Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Night at the Lodge

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Starting point is 00:01:27 and sign up, follow the link for Get Sleepy Premium in the show notes, or you can subscribe directly with in Apple podcasts. Thanks so much for your support. Good evening and welcome to Get Sleepy. The podcast where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. Untomace your host, it's lovely to have your company. Tonight's Heather will be our narrator and we've got one of those stories where very little happens. We'll simply relax after arriving at a hotel for the first night of a retreat in the woods. Just gradually slow your breathing, watching as the air flows gently in, and then eases back out.

Starting point is 00:02:38 To really help you send to your attention on your calming breaths, it can help to place one or both hands on your stomach. So feel free to do that now. As you breathe deeply and fully, feel your hands being lifted as your diaphragm expands. Then slowly sinking down as the air leaves your body. Scent also the comforting feeling of your hands on your stomach, like a warming reassurance to your body. All is calm, all is peaceful. This is your time to rest, completely at ease and without any pressure. Continue to breathe deeply and fully as we turn to our story. Like I said before, there's nothing too exciting to miss out on in this story. So feel free to fall asleep at any time. Simply enjoy Heather's relaxing voice, as we begin on the tail end of a car onto a gravel driveway that crunches underfoot. You've just arrived at a hotel in the woods.

Starting point is 00:05:14 It's late in the evening and you can see golden lights glowing in the windows and the lobby. The sign above the lobby entrance is also lit up. It says, the lodge in swirling curse of letters. You're not expecting luxury, but you can't wait to get inside and see your room. You're sure it's warm and cozy, with wood-paneled walls and wooden furniture, matching the hotel's exterior. The building looks like a large log cabin, blending in with the surrounding forest. It's the perfect place to enjoy the peace and quiet of the woods and the nearby lake. You're struck by how it's almost completely silent. All you can hear are the hoots from an owl in the distance, and the quiet murmur of the breeze rustling through the fur trees.

Starting point is 00:06:34 As you walk up the driveway, dragging your suitcase behind you, you stifle a yawn. Diveful a yawn, you're feeling so tired after your long journey. You spent hours and hours on the road, driving down mountain roads and watching the endlessly changing landscape. Every part of your body is feeling weary from your arms and legs to your heavy head as you struggle to stay awake. It will be such a relief to get inside and sink into the soft mattress of a clean, freshly made bed. Right now, the simple luxury of going to bed is more desirable than anything else the hotel could offer.

Starting point is 00:07:38 You don't need a swimming pool or a room with a view. All you need and all you really want is a comfortable bed for the night. The sliding glass doors open automatically and you walk into the reception area. It's a softly lit, spacious room with leather sofas and finely crafted wooden furniture. You can smell pine cones and the comforting scent of dried flowers and wood shavings displayed in decorative bowls on a reception desk. The woman behind the desk smiles and greets you. She can see that you're tired after a long journey, but the check-in won't take long. She guides you through the process, gives you some leaflets and maps for the area, and then hands you the brass key to your room.

Starting point is 00:08:52 She explains that the room is located on the top floor, and there's an elevator you can use. The receptionist points you in the direction of the elevator. Then, as an afterthought, she gives you some additional information about breakfast in the hotel's facilities. You thank her, but you're so sleepy, you can hardly take in anything she's saying. You can explore and find out more about the hotel tomorrow morning when you're feeling more refreshed and alert.

Starting point is 00:09:36 For now, all you want to do is get to your room. You step into the elevator, it moves slowly, and the floor vibrates as you go up. Three of the walls are mirrored, but one of them is decorated with a little framed painting. framed painting. It's a watercolor of a woodland scene. There are trees around a lake with a small boat in the middle. In the background, if you look closely, you can just about glimpse a cabin hidden among the trees. You don't often see decorations and elevators. It's a nice detail, you think. There's something beautiful to look at everywhere. Even here, it shows consideration for the guests and it makes the hotel feel more like a home. The doors open at the top floor and you step into the hallway, dragging your suitcase behind you.

Starting point is 00:10:56 It's feeling heavier and heavier, perhaps because you're so tired. It's an effort just to put one foot in front of the other, walking down the carpet at all. As you search for your room, you barely notice your surroundings. You only have a vague awareness of soft amber lighting, wooden walls, and a patterned carpet that seems to go on and on. But your attention is fixed on brass numbers on the doors. It's not this one, or this one, or the next. At last you turn the corner and find your room. The key slides in effortlessly, and with a quick flick, the door opens. The room is dark, but only for a moment.

Starting point is 00:12:06 You find the switch on the wall, and a second later, the bedroom is beautifully eliminated. There's a hanging ceiling lamp made of branches that resembles a wreath with small yellow light bulbs. In the corner of the room next to a plush armchair is a large antique standing lamp. On each side of the bed is a small table with a beautiful golden lamp shaped like a lantern. And above the headboard of the bed is a string of twinkling fairy lights which seem to glow and invade in slow motion every few seconds. All of these lights are reflected in the mirror and the dark glass of the window.

Starting point is 00:13:08 They create such a warm, cozy atmosphere that you instantly feel at home. You're longing to lie on the bed, which looks incredibly comforting and inviting. It's a king-sized bed with two rows of white pillows and a fuzzy grey bed spread covering the sheets. You run your fingers over the bed spread, marveling at how soft it is. Perhaps you could rest here just for a moment. But you know the second you lie down, you'll fall asleep. You have to resist just a little longer while you get settled in your room.

Starting point is 00:14:08 The bedroom isn't particularly large, but as you look around, you keep spotting new details and add to the warm, welcoming atmosphere. There are a few small patterned rugs covering the wooden floor, one in the middle of the room, and another two on either side of the bed. It occurs to you that these rugs are not just for decoration, they've been placed where they are on purpose. This way, when you get out of bed, your bare feet touch the warm rug instead of the wooden floor. You notice some other little details, too. There's a small electric kettle on the desk and a wicker basket filled with complimentary

Starting point is 00:15:09 tea bags. There's also a beautifully wrapped packet of almond cookies. According to the label, they're a local specialty. On the other side of the desk is an old-fashioned rotary phone. There's a note next to the phone explaining that it's still functional. To call reception, you have to put your finger in the holes marked with numbers and rotate the dial clockwise. The fact that this old phone works is surprising enough in itself. But this is not the only surprise.

Starting point is 00:16:00 The note has a list of services you can request from reception, and some of them are rather unusual. You are expecting there to be standard room service and the option of a hot breakfast. But this is the first time you've seen a hotel offer a library service or plant delivery. Apparently, you can call reception and ask for a book to be delivered to your room. You can also request a bar or a vase of flowers or a potted plant for the duration of your stay to add a personal touch to the bedroom. The room is lovely just as it is, but it's nice to have these options. Somehow it makes the hotel feel more special and luxurious, just knowing that these services

Starting point is 00:17:09 exist. You already have a book to read, and you're not sure you need a plant in your room when there's so much greenery outside the hotel. The idea of a hot breakfast on the other hand is very tempting indeed. Maybe you'll call tomorrow morning and maybe some fresh, squeezed orange juice. You realize that you're getting ahead of yourself, thinking about breakfast when your suitcase is still waiting to be unpacked. Before you go to bed, you need to sort out your bag and put things in order. There's something satisfying about unpacking and finding places to put your belongings.

Starting point is 00:18:16 You set your pajamas on the bed just below the pillow. The book you're reading goes on the bedside table next to the lamp. You've brought a couple of pairs of shoes with you, some for hiking, as well as dressier ones to wear in the evening. You line these up neatly near the door. Then you hang up your coat on one of the carved wooden hooks on the wall. Finally, you take out your clothes and put them away in the elegant oak dresser opposite the bed. Glancing around the room, you feel happy with this new sense of order. It's nice to see your belongings neatly arranged in different parts of the room, as it

Starting point is 00:19:16 makes the space feel less anonymous. With every move you make, the bedroom feels more like home. You're about to head to the bathroom to get ready for bed. When you realize there's still one thing you haven't looked at yet. The view. It's dark outside, and the reflections on the window make it difficult to see beyond the glass. But you're curious to catch at least a glimpse of the landscape around the hotel. You pull back the heavy curtain that half covers the glass and then push on the handle to open the window so you can get a better look. As the window opens with a creaking sound, you're taken aback by the rush of cold air. You're so used to the warm, cozy atmosphere of the bedroom with its heater and soft furnishings.

Starting point is 00:20:32 You'd forgotten how cold it is outside in comparison. It's pitch black outside. There isn't a single light apart from the faint, silvery glow from the crescent moon illuminating the tops of the fur trees. As far as you can see, there's nothing beyond the windows, but trees and more trees. The hotel is right in the middle of the woods, far from the nearest town. Then you look a little closer and you realize that the moonlight reveals something else. Behind the trees, you can see a bit of a reflective watery surface. It's part of a lake, only just visible between the branches of the verse. You're reminded of the painting you saw in the elevator, the picture of a boat on a lake in the woods, with the building hidden in the trees.

Starting point is 00:21:53 Perhaps you're looking at the same scene now, only from a different perspective. This hotel could be the building in the painting. Tomorrow, you'll walk to the lake to see if you were right. You like the idea of having a little project in the morning. Breakfast in bed and then the lake. You smile to yourself as you close the window and then the curtains. You're looking forward to the next day, almost as much as you're looking forward to the idea of a bath and then bed. The bathroom is a small, simple room. Everything is white, including the soft, thick towels hanging on the heated rack next

Starting point is 00:22:56 to the sink. You realize that there are two settings on the light switch. One setting is for a bright light, while the other is a dimmer, softer light. You turn the switch to the second setting, which eliminates the wall next to the bathtub. Although the light is electric, the warm glow mimics the effects of candlelight. It creates a calm, tranquil atmosphere, perfect for a hot, relaxing bath. As you turn on the taps and wait for the bathtub to fill with water, you turn your attention to the complimentary toiletries. You are expecting the usual miniature bottle of shampoo and the small bar of soap, but there's more. On the shelf next to the bathtub, you find

Starting point is 00:24:09 an elegant bottle of bath foam. Its curved shape and illustrated label make it look luxurious and expensive. You open the lid and smell the liquid. It's divine, a sweet citrus scent like mandarins mixed with floral tones. There's also an elegantly braved bath bomb, a kind of spherical soap filled with flour petals and essential oils which dissolves in the water. It smells of roses and jasmine, and according to the label, it also includes lemon oil for its cleansing properties. You're not sure which product to use. They both smell so good. But when the bathtub is filled with steaming water, you go with your instinct and unwrap the bath bomb. You ease yourself slowly into the bathtub with a sigh of contentment,

Starting point is 00:25:33 feeling your limbs relax instantly. Then you take the powdery bath bomb and let it slip through your fingers into the hot water. It begins to dissolve with a soft, fissing sound, releasing dried rose petals that float and spread through the water. The scent seems to permeate the entire room. You close your eyes and breathe in, feeling wonderfully relaxed. As you lie in the bathtub, soaking in the warm, rose-centred water, you think that you could almost fall asleep right here. But eventually, the thought of the bed waiting for you in the other room motivates you to get out of the bathtub. You dry off using the fresh, clean towel, which feels as though it's just come out of the

Starting point is 00:26:52 dryer and change into your pajamas and slippers. Although the water in the bathtub has all drained away, the floral scent lingers in the room. Every now and then you find yourself taking deep, slow breaths, inhaling the aroma before it fades. When you're at home, you often rush through your bed time routine. Unbrush your teeth without thinking about it, but something about the atmosphere in this room makes you slow down and take your time. You brush your teeth slowly and mindfully, paying attention to the movements of the toothbrush and the familiar minty taste filling your mouth. Focusing on this small or nary ritual gives you a sense of fulfillment.

Starting point is 00:28:07 You're taking care of every part of your body, so you feel completely clean and refreshed before you go to bed. Once you've finished, you've returned to the bedroom. Once you've finished, you return to the bedroom. The room feels slightly cooler after the steamy temperature of the bathroom, but it's still warm and comfortable. Although it's late now, the radiator near the bed is still switched on and feels pleasantly hot to the touch. You move around the room, turning the lights off one by one.

Starting point is 00:28:56 Now, the only lights left on are one of the lamps by the bed and the fairy lights around the headboard. They make the room feel smaller and cozier, like a child's bedroom or some kind of secret den. Now that the room is darker, you notice for the first time just how silent it is here. If you listen carefully, you can just about hear the sound of the wind in the trees. But it's no more than a quiet, soothing background noise. There are no other sounds, no noises to disturb you. You're sure you'll sleep well here. After taking off your slippers, you pull back the thick layers of sheets and blankets and get into bed.

Starting point is 00:30:07 It's even more comfortable than you imagined. The mattress is perfect, firmly supporting your body, while also feeling soft and spongy in the right places. You don't even need to plump up the pillows. They're just right. You're feeling sleepy, but you decide to read a few pages of your book before you turn off the light. pages of your book before you turn off the light. Rest in comfortably against the pillow. You angle the book towards the warm glow of the light and begin to read. Your halfway through this book and really enjoying it, you're curious to see what happens next.

Starting point is 00:31:09 But as you read, you feel your eyelids growing heavy and your attention wandering. You soon realize you're not really absorbing the meaning of the words. They're just sounds, echoing through your head and creating disconnected dream-like images. There's no point in continuing to read if you can't follow the story, so you'd better save the book for another time. If the weather is good tomorrow, maybe you can ring the book with you on your walk through the woods and find a nice outdoor reading spot. With the yarn, you close the book and put it back on the vent sight table. You're ready to fall asleep now, you can feel it.

Starting point is 00:32:16 You turn off the remaining lights and then sink back into the pillow and close your eyes. As you drift off, you feel grateful to be here, surrounded by comfort and beauty in this peaceful place. There is nowhere else you'd rather be. After a deep breath in and then out, you're fast to sleep. ... ... 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 00:34:16 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 00:37:32 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. ... ... ... ... ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Night at the Lodge

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