The Woodland Fairies | Bedtime Story To Fall Asleep Fast

Use your imagination to self-soothe before bedtime with this guided sleep meditation and modern-day fairy tale. Journey to the mystical woods where you meet four fairies who connect you with the elements of earth, air, water, and fire. You float in a lagoon beneath a hidden waterfall. At night’s end you find respite in a cabin castle in the heart of the forest and fall asleep. Open your heart and mind to a night of fantasy and magical adventures. It’s time to dream away.

Transcript

In tonight's Sleep Story for Grown Ups,

Fall asleep fast with a beguiling mental vacation.

You are listening to The Woodland Fairies,

A guided sleep meditation and bedtime story set in a temperate rainforest full of magic.

W.

B.

Yates,

In the land of heart's desire penned.

Some fairies take me out of this dull world,

For I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.

On this enchanted escape,

You visit with the four fairies of air,

Earth,

Water,

And fire.

They lead you to a cabin castle in the heart of the woods where you fall into a deep sleep.

So cuddle up and prepare for a sleepy adventure.

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 mystical guide who will connect you with a childlike innocence and creativity that exists deep within you.

Imagine my voice as the key that will unlock a treasure chest of discoveries and bliss before you fall asleep.

There is no better time to imagine a world of whimsy and hope.

Customize this experience and story in a way that makes you feel safe,

Loved,

And nurtured.

You know your needs better than anyone,

So trust the feelings in your body that come up and shift your thoughts as we proceed to make this the best experience for you.

Your needs matter most right now.

You may skip ahead to the story or enjoy the following meditation to set the tone for this voyage.

Bring your attention to your breath.

With the power of breath,

You make your own magic.

Exhale in a dramatic sigh and release everything that is on your mind.

Release any tension in your body.

Make a sound to let your inner and outer world know that you are ready to stand down and surrender to peace.

Because all else can wait.

Then inhale fresh air through your nose.

Pretend the molecules of oxygen begin to sparkle as the air travels down the back of your throat.

Your deep belly,

Diaphragm,

And chest expand.

Each molecule travels throughout your body with a message of hope and change.

Open your mouth and yawn and let out another delicious sigh.

With your next inhalation,

You welcome more sparkling oxygen.

You savor the recalibration that comes with this breath.

You become present,

Grateful,

And open to new possibilities.

Yawn and sigh and indicate to your body that you can lay down all your defenses.

Feel cherished and free to luxuriate in the serene good feelings that come with relaxing at bedtime.

Enjoy one more round of conscious breathing at your pace.

This time visualize that you are surrounded by a protective illuminated bubble that is in a color you find soothing.

It reminds you that you are protected in the sanctuary of your room and body.

And with this protection comes the freedom to explore,

Imagine,

And feel rooted in the safety of yourself.

As you exhale and your breath returns to normal,

You feel even more relaxed than a moment ago.

In this state of comfort,

It is time for the story to begin.

The peculiar thing about people who consider the make-believe to be silly is that they seem to have forgotten that everything in their mundane routines was made up by somebody at some point.

For thousands of years,

Society has been far more accepting of those who partake in made-up endeavors that chip away at joy and center around toil.

But what about the make-believe that inspires fun and lightheartedness?

What about the make-believe that feels good and inspires you to imagine better?

Deep in a temperate rainforest are sacred woodlands that embrace the make-believe that brings peace,

Harmony,

And enchantment.

For too long humankind has carried the weight of the not-so-fun made-up rules.

There was a time long ago when the fairies roamed the rocky coast and were close with humans who befriended them.

But the acceptance and even belief in fairies began to wane when tiny villages drafted new laws and cared more about the material world than mother nature and the ethereal.

As though the fairies retreated to a hidden forest that was invisible to all those who did not believe in them.

They wanted nothing to do with this new world and found pleasure among the mist,

Their cherished trees,

The mossy forest floor,

And the diverse fauna of the woods who never stopped believing in them.

A few times a century,

A believer or two would discover the protected woodlands and the fairies would rejoice at the chance to engage with humankind again.

They never grew tired of waiting,

But it was a delightful surprise when the right soul showed up on the mulch path to their haven.

Their wisdom was meant to be shared.

They reminded the rare visitor of their inner child and that humans belonged to the earth rather than the other way around.

The fairies reconnected these curious souls with the purity and love without bounds witnessed only in children and domesticated animals.

In the middle of the last century,

Two young lovers cast themselves away from life in a modern city.

They preferred to marry each other and marry the woods rather than the rules of society,

Even if it meant giving up comforts.

At the time,

Acquaintances and family mocked their aspirations.

It was silly for someone to go off the grid when so much time and effort throughout history had led to this modern time of friendly cul-de-sacs and copycat suburbs.

But what felt like wealth and prosperity to others left the young lovers more and more disenchanted.

City life and modern careers riddled them with anxiety.

They spent their days dreaming about a cottage in the woods.

One night the couple had the very same dream in which they were very happy and prosperous in the middle of the woodland and visited by four fairies.

In the dream they were given a map of the secret forest.

The reverie ended with a loving whisper from a fairy in a gossamer blue dress.

You will live a wonderful life here if you dare to believe.

And believe they did.

The very next day they said goodbye to their old life and with open hearts said hello to their dream life.

The fairies helped them harness the four elements of water,

Wind,

Fire and earth to become comfortable living off the land while respecting nature.

They learned how to make forest glass out of wood ash and sand and they salvaged old trees to create a cabin castle deep in the woods.

They lived for many decades in the mystical splendor,

Never worried about modern concerns.

Another nature gave them all they needed to survive and more joy than even their dreams had envisioned.

And after a wonderful life together,

One afternoon they fell asleep in a clearing where they had a picnic every summer and never woke up.

The fairies tended to their burial and a luscious garden of wildflowers sprouted as a marker the following spring.

The fairies took care of the beautiful cabin castle and with the blessing of the lovers before they passed,

They visited the dreams of believers in need of an escape to the healing woods.

The cabin castle became a refuge for dreamers who believed.

You can't remember the first dream of the fairies,

But you know that there were many that you brushed off in your adult life.

You had awakened convinced they were the lingering impressions of a cartoon you watched as a small child or a fairy tale read to you by a librarian or loved one.

When the fairies persisted in appearing,

You realized this was something much more than a long lost memory.

This was something quite real and on this night you feel more ready than you ever have to meet the fairies.

With this thought a portal appears in your room and begins to glow.

It pops up in a place where children often believe there is a door to another land.

Perhaps a closet or an opening in the ceiling into an attic.

Perhaps it appears beneath the bed or behind a piece of furniture.

But wherever it is,

It's exactly where you would expect it to be.

The portal glows in the kaleidoscope of colors and you cannot resist its pull.

You rise out of bed and drift across your bedroom to enter the sparkling portal and join the fairies in the woodlands.

You float into a new dimension as light as a feather.

You travel through a starry sky over a glistening sea and the beaming lights of a city and then suburbs.

The stars sparkle in the velvety purple-black sky but do not provide enough light to illuminate the woods nor does the new moon.

As you drift over the sacred woods,

Aura the fairy of air appears with perfect timing beside you.

The sheer layers of her skirt glow.

The tiny threads made of bioluminescent silk.

Her beguiling gray eyes have sparkling flecks of yellow that flash with joy as she takes your hand.

She dashes through the night air to give an aerial tour of the secret woods.

Her wings are almost invisible,

Like those of glass-winged butterflies and like the air she represents.

Yet every now and then,

The iridescent wings reflect a pearly yellow light.

With a slight of her hand,

You see the faint silvery blue outline of the protective dome that surrounds the fairy forest.

You fly through the dome and are welcomed by the nocturnal sounds of crickets,

Tree frogs and owls.

Ramakrishna said,

The breeze of grace is always blowing.

Set your sail to catch that breeze.

You feel grace when you lock hands with a fairy of air,

But it becomes clear she wishes for you to learn how to fly on your own.

Aura lets go of your hand,

And at first you are afraid of gravity.

Its pull is strong and you find yourself falling fast towards the forest.

You reach back for her tiny graceful hand and she shakes her head no as her face mischievously beams in a smile.

Fairy pantomimes for you to take in a deep breath during this moment of uncertainty.

And you do.

You connect with the element of air and take the biggest breath you have taken in years.

Your belly fills with so much air it appears as round as it does after a holiday meal and celebratory night.

When you exhale,

You feel so free that you begin to laugh.

This levity causes you to soar and fly higher through the air with ease.

No wings are needed.

Aura claps and laughs.

You are a quick learner and it has been so long since she last had a student so eager and open.

Aura flies through the canopy of lush branches and makes playful and unexpected turns around cedar and pine trees.

The misty air carries their mentholated notes of pine pitch and sweet bark.

The smell lingers as the mist creates a cool,

Nearly invisible layer on your body.

It is the first time you realize your attire has changed.

You are breathable cotton fabrics that raise your awareness of the air and night wind.

The balmy air caresses your skin and supports you as you follow behind the fairy.

Atop the sturdy branches,

You discover a village of tiny tree houses connected by rope bridges illuminated by tiny lights.

These are the homes of the fairies.

The dwellings remind you of imaginative cuckoo clocks and wooden chalets in the German Alps.

The homes are much too small for you to occupy,

But you imagine exploring them like a hummingbird,

Fluttering through the towers and levels that rise like a dollhouse that wraps around the trees.

Aura's wings stop fluttering and she gracefully clasps her hands behind her head and floats towards the earth like a falling leaf.

You do the same,

Gracefully drifting down,

Down,

Down.

You waft between fireflies that light up the night in pops of neon yellow.

Aura waves her fingers and the wind changes direction.

The fireflies playfully dance along.

She inspires a lightness of being and freedom from heavy tasks and responsibilities.

The more joyful you become,

The lighter you feel in what becomes a delightfully soothing experience.

You and Aura land in tandem on the feathery fronds of a rich green fern that catches you both.

You slide down the fern to land on the blue-green mossy carpet of the forest floor.

The fireflies light up the silver mist that hovers over the damp earth.

They part ways as Hyacinth,

The earth fairy,

Prances between them.

Her tiny bare feet bounce off the moss.

The layers of silk that make her skirt are assembled like the petals of a wildflower,

Representing all the abundant colors that the Hyacinth comes in.

Her wings are a sparkling shade of green and they retract as she approaches.

She gestures for you to follow and you walk deeper into the woodlands as Aura flies atop the canopy to rejoin the night birds.

Everything touched by Hyacinth's hand begins to sparkle in fairy dust that illuminates the darkness as you walk among trees.

Spotted orange-red mushrooms sprout out of the earth when she passes.

Worms open up in the shadows of white birch trees and the sweet smell of the earth and exotic aromas of the flora have never been more intoxicating.

The widest,

Oldest tree in the woodlands grows in a clearing that Hyacinth leads you to.

Waves and glowworms create a magical spectacle around the sacred tree.

A pair of grey-brown rabbits dash across the clearing.

The Sharju's eyes of an owl perched in the tree glow in the dark as it softly hoots.

Hyacinth is a fairy of all earthly pleasures and things.

In her presence you appreciate the bodies of all lives in the forest,

Of all animals and plants.

She is mothering and generous and her tiny hand graces your back as she pushes you towards the ancient tree.

You are drawn to this tree in the same way you are drawn to being secure and rooted in your life.

Deeply connected with your inner self,

You intuit that this tree has healing powers.

Your bare feet land on the mossy forest floor in slow motion and the feeling of gravity is soothingly exaggerated.

This time you do not fear gravity.

It reminds you that the earth is your home.

Your feet balance between the gnarled roots that pop out of the damp soil and your heart faces the tree.

You look up to its highest branches and rich leaves that create a canopy that blocks out the stars.

Hyacinth joins you and with the liveliness of a small child hugging a puppy,

She wraps her tiny arms around all the bark they may contain.

She rests her cheek against the tree and smiles.

She wants you to do the same,

But you feel silly at first.

You come from a place where tree huggers are mocked.

Being silly,

Feeling good,

And connecting with nature all surpass the feelings one experiences when being critical and judgmental.

You want to feel good.

You want to feel connected.

You no longer care what anyone thinks,

Including yourself.

You are a sentient being and Hyacinth reminds you of this.

You embrace the ancient tree and feel her story.

You feel rooted and grounded in the earth,

While recognizing a sense of adaptability and flexibility.

Her limbs and branches always knew when to surrender and give way to the wind.

The tree's innate wisdom was to adapt,

To reach for the sky while remaining firmly grounded.

This balance brings you peace.

Hyacinth whispers,

Love each tree,

Each plant,

Each animal,

And you will feel love.

Picture what nurtures you,

My dear,

And the cycle will last a lifetime.

She presses her forehead against the bark and smiles,

Saying words to the tree that you do not hear,

But even unheard,

You understand their intention.

You thank the tree,

You thank the earth,

For continuing to thrive,

To provide,

And to exist,

Even when you are not paying attention.

Hyacinth begins to glow,

With her energy restored,

A vibrant sparkling halo forms around her.

She parades down a winding path,

And the animals of the forest come out to watch.

Raccoons and foxes nesting in tree hollows,

Pair out to watch her glittery show.

Squirrels and chipmunks watch from high branches.

A family of deer rest in a den and walk to the perimeter of the path to see her.

A coyote howls in the distance,

Adding a song to the parade.

Dragonflies flutter around you.

Their purple,

Green,

And blue iridescent wings hypnotically reflect light in the shadows.

The forest offers a beautiful harmony of lightness and darkness.

Your most beloved woodland creatures come out to enjoy the blessings of a new moon,

Which brings promise for new beginnings as you parade behind Hyacinth.

You think of the things you wish to manifest in your life.

These yearnings open your heart and bring a smile to your face as you see images of the future you playing out in the dark shadows like shimmering holograms and movie clips come to life.

Hyacinth smiles when she watches your thought bubbles popping up in the forest.

She looks at you with maternal love and encourages you to keep dreaming.

The parade ends near a series of silvery black crags that rise out of the earth.

They are symbols of strength and you cannot resist brushing your hand against the cool dragon textures.

They remind you of all that is solid within your body.

Your bones,

Your resilience,

Your perseverance,

And your inner fortitude.

You walk on the crags and feel their support beneath your bare feet.

Solid,

Unbreakable,

Enduring.

Hyacinth brings you to a cave.

The distant sounds of a waterfall echo through the dwelling.

The cave is abundant with rose,

Milk,

And smoky quartz.

The jagged crystals gleam in the light of Hyacinth's wings.

You gather a piece of each stone and place them in the pockets of your billowing cotton pants.

She leads you through a passage to a smaller cave of amethyst.

She flies towards the cave's ceiling and breaks away a small gleaming piece of amethyst that she gives to you.

You hold it in your hand and grin,

Yet again reminded of the diversity of beauty on earth.

She tells you the healing stone is meant to protect and inspire.

The cave opens out into a lagoon,

Covered in a milky white mist,

More opaque than the mist in the forest.

In the center of the pool of turquoise water,

You find Azur,

The fairy of water.

Hyacinth leaves you in Azur's presence.

The water fairy skates across the lagoon,

Creating silky ripples with her tiny dancer's feet.

She approaches the rocky bank and extends her hand.

You take it and are soon gliding across the water.

Azur knows better than any fairy how to go with the flow and how to mimic the fluidity of water.

She is supple,

Delicate,

And easy to be around.

One could drown in the depths of her crystal blue eyes.

They are glassier than most eyes,

Revealing deep emotions and compassion.

Being near her opens you to your emotions in a place that it is safe to feel them all and glide from one to the next,

Riding the waves of the human experience.

And again you are reminded that you are a sentient being.

Lauren Isley expressed,

If there is magic on this planet,

It is contained in water.

Azur leads you to the waterfall where this message is confirmed.

You stand in the lukewarm shallow waters and let the waterfall wash over you.

It massages your body,

Starting with the crown of your head.

Your scalp tingles.

The soothing feeling travels down your spine.

Azur flies to the top of the waterfall and sprinkles fairy dust.

The rushing blue water and white mist are cast in dreamy,

Prismatic hues.

Her natural glow illuminates the water and creates rainbows within rainbows.

You float on your back in the lagoon to take in the beauty of the falls and night.

You feel even lighter in this healing lagoon than you felt taking flight.

Azur joins you and guides you to a stream.

You float down,

Down,

Down the stream,

Counting the smooth glistening stones of the stream bed as you travel.

1,

2,

3,

4,

5,

6,

7,

8.

You become more and more relaxed with each count.

The stream runs through a clearing and you look at the brilliant stars.

Willowy blades of grass brush against your skin with a soft caress.

Everything about this experience is soft,

Gentle,

Fluid,

And easy.

A soft glow of lights in the distance becomes brighter the more you float downstream.

You savor the small rapids and silky water as you get closer to the light.

Fallen cherry blossoms float on the water as you drift further and further down.

The cabin castle reveals itself in a field of lavender.

The warm glow of the cozy dwelling calls to you.

You follow Azur and paddle your way towards the shore.

You rise out of the water and feel the tepid night air on your skin.

It smells of a freshwater stream,

Lavender,

And summer.

Emberley the fire fairy meets you on the shore.

She holds a small torch that reflects amber light on the pasture.

You follow her towards the property surrounding the cabin castle.

Two towers connect to the main cabin in a small replica of a medieval castle made of wood from the forest and stones from the stream bed.

The cemethist and quartz embellish the wooden shutters and door,

Glittering like stars.

You can feel the love and hard work the couple put into building this paradise and are so grateful to be here.

Emberley guides you to a fire pit where a bonfire rages against the darkness of night.

You stand close to the marmalade flames and dry off.

Water droplets evaporate from your skin and you savor the warm,

Dry feeling that replaces them.

Emberley is passionate and feisty and flies around the flames as she waves her torch in glee.

She reminds you of a monarch butterfly and invokes a sense of passion within you.

You feel warm on the inside and on the out.

And the sacred fire brings hope,

Warmth,

And light to the dark as it has for thousands of years.

It is our sun when the sun does not shine.

Thomas Brown said,

Life is a pure flame and we live by the invisible sun within us.

And as you watch the bonfire,

You feel your inner invisible sun.

You also begin to feel very tired,

Lulled into a trance state by the hypnotic flickering flames.

Emberley waves her torch and ashes fall in purple-gray dust that puts out the bonfire.

Small embers continue to glow and burn.

She flies to you with a torch extended.

To you it is no larger than a small candle.

She asks you to make a wish and blow it out.

And you do.

You feel passionate and alive as you make this wish.

Fire goes out and within a second Emberley brings the torch back to life with a new flame.

She says you may always reignite your passion and inner light and wish for more wishes.

With a grin,

With a conspiratorial grin,

She flies off into the night.

So very tired and content,

You find a stone path that leads to the cottage castle.

The stones are lined with amethyst and rose quartz.

You climb the steps to the main entrance and open the cathedral style doors into a foyer.

The interior is medieval.

Rustic chandeliers hang from wooden beams wrapped in boughs of fresh flowers.

The A-frame ceilings are tall.

Give the room a feeling of loftiness.

Skylight windows reveal the majestic sky.

Marble water fountains are placed throughout the cabin castle.

And the trickling sounds remind you of the magical lagoon.

You walk down a long hallway to the east tower,

To a luxurious master suite.

A fire burns in the stone fireplace and shadows dance on the wooden walls.

Glass doors and floor to ceiling windows make you feel like you are sleeping outdoors,

Even as you are safely tucked within the four walls.

White birch trunks with barren branches form the four posters of the bed.

Cast in midnight blue light from the night sky,

The white branches reach towards the skylights like open hands.

You change into cotton pajamas and peel back the covers,

Ready to lie down and absorb all the wonderful encounters of your visit with the woodland fairies.

Your head sinks into plush pillows filled with cedar shavings.

The aroma transports you to the woods.

You look through the four skylights to see the new moon and stars.

One by one,

A fairy appears in each skylight.

They look over you with love and wish you the sweetest of dreams as you fall asleep.

You feel safe in their presence and close your eyes.

Your spine aligns with a mattress and your chest rises as you yawn,

Sigh and let go.

Bundled in the crisp cotton sheets,

You rest beneath a heavy quilt.

You let down your guard and drift to sleep.

You float across the bridge to your sleeping life and surrender to the possibilities of uplifting discoveries in your dreaming and waking life.

Fairies keep watch until you are in a deep,

Healing sleep.

Relaxed in this sublime escape to an enchanted woodland,

Cozy and serene as the fire dances against the soot-covered walls of the fireplace.

The sounds of the crackling fire and the nocturnal sounds of nature guide you to deeper relaxation.

Finding bliss,

Finding enchantment,

Finding peace,

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.

Good night.

Reviews

As you always do, we were asleep and missed the middle and end.

I loved what I heard of it! I fell asleep quickly. Thank you as always Michelle. I so appreciate you sharing your gifts with us here. Blessings 🕊️💞

Very soothing.......I've yet to hear the full story and I've played it several times. It's one of my favourite go to tracks.

Another creative bedtime story! I love listening to your voice! Put me to sleep and I woke up just before my alarm. Going to listen to it again! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

Excellent!!!!! One of my favorites!!!! Your stories help me relax and bring me peace ✌️ I am able to fall asleep again and that's a blessing

Very nice . I love your stories. I never get to hear the end of any of your stories but I have the best sleep ever.

This was one of the most beautiful and creative meditations I've ever listened to. In my mind's eye I was there; I couldn't drift off to sleep for fear of missing what was coming next! Absolutely amazing, thank you so much!

I love this meditation. I woke up this morning happy and well rested.

Beautiful 🤍🌹🧚🧚‍♀️🧚‍♂️

Beautiful

THANK YOU 🌀💤🌀

I love it! ❤️

The story sounds amazing, but I don’t really know, as each time, I fell asleep very quickly. Thank you, Michelle 🙏🏻😴🙏🏻
One night later: My goodness, this morning, I pushed the button one more time at 4:30 am, and…finally heard the full story: it really IS amazing! WOW! I fell from one enchantment into another and another… Absolutely awesome, fantastically fabulous. Totally enjoyed it and even slept one more hour afterwards.🙏🏻😴🙏🏻🌟🙏🏻😴🙏🏻

I am a difficult sleeper…..but I passed out HARD to this!!! 🤣🥰🙏🙌🏻💕💚🧚🏻 Thank you so much for such a beautiful piece!