Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Peaceful Visit to the Autumn Treehouse

Starting point is 00:00:00 If you love Get Sleepy or any of the other shows we produce here at Samba Studios, you'll love our app called White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds. With hundreds of sounds to choose from and the option to create custom mixes for your perfect soundscape, it can help you sleep better, improve focus, reduce anxiety, relieve tinnitus and calm babies. As a listener of Get Sleepy, we have an exclusive offer for you. Download the White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds app and get 30 days free access to all of the premium content. Just go to deepsleepsounds.com slash get sleepy. That's deepsleepsounds.com slash get sleepy.

Starting point is 00:00:48 Did you know, our company Slumber Studios also has a sleep app called Slumber, with thousands of episodes including stories, meditations, sounds, music and audiobooks, it has a huge variety of sleep-inducing content, and we add new episodes every single day. You can search by narrator, hear episodes you won't find on Get Sleepy, and even customize your background sounds to create your own perfect mix. As a listener of Get Sleepy, you can unlock all of the content in the app free for one month. Just go to slumber.fm.fm slash get sleepy. That's slumber.fm slash get sleepy for instant access to all of the content in slumber, free for one month. Welcome to get sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.

Starting point is 00:01:53 My name is Thomas. Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope we can help you drift into a dreamy restorative sleep as you listen along tonight. Shortly, I'll be handing over the reins to Jessica as she reads Alicia Stefan's latest story, carrying you away on a comforting adventure. You'll visit a luxury tree house deep in an autumnal forest. There, you can cozy up by a wood fire, and enjoy a warm drink and a favourite book, before falling asleep with the soothing music of nature outside your window. But first, let's take a moment to get settled. Ensure you're nice and cozy,

Starting point is 00:02:58 adjusting anything you need to help you get there. And then ease into the stillness of life. the night and just try to let go of any thoughts that cross your busy mind, whatever tasks and concerns you may have. They can wait for tomorrow. This is the time to amble about in your imagination. To linger, to sample, most of all, it is time to rest. turn your attention to your breathing, consciously slowing and deepening your breaths. Inhale nice and slowly.

Starting point is 00:04:15 Then let that air out through your mouth. Taking twice as long if you can, repeat this cycle again. Noticing how the stress leaves your body, This is the sign that your nervous system is slowing down, responding to the instruction you're giving by relaxing and lengthening the breaths. Welcome that comforting slowness as it spreads from your head to your toes. Like birds soaring out of a tall tree and into the air. Let any distracting thoughts fly away and get ready for our retreat into the woods.

Starting point is 00:05:28 This is where our story begins. You follow a map that you downloaded earlier. You have driven deep enough into the countryside that your mobile service is spotty, but you know where you are going. There is no doubt in your mind that this narrow winding road through the forest is going to the right place. The route long ago turned off the paved highway. This path is dirt and gravel, which delights you with the satisfying crunch it makes under your wheels. The sound makes you feel like you're covering important ground, like you are moving productive,

Starting point is 00:06:46 forward. All around you, the trees are at peak color. They are red, orange and yellow. The woods are filled with a friendly golden glow. The late afternoon sun slants down through the branches overhead, dappling the road with waving shadows and bobbing orbs of sunshine. Leaves drift from the tree canopy down to the ground as you slowly progress. It's like nature is sharring you in confetti. You smile to yourself, thinking that you deserve a commendation for giving yourself this relaxing getaway. The host assured you that you would be totally rejuvenated by the welcoming embrace of the woods. They told you that you would understand its magic once you'd experienced it for yourself. Then, just as you had been led to expect, a luxurious treehouse appears before you.

Starting point is 00:08:07 It is handsomely made of wood, wrapping organically around a massive old tree. Soft golden light glows from the windows. But the presence of electricity is not jarring in any way. Instead, it feels like it belongs. It's as if very light is great. graciously illuminating the treehouse in welcome. You park the car and push the door open. Immediately, nature introduces herself. The earthy smell of fallen leaves pervades the air. As you stand outside the car, stretching languidly, an owl softly hoots from a nearby tree.

Starting point is 00:09:04 A breeze gently rustles a thousand leaves, over your head, as if they are delicately applauding your arrival. It takes you a minute to find the way up to the house itself, but then you figure it out. With a sense of anticipation, you climb a spiral staircase that wraps around the trunk of a nearby tree, as you circle it, wondering how old it is. Red and orange leaves flutter downward. You lean over the railing slightly and watch them dance their way to the ground below. At the top of the stairs, you cross a long wooden bridge that ends at the front door of the house. A heavy key sits in your coat pocket.

Starting point is 00:10:05 You weigh it briefly in your hand, as if estimating its worth. Then you find the keyhole and turn it in the lock. Just as you enter, a cool breeze blows by you. Flying with that small wind, a rush of leaves tumbles across your feet. With a delicious little shiver, you close the door securely. You are immediately enveloped by much-needed warmth. Putting your bag down, you survey your surroundings. You are standing in a coat of.

Starting point is 00:10:53 living room, with a wall of books that stretches from floor to ceiling. The volumes are all different colors, ranging from dark, wine-colored reds to faded blues. Standing at the end of the bookshelf, there is a tall library ladder made of rich, smooth wood. You realize a caretaker must have been there right before you, because the space is lit by a cheerfully crassily crows. fireplace with a large wooden mantle. Two overstuffed armchairs are placed in front of the hearth. They look so wide and soft and almost seem to welcome you with broad open arms. A tall window looks out on the forest, revealing the violet tones of deepening twilight. The contrast between the indoor furnishings and the tangle of trees outside the window is mesmerizing.

Starting point is 00:12:09 It makes you feel extra secure, being inside this bright bubble, with the autumn words visible on one side. It's like an architectural split screen. You look up at the ceiling of the living room and see a branch from the host tree that enters on one side and disappears at the other. Following the length of the branch with your eyes, you realize the house was constructed around this massive tree limb.

Starting point is 00:12:48 Open to the rest of the room, there is a small modern kitchen. It is made of glistening colorful tiles and warm wood cabinets that echo the environment outside. The kitchen has all the comforts of home. There is a big fridge, a thick, a thick, fancy coffee machine, a microwave and a large stove. White mugs line the open wooden shelves, and there are stacks of shining white plates just waiting to be used. You are delighted to see that a silver kettle beckons you from the stove. A warm drink would be just the perfect way to shake off the chill from your arrival. You make a mental note to return. You make a mental note to

Starting point is 00:13:47 return to the kettle shortly. Taking off your shoes, you feel wide hard wood planks underneath your socks. Retrieving your small overnight bag, you cross the room to explore what is behind a nearby doorway. Pushing the door gently open, you venture into a luxurious bedroom. A massive king-sized bed sits in the middle of one wall, tucked into an alcove. It is piled high with a soft, bright, white duvet and more pillows than one person could possibly use. In the corner, a short distance from the bed, there is an enormous claw-foot tub with a Victorian shower handle. A pedestal sink sits near the tub, with an elegant mirror hanging over it. Next to the sink, there is a basket with fluffy white towels and flannels.

Starting point is 00:15:04 In the bed nook, there is a huge round window filling the wall. You cannot resist kneeling on the bed and peering out the window. It feels like a fantasy. You place your bag on a nearby luggage rack and open it. Your flannel pajamas are neatly folded inside. You lay the pajamas on the bed, as carefully as if you were presenting them to someone else. It gives you a thrill to offer yourself this little gift for later. Then you remove your comfortable slippers from the bag and put them on your feet.

Starting point is 00:15:55 You are ready to relax. relishing the softness of your slippers, you go back into the living room. You walk into the gleaming kitchen and open a cupboard. Then, returning to the kettle, you find everything you need to make your favorite hot drink. As the water slowly boils, you lean on the counter and gaze out the window into what is now the darkness. of the forest. Your own reflection looks back at you, superimposing the inside on the outdoors once again.

Starting point is 00:16:46 You are nudged from your reverie by the cheerful piping from the stove. You switch off the hob and grip the kettle by its wooden handle, pouring carefully. As you do, the steam rises from the mug, drifting upward, and, dissipating. A few moments later, your drink is ready. Wrapping your hands around the heavy white cup, you savour its warmth. Your drink is fragrant and comforting. You blow on it carefully, waiting patiently for it to cool down a little bit. Then, you carry your drink into the living room and set it on a granite coaster on the side table. The fire in the hearth casts a halo of flickering light into the room. Feeling its warmth, you walk over to the huge bookcase. You move slowly

Starting point is 00:18:02 down the length of it, dragging your fingers lightly over the different textures of the many books that are standing there. Once you've examined the lower shelves, the rolling ladd allows you to reach the top ones. The rows of books are bound in cloth and in leather in a variety of colors. Removing one volume after another, you seek the perfect one to match your mood. Eventually, you pull out an aged leather-bound copy of your favorite childhood novel. You have not seen this book in May 2,000. many years and are delighted to find it here.

Starting point is 00:18:53 With a feeling of glorious anticipation, you take the book to one of the armchairs. Dropping gratefully into the cushions, you nestle yourself into the chair's embrace. There is a comforting woolen blanket folded over the arm. You spread it out and tuck yourself in, feeling its nubly texture. against your hands. Once you are perfectly settled, you touch the mug and then draw it experimentally to your lips.

Starting point is 00:19:35 Your drink is now the perfect temperature. You take a long sip, closing your eyes for a moment. You soak everything in. You hear the crackling sounds of the nearby fire. You feel. feel its warmth and the security of your blanket. You notice the heaviness of the book in your hand and feel the promise of the story it contains. Even here, inside the treehouse, the autumnal smell of

Starting point is 00:20:17 wood smoke and leaves surrounds you. Opening up your book, you inhale the intoxicating scent of the yellowed pages. Turning the thick paper between your fingers, you begin at chapter one. You lose all track of time. But a long while later, you realize it is quite late. You have been beautifully lost in your story. You look up and realize that the fire has almost burned out. It is reduced to glowing coals.

Starting point is 00:21:07 And although you are not finished with the book you love so much, your eyes are getting heavy. Your bedtime drink has soothed you and you're feeling drowsy. The chair is so soft that you are tempted to stay there, but you know it's time for bed. You set your book aside, feeling its satisfying heft as it rests on the side table. It's nice knowing it will be there for you in the morning.

Starting point is 00:21:47 Then, you slowly rise from the armchair, stretching your arms over your head for a long, meditative moment. You carefully fold the luxurious wall blanket and place it back on the chair. Like the book, you are happy to think about coming back to it again. Looking up at the ceiling, you think how wonderful it will be to spend the night sleeping within the limbs of this very old tree. Your eyes once again travel along the length of its indoor branch, estimating how long it has stood in the forest. You smile to yourself as you make random guesses, knowing they are probably not even close to the truth. Your slippers pad silently across the wood floor as you make your way to the bedroom. There's no need to close the bedroom door.

Starting point is 00:23:01 The sitting room is dark now, with only a small glow from the dying embers of the fire. You feel completely secure in the treehouse, and you relish the sense of quiet space there. You have it all to yourself. In the bedroom, you return to the pajamas you laid so carefully on the bed when you first arrived. They are warm and velvety, and oh, so comfortable. Slipping into them, you feel a delicious thrill of happiness. Yawning, you brush your teeth at the little white sink. You hadn't. You had to be a delicious thrill of happiness. You had to be a delicious thrill of happiness. You'rening. You're not, you brush your teeth at the little white sink. You had to realized until just now how tired you were. Your sleepy mind suggests it might have something to do with the fresh country air. You take a bright white flannel from the basket and dampen it with warm water. Ringing it out, you press the soothing cloth against your face. You hold it there a long time, relishing its warmth. When it cools, you remove it and hang it on the towel bar to dry.

Starting point is 00:24:42 You look at the elegant clawfoot tub and plan to take a long bubble bath tomorrow. It seems unimaginable that you would pass up on that sort of opportunity. The tub almost twinkles back at you. It's so shiny and clean. But right now, you can best. Carely keep your eyes open. You turn off the lamp and the room fills with cool moonlight from the window by the bed. Sitting heavily down on the mattress, you pull off your slippers and your socks.

Starting point is 00:25:30 The wood feels refreshingly cool and smooth under your feet. Wiggling your toes, you map the texture of the planks. Then, drawing aside the covers, you slide your legs across the crisp linens. Lying in this little nook where the bed is positioned, you feel like you are in a childhood hiding spot. It feels safe and totally private. The whimsical round window gives you your own secret view of the forest. It occurs to you that this treehouse would also make a wonderful setting for a novel. You turn on your side, facing the glass, and pull the duvet up to your ears like a cocoon,

Starting point is 00:26:32 but your eyes aren't quite ready to close. You peer across the bedding from your cozy nest. The light from the moon shines on your white bedspread, Turning your gaze to the window again, you see the shadows of the trees blowing gently in the night breezes. Inside this snug treehouse, you cannot even hear the wind. But the branches knock on the wall a little bit. Tap, tap, tap, the forest says gently. The rhythmic sound is like a natural lullabular.

Starting point is 00:27:26 by, you are vaguely aware of a pleasant sensation of heaviness. It feels like gravity is relaxing your limbs into your mattress. You're not sure when you stopped looking at the window, but your eyes are closed now. In your mind, you retrace your path through the woods. The trees are so beautiful and filled with the golden rays of late. afternoon. In your imagination, there is a light crunch beneath your feet as you take each step to pull your scarf up around your ears. Or is it your duvet? Every part of your body is relaxed. As you float through this forest in your mind, you feel safe. You have no worries here. The woods have welcomed you for the night.

Starting point is 00:29:06 With the tree branches as your protective canopy, you are at home. You sigh deeply. Filled with a sense of well-being. Off in the distance, you are dimly conscious of the owl hooting in the night. You have the sense that the forest is also going to sleep. The natural world is tucking itself into bed for the cold season.

Starting point is 00:29:55 And as your mind drifts, you fall into a deep and restful sleep.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Peaceful Visit to the Autumn Treehouse

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.