Welcome to this gentle bedtime story.
Drifting into sleep.
And before we begin,
Take a moment to settle into your bed.
Allow your body to rest in whatever position feels comfortable tonight.
There is nowhere you need to go now,
Nothing you need to achieve.
Just arriving here.
And before we go anywhere,
Let's simply make space for whatever is already present in your mind.
When we lie down at night,
Thoughts often begin moving through the mind.
Little pieces of the day.
Things you remembered.
Things you forgot.
Things you still want to think about.
And sometimes you try to push them away.
You don't have to do that.
Just let them be there.
If there are many thoughts,
That's okay.
If there are only a few,
That's okay too.
Your mind is simply doing what minds do.
Thinking.
Sorting.
Processing.
And as you notice those thoughts,
You may begin to notice something interesting.
Thoughts come.
And thoughts go.
Just like clouds drifting slowly across a wide sky.
As you rest here,
The only thing you need to do is simply follow the sound of my voice.
Nothing to figure out.
Nothing to control.
Just listening.
And sometimes your mind may wonder.
You might notice a thought.
A memory.
Or a small sound somewhere around you.
And that's completely natural.
Because each time your mind wonders,
And then gently returns to the sound of my voice,
Your body can relax just a little deeper.
And deeper.
And deeper.
And again.
Your mind may drift for a moment.
And when it softly returns,
You relax even more.
Each time your attention drifts away.
And then comes back again.
Your body sinks a little deeper into the bed.
More relaxed.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And gently breathe out.
Again.
Breathing in.
And allowing the out breath just to be a little longer.
And one more slow breath in.
All the way to your belly.
And a soft easy breath out.
And allow the body to become heavy now.
Now imagine that you are walking slowly along a quiet forest path.
And it has just rained a little while ago.
Not a heavy storm.
Just a soft rain that washed the air clean.
The ground beneath your feet feels soft and slightly damp.
Leaves and moss cushioning each step.
And above you,
Tall trees stretch toward the sky.
You hear a small raindrop falling from one leaf.
Touching another leaf.
Slowly making its way down through the forest.
A gentle sound.
The air smells of grass.
The air smells fresh.
That beautiful forest scent after rain.
Deep green air.
And as you continue walking slowly along this path.
You may begin to notice the forest through all of your senses.
Perhaps you hear the soft whisper of the trees.
And somehow it almost feels as if you can feel that sound lightly brushing against your skin.
Maybe you notice the colors around you.
The deep greens of moss and leaves.
It almost feels like you could taste those colors.
Perhaps the scent of the forest becomes a gentle sensation in your chest.
Or a soft image in your mind.
Your senses can simply play here.
And there is no right way to experience this.
Sounds may become colors.
Colors may become sensations.
Or your mind may simply drift peacefully through the forest.
And each time your mind wanders.
And softly returns to the sound of my voice.
Your body relaxes even more.
And relaxes even more.
And relaxes even more.
As you continue walking along the forest path.
You begin to notice something new.
A faint scent in the air.
A wood smoke.
Somewhere nearby there must be a small fire.
And as you walk a little further.
You begin to see a soft golden glow through the trees.
A small cabin sits quietly in the forest.
Warm light shining from the windows.
A smoke curling gently upward from the chimney.
And the moment you see it.
Your body seems to be moving.
Seems to recognize something.
A feeling of safety.
As if this place has been waiting for you.
And as you walk closer.
You notice a small movement beside the path.
A cute little fox.
Its soft fur glowing warmly in the golden light from the cabin.
And the fox looks at you with calm and gentle eyes.
It almost seems to smile.
And it gives you a small playful little blink.
As if welcoming you.
And then it softly trots toward the cabin door.
Waiting there.
As if inviting you to follow.
You open the wooden door.
And step inside and close the door behind you.
You notice something important right away.
There is no one else there.
Just you and the fox.
The cabin is completely quiet.
Peaceful.
And oh so cozy.
Warmth surrounds you immediately.
The air inside the cabin is the perfect temperature.
Not too warm.
Not too cool.
Just perfectly comfortable.
It almost feels like you are in a dream.
As if the forest itself prepared this place just for you.
The fire has already been lit.
The room warmed.
A soft place ready for you to rest.
And outside the forest watches gently.
And inside this space belongs entirely to you.
The fire crackles softly in the fireplace.
It's warm golden light dancing across the room.
And you might put on your favourite comfortable clothing.
Something soft.
Something that makes your body feel completely at ease.
Perhaps you lie down beneath a soft blanket.
Allowing the warmth of the room and the quiet safety of this cabin.
To soften every muscle in your body.
And as you settle in.
You find the cute little eyes of the fox.
Hinting it to curl up beside you.
And it's warm fur radiating.
A soft comforting heat.
A nice quiet companion.
Calm.
Peaceful.
The fire continues to glow softly.
And outside the forest rests in silence.
A raindrop falls gently from leaf to leaf.
Your body feels heavier now.
Your breathing is slow and easy.
And if your mind wanders.
That's perfectly fine.
Because each time it drifts.
And softly returns.
Your body relaxes even deeper.
The fox rests peacefully beside you.
The fire glows gently.
And the forest keeps quiet watch through the night.
You are safe here.
Comfortable.
And even as my voice becomes softer.
This peaceful cabin in the forest.
Remains here for you.
The fire continues glowing gently.
The forest resting quietly outside.
And the cute little fox.
Curled comfortably beside you.
And even after my voice fades into the background.
This warm cabin can remain here.
Holding this feeling of comfort.
As your mind continues drifting deeper.
And deeper.
And deeper.
And deeper.
Into sleep.
There is nothing left to do.
