stone forts that trace back to the ancient Romans.
Fifth-generation fishermen,
Winemakers and grape growers carry on the traditions of centuries.
Removed from modern anxieties they bring fresh fish and glorious wines to the villages of Sardinia.
Artisans hand paint leather sculptures with ornate designs and women weave baskets and straw hats atop stools scattered throughout the narrow stone streets of the towns.
A sense of purpose and joy permeates the air.
The Sardinians recognize that life is meant for pleasure.
Like the olive trees,
The people of this idyllic island live longer than most people on the planet.
Lush bougainvillea flowers rain down the coarse stone walls of seaside villas and gates that scatter the limestone cliffs and rolling hills.
The white,
Magenta,
Purple,
Coral and fuchsia flowers add pops of color to a sprawling landscape of muted earth tones that meets the aquamarine waves of the sea and powdery blue sky.
You wear sandals purchased from a local shoemaker.
They are reminiscent of the gladiator footwear worn by Romans who once walked the same path you now explore.
Your light linen attire protects you from the late afternoon sun and the fabric breathes enough for you to enjoy the reprieve from the sun offered by the sea breeze.
Dried grass and granular stones crunch beneath your feet as you walk a secluded path among olive trees and hearty dark green shrubs.
A thicket of pine trees lines a cove and aromatizes the air with a sweet peppery and minty fragrance.
You reach a summit and inhale slowly,
Sipping in the pristine air like a fine wine.
The air is as pure as the water below.
You descend a stone staircase weathered by the salty air and time that leads to the powdery white sandy beach.
When viewed from certain angles,
The white sand takes on a soft peachy pink glow in the late afternoon light.
No matter how deep one ventures into the sea around Sardinia,
The water remains as clear as aquamarine glass down to the ocean floor.
The dreamy crystalline waters inspire the work of artists and poets,
Of dreamers and old souls who aim to live authentic and transparent lives with no limits to their depth.
Rock walls protect the sandy beaches.
These natural barriers give you a sense of safety as you navigate the sand.
You find a spot on the quiet beach and set your bag and towel down on the fine sand.
You slip your feet out of your sandals and remove your clothes to reveal your favorite bathing suit.
Your skin is flushed from the walk and beaming rays of sunlight and the gently lapping waves beckon to you.
You kick away the soft sand and it flies through the air like fairy dust and showers down on the land where wishes become reality.
The silky water laps against your ankles offering a tepid reprieve.
You carefully walk around the moss covered limestone rocks at the bottom of the shallow water.
A school of tiny silver fish darts through the water like aquatic apparitions.
They swim with such fervor it is as though they were never there.
The rocks of Sardinian beaches vary from pink granite to yellow and orange jagged stones that jet out of the earth like sculptures.
They offer a sense of permanence that makes you feel safe.
Sardinia is not going anywhere.
You slip beneath the gentle waves and swim out towards a rock formation on a small island away from the coast.
Sailboats stapple the calm waters with white sails fully extended against the backdrop of blue skies and sea.
As you take a deep breath and glide your arms through the water in a breaststroke you find this moment is perfect.
A sublime escape in an imperfect world.
Your senses are in tune and heightened.
You hear the sounds of the sea lapping against the shore of birds flapping overhead and the faint melody of a radio playing Italian bossa nova on a yacht where glasses clink as friends and family on holiday celebrate.
You float on your back and look at the sky awestruck and reminded of your smallness in this infinite universe.
The idea soothes you.
All problems and concerns are small compared to the magnificence around you.
You surrender like a salmon in ivory-hued seashell that rides on the tide and drifts along the clouds of white sand on the ocean floor and you become so quiet inside that you can hear your inner voice reminding you that this is why you came to this life.
To experience the world around you.
In surrendering to this peace you feel parts of yourself returning to you.
A smile forms on your lips and you taste the sweet salt water droplets.
You remember what it's like to feel good in your body.
Healthy and vibrant.
There is a dreamy softness to this moment floating on top the pure and cleansing aquamarine water You look at your fingers as they dip beneath the waves and take on an aquamarine tint.
The Mediterranean is a salt that soothes the deepest wounds and its glistening color stays with you.
Whenever you see this light shade of blue in the years to come you will remember this afternoon luxuriating in the healing sea.
The Sun lowers and a beacon of white gold light dances across the water and pours over you in a shimmering blanket of warmth.
You surf the waves towards the shoreline and rise out of the water.
You walk on the powdery sand.
It massages and exfoliates your feet.
You dry on the beach as the Sun dips beyond the horizon in a salute to the ideal day.
The revelers on the yacht continue to dance and dine and their laughter carries across the water with another bossa nova tune.
Their celebration is steeped in 1960s nostalgia when international travel flourished and new sounds were brought to Italy.
Yet throughout the island traditions have permanence and centuries old chants and folk songs echo out of the palazzos in the heart of villages.
Rock formations and the winding path to the beach are cast in tangerine light.
You dress and ascend the steps and then take the winding path to the road where your convertible is parked.
You settle into the small vehicle and drive on a road that weaves through rolling hillsides and forests on the way to your villa.
You feel so free on this ride that brings a taste of summer's bliss with wind-swept garments and susurrations from the sea breeze.
These whispers come from another time encouraging you to enjoy the peace and serenity surrounding you in agreement with your inner voice.
You round the bend towards your villa as a Sun completely disappears beyond the horizon and a new world unfolds.
Blazing magenta and orange streaks darken into a twilight sky in hues of amethyst and many blues from clear crystalline waters to sapphire skies.
Sardinia shares more shades of blue than you have ever witnessed in your life.
Passing moments may be counted by the ever-changing gradients of blue.
On the property olive trees rise out of the earth like sage old souls from fairy tales.
The mythic trunks twist and reach for the evening sky with their gnarled branches that look like fingers grasping at the hollowed Mediterranean air.
Their olives will be plucked and turned into liquid gold to be enjoyed during festive meals.
In Sardinia every meal feels festive.
The night rolls on in a series of vignettes that offer soothing experiences.
The cool terracotta tiles of the villa beneath your sand and salt-dusted feet.
The lukewarm shower water as it pours on you and a gentle breeze blows through the windows that open out onto rolling hills and seaside cliffs.
You lather yourself with homemade soap made fragrant with lemon oil procured from the abundant lemon trees and mixed with rosemary grown on the island.
The smell conjures visuals of thick clusters of lemons that dangle from lemon trees in the fields outside your villa.
Your soft sun-kissed skin glows as you rinse away the Mediterranean and prepare for a soothing dinner and a night in nature.
You dress for the evening in a tire that you would only wear in Sardinia.
You love these garments with all your heart but they seem to fit better and represent the version of who you like to be on this adventure than they would ever fit into your regular life.
You walk through the gardens on the property and along a centuries old stone wall that Bougainvillea pours down in a waterfall of blossoms.
The bright pink petals have a metallic luster from the rising moon that showers the island in opal light.
The sounds of laughter and conversation become louder as you walk a mulch path to a dinner gathering hosted by the owner of the villa you rented.
You enter a wooded area illuminated by antique lanterns strung across evergreen trees.
A long farmhouse table weathered by time and jubilant meals overflows with a feast as abundant as those depicted in oil paintings that hang in famous museums.
Tall candelabras hold dozens of candles that flicker on the summer breeze.
You feel as though you are stepping into a storybook.
Everyone looks at you with kindness and your face glows in the candlelight and radiates warmth and love in return.
You join the party and listen to the animated dialect of locals and foreign languages from other international guests like yourself.
The melodic tones of voices convey more than the lyrics of the conversations that unfold.
You communicate through shared experiences and know that words in any language are hard to come by to explain the majesty of this moment.
There is sensuality in this dining experience.
The whispers of the air on your tanned skin soothe you.
The rustling of pine needles and the distant sound of the sea accompany the persistent calls of crickets.
Strangers become family around the island treasures that have been harvested and prepared for the meal.
Bottles of olive oil glow in the moonlight.
Glistening fresh fish and herbs pile onto generations-old ceramic platters.
Tomatoes and watermelons grown in nearby gardens are juicier and more flavorful than any you have had before.
You may travel the world and think back to this time wondering if any fruit or vegetable has ever tasted and felt as fresh as those on the dining tables in Sardinia.
But then you also wonder if you are different in this Mediterranean paradise.
Free from concerns you are more perceptive of every sense and experience.
There are no distractions to keep you away from the glorious tastes and feelings in this moment.
You feel so content and satiated that you make a point to be more conscious and present to sensory experiences in your waking life.
To notice the colors,
The aromas,
And the tastes that make life worth living.
The clinking of glasses of local wine brings smiles and cheers and one toast after the next.
The children run around the table chasing after fireflies,
Mother nature's fairy lights.
Lunetta,
A small pup belonging to the Bolognese breed,
Resembles a white powder puff as she chases after the children and barks excitedly.
The air becomes cooler and a mist slowly moves in covering the forest floor like mystical white gauze.
Your tired eyes blear and at one point you imagine the presence of ancient Romans traipsing through the fog.
You wonder if your simple pleasures in Italy are the same as theirs.
A child boldly runs behind you and embraces you in a hug.
The unfettered affection surprises and pleases you.
Soon all the children tug at your arms and encourage you to join them.
Their infectious laughter echoes through the forest just as the memories of this magical night will echo through your mind and return to you when you wish to feel blissful.
The children tug your hands and lead you to a clearing on a hilltop overlooking the silhouette of olive and lemon trees and the glittering sea in the distance.
Like you they become silent and reverent by the beauty of the night.
The children spontaneously lie down and sprawl out atop the hill to look at the stars.
You follow their lead and position yourself comfortably on the pillowy grass resting your head in your clasped hands.
Lunetta makes her way around and kisses every child's face and then yours taking advantage of the moment.
She settles her tiny furry body against your legs.
The youngest boy traces the stars with his index finger as if the conductor of an orchestra.
The stars seem to burn brighter to form an outline that resembles Italy.
A young girl traces the stars next and a sailboat appears.
You indulge them and trace the stars to depict Lunetta and the children laugh when the real-life pup begins to bark.
A crescent moon hangs in the velvety midnight blue sky and to your tired eyes the moonlight falls like silver beads of mercury.
You feel somewhere between reality and a dream.
There is no past,
No future.
There is only right now.
Voices call out for the children to return home and they scamper away with Lunetta behind them.
The villa owner cries out Buonanotte as the party disperses.
You wave and say goodnight.
The remnants of the party will be cleared in the morning sun but for now everyone lazily returns home.
You linger on the dewy grass for a moment longer and look at the sky.
Feelings rise to the surface from deep within you and you make a wish on the stars.
You reconnect with the wonder you may have felt when you were younger.
When wishing on a star felt like a definitive act that could change the course of your life.
You close your eyes,
Smile and sigh and beneath your breath these words spill out.
Grazie Sardinia.
Thank you.
You walk back to the villa through a rosemary field that has a relaxing effect with its aroma that is like pinewood and eucalyptus.
You return to the villa illuminated by gas lanterns in cast iron sconces.
The flames cast the stone walls in amber light.
For some unknown reason you place your hand on the granular stone and feel its cool coarse texture beneath your palm.
You feel transported to another time.
The stones share their story in a wave of peaceful energy that flows through your arm to the rest of your body.
You savor this moment,
This portal.
Sleepiness washes over you and you open the heavy wooden door into the charming villa with stone walls and dark brown exposed wooden beams that hang across the ceiling.
The shutters and windows open out into the night and from each room you may see the starry sky and Mediterranean.
You enter the master suite and prepare for bed in the soft light of the moon.
The four-poster bed is made of home oak that once grew on the island.
You peel back the quilted bedspread and the smell of the freshly laundered bedding dried in the Sun.
Smells of an Italian summer.
You go beneath the crisp sateen sheets that feel cool against your skin but still retains the heat from a day in the Sun.
The night breeze comes in from the windows and kisses your face to offer a similar reprieve as your head sinks into the plush pillow.
The contrast is a loving reminder of the simple luxuries that make Sardinia and Island that feels rich for everyone.
Your mind wanders towards sleep.
The pleasures of this perfect day are like a sparkling patchwork cloak around you.
These new experiences protect you and your mind.
They validate that the world is a kind and magical place.
The many stars of Sardinia now reside and shine within you.
You close your eyes and begin to drift.
Sinking deeper and deeper down into a state of comfort so serene and enjoyable.
You wish every day and night could be this splendorous.
You inhale the sweet night air and sigh.
Comforted by the nocturnal sounds of this Italian paradise floating again as you once did in the Mediterranean.
This time across the bridge between your waking and sleeping life.
Knowing that Sardinia is always there for you,
Ready to welcome you as though you had never left.
This thought brings you peace as you surrender to deep rest and remember the lady who told you to come to Sardinia and center your gratitude.
It lived beyond all expectation and helps you to let go to sleep.
Finding bliss,
Finding peace,
Finding respite,
Finding sleep.
It's time to dream away.
Good night.
