Tonight,
There is nowhere you need to be.
Nothing you need to finish.
Nothing you need to work out.
This is your time.
To simply rest.
So allow yourself.
Time to settle into your bed.
Feel the weight of your body being held.
Let your shoulders soften.
Unclench your jaw.
And allow your hands to rest wherever they feel comfortable.
And take one slow,
Deep breath in.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Again.
Breathe in.
.
.
And breathe out.
With every breath.
Imagine the day becoming a little bit more distant.
The conversations,
The things you did.
The things you didn't do.
They can all wait until tomorrow.
Tonight,
You're taking a little journey.
A journey into October.
Imagine that it's early evening.
You're walking slowly along a quiet country path.
The sun has almost disappeared below the horizon and the last of the light stretches across the sky in soft shades.
Of amber.
Dusty Pink and faded gold.
Notice what you can see.
Trees on either side of you are dressed in their autumn colours.
Parnished gold.
Deep breath.
Coppery yellow.
And here and there.
A few leaves are still holding on to their summer.
Others have already fallen.
And they lie scattered.
Cross the path.
Before you.
Creating a beautiful autumn.
Carpet.
There is no hurry.
You walk slowly.
Comfortably.
Easily.
And with every step.
You feel yourself moving further away from the noise of the day.
Now listen.
Somewhere high in the trees,
A bird gives a final call before nightfall.
Hear the gentle rustling of leaves.
As the breeze moves through the trees.
And beneath your feet the soft crunch of fallen leaves.
Are comforting.
Rhythm.
Almost like.
The ticking of a very small clock.
But here time doesn't matter.
October is reminding you that nature never rushes.
The leaves don't worry about when they should fall.
Trees don't wonder whether they're doing autumn correctly.
They simply respond to the season.
And perhaps tonight you can do the same.
You can allow yourself to enter the season of rest.
You pause here for a moment and feel the cool October air against your skin.
Touches your cheeks.
Your forehead,
Your hands.
Cool enough to feel fresh and clean,
But not cold.
You take a slow breath.
Now you notice the scent of the woodland.
Dumb air.
Fallen leaves.
Moth.
Wood.
And somewhere in the distance the fainted trace of woodsman.
You breathe it in.
Earthy.
Autumn.
Fragrance.
It feels grounding.
Comforting.
Familiar somehow.
You look ahead and through the trees you see a tiny light.
A warm golden light shining from the window of a cottage.
You realise that this is where the path has been leading you to.
And somehow you knew the cottage is waiting for you.
As you approach,
You see smoke curling lazily from the chimney.
A small lantern glows beside the door and you reach out and place your hands on the wooden latch.
Feel the smooth,
Cold metal beneath your fingers.
You lift the latch and the door opens easily.
And immediately you feel warmth.
Wonderful gentle warmth.
You step inside and close the door behind you.
The outside world is gone.
There is only this little cottage.
This warm room.
This moment.
A fire burns quietly in the hearth.
And you look around.
There is a deep,
Comfortable chair beside the fire.
Thick rug on the floor.
A wooden table.
And a lamp glowing softly in the corner.
Nothing bright.
Nothing demanding your attention.
Just pools of soft golden light.
You remove your coat.
And settle into the chair.
Feel the fabric beneath your hands.
Soft,
Warm,
Comforting.
And beside you is a folded blanket.
You lift it and place it over your legs.
Feel it sweet.
Feel it swarm.
You are safe here.
You are comfortable here.
There is absolutely nothing.
You need to do.
On the table beside you.
Is a warm drink.
Perhaps it's something you love.
Corn milk.
Haribol Tea.
Maybe cinnamon.
Hot chocolate.
Imagine wrapping both hands around the cup and feel its warmth moving into your palms.
You lift it slowly and notice the scent.
You take a small sip and now you notice the taste.
Warm,
Sweet,
Comforting.
You swallow slowly and feel the warmth travelling down through your body.
Another little sip?
There was no hurry.
Outside the wind moves through the trees,
Inside the fire crackles.
And you realise how lovely it feels to simply be here.
You turn towards the window.
Beyond the glass,
Leaves are drifting slowly from the trees.
One leaf loosens from the branch.
And for a moment,
It seems to hang in the air.
Then it begins its journey downwards.
Turning,
Floating,
Swaying,
Until finally It settles on the earth.
You watch another leaf fall.
And another.
None of them resist.
None of them tried to climb back onto the tree.
Their time has come to let go.
Perhaps October has brought you here tonight to remind you of something.
You don't have to carry everything with you.
There are things you can put down.
Old worries.
Cold Conversations.
Things you can't control.
You don't have to solve them tonight.
Imagine placing one moray onto an autumn leaf.
And watch the leaf drift away.
You let it go.
You're not forcing anything away.
You're simply seeing.
I don't need to carry this tonight.
The fire is burning lower now.
The cottage has become quieter.
An outside darkness has settled over the woodland.
You could no longer see every tree.
Only their soft shapes beneath the moonlight.
Your eyes are becoming heavy.
Your breath is smooth.
You can see the gentle glow of the fire.
You can hear the soft crackle of the logs.
And the whisper of the wind outside.
You can smell the wood smoke.
The autumn leaves.
And the faint trace of cinnamon.
You can taste the last sweetness of your warm drink.
And you can feel a soft blanket over you.
Everything is telling your body the same thing.
You are safe.
You can rest.
You can let go.
There's a little staircase at the side of the room and you rise slowly and make your way upstairs.
The top is the small bedroom.
The window is slightly open,
Showing just enough cool night air into the room.
Bed has crisp sheets and a thick,
Soft duvet.
You climb in and the mattress seems to welcome the whole weight of your body.
Your head settles into the pillow.
Your legs relax.
Your arms relax.
Your shoulders soften.
Your face softens.
Outside the window,
The October moon shines quietly above the trees.
And you remember.
Nature.
Is always changing.
Leaves fall.
Seasons turn.
Darkness comes earlier.
And yet nothing has gone wrong.
Change is simply part of the rhythm.
That are times for beginning.
Times are growing.
Times for holding on.
And times for letting go.
And tonight.
You don't need to know what comes next.
You only need to be here.
Warm.
Resting.
You have done enough today.
Tomorrow will arrive in its own time.
Tonight belongs to rest.
So allow the cottage to become quieter.
The woodland becomes softer.
My voice to drift further away.
Your body knows how to sleep.
Your mind knows how to become still.
And you can trust yourself to let go.
One last slow breath in.
And gently out.
October holds the night around you.
The trees stand quietly outside.
The leaves rest upon the earth.
And you can rest too.
Sleep peacefully.
Sleep deeply.
No.
Support tonight.
