Fall asleep fast and relax in this sleep story and bedtime meditation for grownups.
You are listening to Wisteria Dreams in the Midnight Garden.
In tonight's journey,
You receive the exclusive invitation to a secret garden for healing and sleep.
You arrive at a historic coastal village by train and are guided by the map on your engraved invitation that came with a skeleton key.
You walk through a town of quaint historic homes and arrive at a mysterious gate covered in ivy and wisteria.
You enter the secret garden at sunset and the fragrant refuge comes to life with fireflies and crickets illuminated by fairy lights.
You enjoy a special tea and light meal beneath the moonlight before a cleansing bath or shower.
You then fall asleep in a four-poster bed set beneath a canopy of willow trees and boughs of purple wisteria.
The stars and fireflies join forces to deliver healing messages before you drift to sleep.
It's time to dream away.
I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and as you are listening,
You may think of my voice as that of your advocate and dear friend.
I am here to remind you of the unlimited beautiful powers of your imagination.
The imagination is often used to conjure worries and unpleasantries,
But each night you and I may join forces to reclaim the super power for self-soothing moments before bed.
You earn this time every night,
Having made it through another day in your life.
You deserve peace and to simply feel good.
And when you pamper yourself and enjoy the comforts of sleep,
You prime yourself to be best equipped for the unwritten hours of tomorrow.
This is your journey and I am here to remind you that all you desire is possible and within reach,
Starting with a night of sleep and sweet dreams.
You may customize this experience as we proceed along and let go of my voice at any point if sleep beckons to you.
You are always welcome to listen again in the future.
Snuggle into your bed and let go of your day.
Wiggle and shake off any impressions before you sink your head deeper into your pillows and sink your body deeper into the softness of your mattress.
You know what feels best for you.
You are the real expert on what you need and deserve to experience.
Come to stillness when you are ready and take in the deepest breath that you have taken all day.
And as your body expands like a hot air balloon and there is no room for another sip of air,
Your mouth opens into a great big yawn.
And then you sigh out the air and feel your body cascade into relaxation.
Your breath is your vehicle and you are the driver.
Feel to take control whatever you feel tense or have a hard time being present to the moment.
Take in another breath,
Sipping more air until you feel as if you could float across a starry night sky and open your mouth into another yawn.
Telling to your body that it is time to stand down and surrender to the sensation of tiredness.
And once again sigh as you exhale.
Tonight's journey may be led by grace.
Grace transforms a moment into something better and it takes us with it and I wish to bring the spirit of grace.
As you float to sleep and the imagined beauty that awaits you,
You may flow through the story with the fluidity of a dream where time is no longer linear and you find yourself moving through different scenes without the limitations of being in a human body.
With your heavy eyelids resting on your tired eyes,
You visualize a mailbox.
You see yourself opening this box,
Be it familiar or a custom mailbox that you would most fancy if given the freedom to choose.
The door opens and your fingers glide into the cool shadowy interior to find a soft linen envelope.
The contents are heavy and you pull out the creamy stationery and carefully tear away the gold seal.
The gold leaf interior gleams and you remove an engraved invitation.
You run your finger across the gold lettering of your name that has been written in calligraphy.
And painted with stearia flowers cascade over the invitation like a purple waterfall.
A quote reads,
Everything can be used as an invitation to meditation.
On the other side of the invitation is a map and a train ticket and a brass skeleton key are also enclosed.
The invitation says you have been personally invited to a night in the Wisteria Garden.
The secret garden has been a respite for centuries,
Perfectly cared for by a secret society of healers.
And now you have been selected.
The invitation informs you that you need only bring yourself because all other necessities will be tended to.
A tingling sensation washes over you from head to toe and you feel alive and yet also very calm.
This invitation is something you have anticipated and receiving it offers solace and encouragement that you are in tune with your intuition.
You suddenly find yourself seated on a train that weaves through coastal towns on a summery day.
There are very few passengers on the train and you sit by the window with the invitation resting in your hand.
You look out on the Victorian homes and quaint main streets of seaside villages as the train chugs along the rocky coastline,
Awash in honey gold sunlight.
The landscape is dreamy and gilded with promise.
You feel the warm light on your face as the train pulls into your station.
You rise clutching the invitation and key in your hand as your other hand graces the tops of the velvety seats as you disembark.
Your feet land on the concrete platform and you are hit with a glorious wave of sweet salty sea air.
Through the humidity of late summer,
The warmth of the day is made cool by a gentle ocean breeze that weaves through the town.
You take in a deep breath as the train doors close behind you and the train inches slowly out of the station.
The air purifies your lungs and you feel yourself being healed by the salty mist.
The station terminal is painted a fire engine red with navy blue trim and gold accents.
It feels old-timey,
Much like the village that has welcomed vacationers during the summer months for centuries.
Walking away from the station and towards Main Street,
You get glimpses of eras gone by.
Appearing like holograms,
You see families in Victorian era attire and women with fancy parasols held over their coiffed hair.
As if walking through time,
You then see the village in the height of the 1960s with turquoise convertibles and men and women and children dressed in clam diggers and nautical themed attire.
With each step on the cobblestone sidewalk,
The village reveals its layers of history to you and the promise of joy and respite that it contains.
The Main Street is unusually quiet on what would normally be a bustling evening as most of the village has convened at the local beach for a festival.
You look to the hand drawn map and gold markings that lead you towards Willow Lane.
Living up to its name,
The narrow street is lined with a canopy of weeping willows that cascade over the sidewalk.
They rustle in the summer breeze and tickle against your shoulders and scalp as you walk past colorful Victorian homes with artistic accents and shutters.
The pastel hues of the historic mansions conjure thoughts of saltwater taffy as the sweet fragrance of the confection travels from a candy shop on the Main Street.
Shudders and facades of cotton candy pink,
Lavender,
Cornflower blue,
Mint green,
And buttercream yellow are made all the more magical beneath the pastel streaked sky of sunset.
The sky erupts in hues that range from purple blue to raspberry pink,
Orange sherbet,
And soft peach along the horizon.
Everything about this moment feels delicate and soft.
You wear fabrics that breathe and cover your skin like the silky cool waves of a bay.
You take in a deep breath and smell the abundant lilac bushes that line the lane as it leads to a dead end.
At the end of the lane you arrive at the secret garden.
A wrought iron fence disappears beneath thick verdant vines of ivy that wrap around the grills in a gnarly fashion.
Wisteria flows over the forest green hardy leaves in purple clusters.
They glow in the rosy light of golden hour.
You reach into the thick envelope and remove the brass key.
You brush aside the cool waxy ivy to discover the lock and enter the key.
With a satisfying click you gain access to the secret garden.
And both your intuition and a perceptible whisper on the salty floral breeze confirm the same feeling and thought.
This is where you belong.
Perhaps it has been some time since you considered where you belong or if you belong.
But within the protective security of the garden's gates and beneath the canopy of willows,
You feel confident and at peace.
Every point leading to this experience feels necessary and worth the bliss and magic to unfold on this night.
You walk down a cool and damp cedar mulch path lined with tiki torches that flicker as if striving to lick the twilight sky.
The crescent moon appears as a delicate sliver of silver nestled in a velvety indigo box.
The air smells of jasmine,
Cedar,
And the sweet wet earth.
Neon fireflies and metallic stars make a simultaneous appearance as the orchestra of crickets warms up with crescendoing chirps.
The golden light of sunset is now replaced with a silvery metallic blue cast that covers the purple and iris petals of hydrangeas and the peach and soft petals of roses.
The fragrant flowers saturate the air with a sweet floral perfume that wafts on the same breeze that rustles their petals and the willows and the white birch trees of the garden.
You approach a marble fountain in the heart of the garden.
Your favorite mythical creature is carved to scale in the center of the fountain and the water cascades out of its smooth marble lips.
The ripples on the pool of water twinkle in the moonlight.
Lily pads float in the fountain alongside floating candles carved in floral shapes that illuminate the water with their delicate marmalade flames.
On a small marble bench in front of the gleaming pool,
You find an unlit floating candle and a long match.
The wooden matchstick reads,
Make a wish.
You pick up the candle and strike the match against the cool,
Slick bench.
A flame erupts and you light the wick and then place the candle in the fountain's pool.
It floats away like a wish that has been given its sails.
To close your eyes and inhale the night air.
Did you make a wish for yourself?
Or something that you yearn to manifest in the near future?
You open your eyes as the engraving on the matchstick burns away and you blow out the match through pursed lips.
You watch the slender gray trail of smoke travel towards the sapphire blue-black sky,
Swirling and twisting and doing whatever it desires.
And tonight,
You may do whatever you desire as well.
You walk towards the back of the garden to encounter a magical setting for a night of healing.
Antique silver pots are interspersed with tiki torches and contain lush bouquets of lavender.
The soporific fragrance becomes the most powerful perfume on the night air and soothes you with thoughts of sweet dreams and fresh linen billowing on a summer breeze in the French countryside.
Tiny white fairy lights and Moroccan glass lamps in a rainbow of colors hang around the garden in an illuminated hug.
Fireflies dance and flicker throughout the shadows of sturdy oak trees.
All you could need for this night is set up in this outdoor suite.
There is a white wrought iron table and chair placed in the center of the grass.
The metal has been sculpted into intricate lace-like patterns.
The table is set with fine china and a light meal made from items grown in the garden.
The setting carries the whimsy of the fancy tea party in Alice in Wonderland and you see yourself.
You pour the tea into the delicate hand painted china and then take a sip.
Sweet silky elixir cascades down your throat.
It tingles slightly and soothes you.
You imagine the liquid is sparkling within you like the fireflies sparkling in the darkness of night.
It enlivens and relaxes you all at once.
You finish the tiny tea sandwiches and tiny chocolate mints.
You inhale the night air and once again sigh.
You had not realized how much heaviness and anxiety rested in your body until this deep breath.
For in this moment you recognize how light and relaxed your lungs and heart feel.
You walk towards the heart of the garden suite.
A large willow tree stands over a four poster bed along with an oak tree that is the grandest tree you have encountered on this journey.
Purple wisteria climbs up its trunk and drips down in lush boughs and the flowers have taken over the branches.
The floral canopy surrounds the high bed.
Lavender gray and white rose petals lead to the bed and cover the white cotton duvet in a scattered pattern.
A terry cloth robe hangs over one of the wooden posts and a plush towel is neatly folded and placed on the bed.
A bar of lavender soap containing tiny crushed petals and a pair of flip flops made of woven straw are placed atop the towel.
The petals also lead towards an outdoor shower with an oversized rain shower head and towards a claw foot tub with water fed from a roaring campfire.
Based on your preference,
You opt for the shower or the bath beneath the night sky.
The garden is secluded in a way that offers complete privacy but for the abundant fireflies that continue to flicker in neon yellow around you,
Their innocuous presence enhances the magical feeling of the summer's night surrounded by wisteria.
You remove your shoes and clothes and opt for either the bath or shower,
Depending on what most appeals to you.
Turn on the water and settle within the tub or beneath the shower head.
The warm water relaxes your muscles and washes away the remnants of the day and the journey.
The lavender soap lathers into lush bubbles that coat your skin and soften it with a sleep-inducing fragrance.
You splash water on your face and as the warm droplets flow down your cheeks,
Your attention turns towards the starry sky.
The magnitude of the universe gives you peace,
For it may absorb and offer you unlimited blessings like the ones you have experienced in the garden.
The universe is abundant,
Ripe for you to tap into its richness and attract the experiences that you most desire.
You rinse your scalp and feel it tingle.
The sensation reminds you of the powers of your mind and imagination.
As George Bernard Shaw expressed,
Imagination is the beginning of creation.
You imagine what you desire,
You will what you imagine,
And at last,
You create what you will.
And in the dreams to come on this mystical night,
You may begin the process of creation.
Now clean and refreshed,
You bury your face into the fresh-smelling towel,
Take in a deep breath.
You dry your hair and body before putting on the buttery soft robe and cinching it around your waist.
You step into the textured flip-flops and walk along the plush grass and rose petal path.
The silky blades and delicate petals softly brush against your clean toes and feet.
You approach the bed and peel back the heavy cotton duvet.
The petals scatter,
Flying softly on the night air.
You remove the flip-flops and hoist yourself into the pillowy mattress as you sink deep into its center.
Your head rests on the downy pillows and the cool cotton sheets smell like fresh laundry in summer.
You pull the covers up beneath your chin and the Moroccan lights and fairy lights slowly dim until they go completely dark.
You look through the lush wisteria that forms a canopy above the bed in thick tufts of purple curls.
The silvery white moon illuminates the petals in shimmering luminosity and the fireflies dance between the tiny petals.
You settle into the bed for a night of rest and the ancient wisdom of the wisteria may shower your dreams with insights.
Wisteria may live for over a century and the durable and enduring flowers are known to bring answers in dubious times.
The wisteria flowers resemble clusters of grapes and swing in the breeze like hypnotic pendulums.
They embody grace and this grace heightens your experience.
In this trance state you notice the stars and fireflies come together like silver and gold,
Spelling words in stardust and bioluminescence around the wisteria swept bed.
Hidden in elegant cursive,
You first make out the words,
Be at peace.
You tune into the soft rustling of the leaves and the melody of the crickets.
You feel the cool summer night air on your skin that is exposed and has been softened by lavender soap.
You inhale the perfume of the midnight garden,
The ocean,
The burning embers of the campfire,
The cedar path,
Lavender and wisteria and rose petals all coming together in the fragrant elixir of summer.
The garden imparts the wisdom that to be at peace you must be fully immersed in the now,
Surrendering to all that surrounds you and reminds you that you are life.
The fireflies dance around the wisteria again as if moving in a slow waltz.
They come together and spell out,
You are loved.
You reflect on the special invitation to this garden sanctuary and realize how the universe has aligned for this special moment in time so that you may feel loved.
And how you deserve to feel this fullness and warmth flow from head to toe.
Asophically said,
One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life.
That word is love.
And this love sets you free and fills you with a lightness of being.
As light as the cool cotton sheets that once danced in the afternoon sun.
As light as the rose petals that blow across the earth in the midnight breeze.
As free as the fireflies that illuminate the night and come together one last time to deliver one last message.
Aligned with the stars beneath the crescent moon,
The fireflies spell out the words,
Dream away in elegant script.
You take in one last deep and conscious breath and then sigh it out.
You close your tired eyes and feel your eyelids are heavy like sandbags.
Your muscles and joints relax,
Feeling just as heavy and without care as they surrender to the plushness of the bed.
Your skin is soft,
Smooth and carries the subtle hint of lavender soap and rain water.
And in the magical midnight garden,
You imagine swinging in the breeze like the purple wisteria guided by the summer winds as you cross through the ivy covered gate that leads to your sleeping life.
The cool air on your face feels wonderful as you breathe in the fresh garden air through the night while your body is kept warm beneath the heavy duvet.
I am going to count you down to a night of deep healing sleep.
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Finding rest,
Finding respite,
Finding peace,
Finding love,
Finding all that you seek in the sleep to come.
It's time to dream away.
Good night.
