Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Lazy Drive through the Kruger National Park

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to Get Sleepy. When we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thanks so much for joining me. Tonight's story was written by Dominique. We'll take a peaceful journey through the stunning scenery of the Kruger National Park. We'll see wildlife and then settle down for the evening near a crackling campfire under the stars. We are so blessed to have such beautiful and diverse wildlife in our world, and tonight's

Starting point is 00:00:49 story certainly celebrates that. So as you listen along, you can picture these close encounters in your mind and hopefully drift off into pleasant dreams inspired by these scenes. First though, a quick word from our sponsor, BetterHelp. Sometimes life can present us with moments that feel like crossroads, and it doesn't always seem clear which path to take. Whether it's a career change, or perhaps feeling that you need to work on your relationship, all these decisions can feel daunting

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Starting point is 00:02:42 to relax. Close your eyes and let your breathing grow slow and even. Feel the way your breath moves through you, calmly and peacefully. If you have any lingering thoughts from the day, now is the time to let them go. to let them go. Each breath can floating away on the breeze of your breath. They are being released into the air and can no longer bother you. The more you let go of these lingering concerns or thoughts, the more and more relaxed you feel. And that means that you are ready to begin your sleepy journey into dreams. Picture yourself on a cool winter's day in South Africa.

Starting point is 00:04:49 This is where our story begins. Wrapped in your favourite sweater and comfy socks. You watch fluffy white clouds drift in front of the bright winter sun high above you, as you sit snug and starts the engine. The heat from the aircon seeps into your body and the vehicle's gentle rumble blows you into a feeling of safety and tranquility. You drive past the fetched chalets that the calm of the Kruger National Park. You are looking forward to taking a restful drive through South Africa's oldest and largest national park. Just a tiny bit smaller than Belgium,

Starting point is 00:06:49 the Kruger is part of a trans frontier park stretching through Northeastern South Africa and connecting with parks in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This beautiful area of over 2 million hectares gives some of Africa's most iconic animals a safe place to live and thrive. Nearly a million tourists visit the park everyes and many types of buck. You may even spot leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffalo or rhinos. Over 500 species of birds and many more majestic creatures live in the Kruger and you're glad to take a sneak peek into their natural habitat during your stay. You continue to drive away from the thutched roof bungalows you've been staying in. Getting nice and comfortable, you take a sip of the delicious hot chocolate you prepared in a flask just a short while earlier. The rich liquid coats your tongue and you can feel its heat spread through your body as you swallow. You gaze out of your window as the blue winter sky above you

Starting point is 00:09:04 as the blue winter sky above you, breathes into the horizon, and the deep, comfortable quiet of isolation wraps around you like the fluffiest of warm blankets. As you drive further from the camp, you leave behind all the noisy thoughts that have been cluttering your mind. It fills as if the further you drive on into the glory of nature, the more any heavy or tiring emotions fall away from you, to be left on the abandoned road, curving out behind you in the rearview mirror. The silence is so absolute that you can almost feel it resting on you. You realise how noisy the city usually is, now that you're here. You look out of your window and take in the sheer beauty of the untouched African wilderness.

Starting point is 00:10:36 As you gently drive through the vault on a long dirt road, you watch the bushes and trees stretch far out into the distance. The view feels endless. Sturdy Bayobaps docked the horizon like sentinels watching over this quiet paradise. Their thick trunks support heavy green canopies that have clearly soaked up the recent rains. Umbrella thorn trees tower over the plains here and there. A few dead trees stand starkly against the sky, and you can't help but think that their dramatic silhouettes add even more beauty to the view. Golden grass and undergrowth spill out from the road and gently lap at the skyline. Next to your car, you spot a remarkable bird flapping as if to keep stride with the vehicle.

Starting point is 00:12:11 Its long black tail streams out behind it, like ribbons in a breeze. You can't keep your eyes off the long-tailed widow bird sweeping wing feathers and extraordinary tail. It flies lower and lower, coming at last to a stop as it lands on top of a tall blade of yellow grass, which bends ever so slightly under its weight. You watch it bobbing in the breeze for as long as you can see it out of the window. as you drive on, you trace the silhouette of a rocky cliff that rises to your left with your fingertips. The smooth glass of the window feels good against your fingers. You quietly let down the window under delightfully cool breeze softly swells through the car as you continue to wind through the landscape. The Absolute Silence is even more profound with the window down. And you can only hear the distant call of an African fish eagle beside the gentle rumble

Starting point is 00:13:59 of the car. Your friend steers the car down a left turn at a crossroads and you continue to lazily scan the thicket. Upper head a lake appears. You park on the colder sack, facing the water, and your friend turns off the car. The lake spans a few kilometers across your view, and several water beds are unhurriedly enjoying the afternoon sun in the shallows, leisurely picking their way along the water's sandy edge. You gaze at an acacia tree that grows off to one side of the lake and notice that it's giant lush canopy houses arresting Batalur Juvenile, a gorgeous brown eagle only a few years old. You pull out a pair of binoculars and take a moment to view the battle up close, wondering at the fluffiness of feathers, framing its inquisitive face. These striking birds can fly for up to eight hours as they search for food and they mate for

Starting point is 00:15:51 life. The large bird sways gently on the tallest branch and his fluffy down feathers balloon around him with the gentle wind. Scanning the waves on the surface of the lake, you spot the telltale ripples of a fish, having briefly broken the surface to catch an insect or to snag a tasty fallen seed. With the help of your binoculars, you study the banks of the lake and the shallows just beyond the sand for the bubbles of air and the ripples that a slumbering hippo makes as she rests beneath the surface. up to 5 minutes underwater at a time. Hip-hose grays and play in their aquatic kingdoms. They can even sleep underwater with the help of a natural reflex that allows them to float to the surface, take a breath and sink back down. They elegantly tiptoe their way along the floors of the lakes they live in, like underwater arenas as they keep cool despite the blazing African sun. You search the shallows for the pink ears, eyes and muzzle of a restful hippo taking a breath

Starting point is 00:18:01 of air. But you have no luck. You look out of the window, down onto the soft, sandy soil beneath you, for any tracks to be found. You spot the hoved prince of several zebras who must have taken a long drink at the watering hole quite recently. Off at the other end of the dirt cold assack, a dung beetle moves into the grass, patiently pushing a large ball of dung with his back legs. After the beetle disappears out of sight, you gently sit back and snuggle deeper into your warm layers. You sit calmly for a while longer next to the dark blue water, listening to the relaxing rustle of the reeds growing on the far side of the lake and taking deep breaths of the clean air.

Starting point is 00:19:34 The silence of the park around you seems to seep into your soul and you feel truly at peace. Next to you, your friend starts the car. The warm rush of the aircon feels soothing as the late afternoon gets colder. You drive back to the crossroads and continue on. Your arm gently resting against the open window. Fanta even flatter planes, with only a few thorn trees and scraggly bushes. The car slows to a stop and is quietly turned off again, as your friend softly tells you to look out beyond their side of the car. Not very deep into the undergrowth, you spy a tall giraffe with red-brown spots, splattering

Starting point is 00:20:58 his dusty coat. busy nibbling away at the highest juiciest leaves on a nearby tree. His long graceful neck stretches up and up as his purple tongue darts out, helping him drag a branch nearer. Because it is so very quiet, you can actually hear the light crunching sounds he makes, as he breaks pieces of his late afternoon snack off of the tree. The sounds are relaxing and you watch captivated as the giraffe's jaw steadily works away. Paying you absolutely no attention at all, the beautiful giraffe leaves the tree he has been chewing on and meanders to another occasion right next to the road, a little way in front of you. As he walks, he looks like a dancer, elegantly extending his spotted legs in slow motion. The gentle rocking of this magnificent magnificent animal as he ambles on, almost tipnitizes you.

Starting point is 00:22:48 And you watch him plant himself only a few meters away from where you are sitting. Giraffes are the tallest mammals on earth and can grow to more than 5 metres. These peaceful creatures generally meander across long distances as they graze and each fairy spots are as unique as the fingerprints on humans. Curving his body down toward a lower branch, the giraffe takes another delicate bite of some foliage. His very lips adorably munched down on some particularly nice looking leaves. You find yourself wondering how irresistibly soft his velvety muzzle would feel against your fingertips. You know that the image of this gentle giant on the wild African plains will stay with you forever. Having had his fill, the giraffe dainterly stretches to his full height again, and his

Starting point is 00:24:32 ears lazily cock back and forth as he picks his way out onto the road. Slowly, tail-swishing left and right, the ambles just in front of your parked car, taking no heed of you. The tapping of his hooves on the road forms the soundtrack to this miraculous sight. You can hear the sound of the towering giraffe brushing past plants and tall grass as he steps from the road and back into the bush. With a steady gate, the giraffe loaps deeper and deeper into the brush until you lose sight of him. them. You and your friend sit for a few more moments, breathing in the magic of what just happened. Puffy clouds drift past the late afternoon sun, casting thick pools of shadow on the open land stretching out in all directions. Your friend brings the car humming to life again and you move forward along the road. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, you feel the car make its way up a slight incline. Around you, the thicket becomes denser and the close trees hug the car as you rise to the top of the hill.

Starting point is 00:26:52 After a few more moments you break through the thick undergrowth and come to the top of a slight ridge that allows you to look out over the flatlands. The road winds its way across the expanse and behind a dense warm glow of delight at your core. From your vantage point, you spot a herd of grazing springbok and zebra below, who are leisurely nibbling away at an early dinner. The male spring box horns curve inward towards each other, almost forming a heart shape. The zebras' stripy legs are caked in dry mud up to their knees, hinting that they have just come from a nearby watering hole. Against the backdrop of the golden grasses shimmering in the breeze. You watch the herd migrating further and further into the bones.

Starting point is 00:28:48 Looping back along the ridge, you notice how the afternoon light has deepened. In the way it always does shortly before sunset. The air is getting cooler and cooler as the light rakes across the land, slowly draining away beyond the horizon, hidden by the thick bush. You turn up the heat in the car slightly and bury your toes deeper into your warm fluffy socks. As you make your way back to your camp and the setting African sun is gently pulled down to earth by the scattered silhouettes of trees. The most unforgettable sight of all quietly slips past your window. A herd of elephants break through the vegetation, making their way parallel to the road. You can hear their swaying trunks brush the heavy grasses they trample on as they follow each other in a gentle winding line.

Starting point is 00:30:32 Their brown bodies sway rhythmically in time to their steps as their tails sweep through the air ploughly. tails sweep through the air playfully. Massive is softly flap forwards and backwards, next to large, curving tusks. The matriarch leads the way determinedly. A growing calf, eyes full of mischief, breaks away a little from the line, to sample some particularly tasty looking tree bark. The family of about ten elephants continues to slowly shuffle past him as he plucks at the bark with his trunk, peeling long strips away from the tree before hungrily packing them into his small mouth. His mother comes up behind him and gently nudges him to rejoin the line. With an adorable skip, the little calf moves forward with the heart. with the heart. Elephants communicate over long distances with each other through vibrations that are often too low for humans to 7.5,000 kilograms. These wonderful creatures are the largest land animals on the planet.

Starting point is 00:32:34 Their tusks never stop growing, meaning that the age of an elephant can be guessed from the length of their tusks. Driving slowly next to the herd, you can hear some elephants munching on snacks of bark, grass or roots. Gentle grunts and herumps can be heard as they march forward. In the distance, a few late comers break through the thicket to join their family. Their thick hides effortlessly pushing past thorny bracken. As the matriarch makes a b-line for the road in front of you, your friend slows the car to a stop.

Starting point is 00:33:40 A few meters away, the herd slowly crosses the road in a diagonal, winding into the bush on the other side. It takes several minutes for the beautiful creatures to lazily pass your car, kicking up red dust plumes as they step heavily into the road. Among the head, you spy another small calf delicately clutching his mother's tail with his tiny trunk as they gradually make the crossing. The last of the meandering herd slips off into the felt, crunching their way into the distance behind the family. You can just make out their forms in the last streams of the days light. With a slow grin of wonder, you and your friend unhurriedly continue on, back towards camp.

Starting point is 00:35:08 The last rays of the day turn the felt around you into a cozy wall of golden brown. Above you, swaves of burnt orange, purple, pink and red, melt into the darkening sky. The headlights of the car lazily lead you up towards the gate of your camp and you come to a stop beside your chalet. Getting out of the car, you stretch your arms luxuriously as far as they can go, breathing in the cold night air. You walk beside your friend down a lantern-lit path of stone, which lets out into a big open space. A giant bonfire sets near the centre on a raised platform of rock. Embers from the Toasty Fire crackle upwards into a star-stroin sky. You tap your head back and drink in the glorious sight of the crystal clear view. Like vivid glitter sprinkled across a velvet blanket, the silver stars blink brightly against the dark depths of space. You have never seen so many stars.

Starting point is 00:37:18 The branches of Akisha trees ring your view. Their black shapes stand out starkly against the gradient of sky that blurs from midnight black to inky blue to a deep, calming purple on the horizon. You follow the silhouettes of the branches and soak in the fairy lights intertwined in the canopy. You fear as if you've discovered an oasis of warmth that is as beautiful as it is restful. A little while later, your friend hands you an empty plate. You head over to a massive buffet, laid out in front of the fire, in large silver serving dishes. Slowly you fill your plate with your favourites as you go. The complete silence of the Kruger floods into the warm bubble of camp, with only the comforting chaps of crickets and frogs filling the air. You settle down on a comfortable lark next to the crackling fire to enjoy your dinner. Your friend hands you the softest blanket you've ever felt makes you feel safe and snug. The pops and cracks coming from the fire pit add to the soundtrack of serenity that nature provides around you.

Starting point is 00:39:51 After you finish dinner, you see that the ingredients for s'mores have been laid out on a tiny cart. card. You stand up and gather a stick, marshmallows, chocolate and a few biscuits, before heading back to your spot on the lock. Some other campers on the other side of the fire are quite the murmuring about the unforgettable experiences they've had today. As you munch your tasty smore, you think back to the gentle giraffe you watched nibbling on the tallest trees. The herds of zebra and springbok you spied grazing in the valley. And the magnificent family of elephants you had the privilege to watch as they strode across the savannah. Leaning back in the cocoon of your blanket, your legs outstretched. You watch the smoke from the fire rise into the air.

Starting point is 00:41:30 It disappears in the light of the full moon that shines across the plains of South Africa's Kruger National Park. You take a deep breath. It doesn't get better than this, you think, as your mind drifts away, warm, full, and ... you ... ... ... ... ... ... ... … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … you I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:46:18 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work.

Starting point is 00:46:34 I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the work. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

Starting point is 00:46:57 I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. ... ... ... ... ... I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:48:58 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. ... ... ... I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:50:14 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Lazy Drive through the Kruger National Park

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