Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Relaxing Tour of Toronto

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thank you so much for tuning in. Tonight Vanessa is back on the show and she'll be guiding us as we wander around the streets of Toronto Ontario on an autumn day. First though this podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and we're so grateful for their support. I'm sure we've all been through times in our lives where we've wished there could be a user manual to help us decide the best approach to overcome difficulties. Therapists are trained to help you figure out the cause of challenging emotions and learn

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Starting point is 00:02:17 Plus, every Thursday, we release a new bonus episode just for our premium subscribers. Like tomorrow, where I'll be telling the first in a series of stories about a lady called Kate and her charming new home, a picturesque windmill in the English coastal town of Scarborough. To find out more about Get Sleepy Premium, and enjoy a 7-day free trial. Go to GetSleepy.com slash support, or simply follow the link in the show notes. Your support really helps, and it means the world to the team and I. Now them. Let's take a moment to get comfortable in bed before we begin tonight's story. Snuggle under your blankets, cocooning inhale through the nose and exhale out through the mouth.

Starting point is 00:03:38 And again, breathing in deeply. Then imagining any tension in the body or mind, leaving with the exhale. With each exhale of breath, just visualize tension flowing down through the body and out through the tips of your toes. It's okay if you sense tension or stress as you inhale. Use the exhale to gradually let it all go. Bit by bit, unharried, unnaturally. Continue to follow the calming pattern of your breathing as we wander the grid-like streets of Toronto, which are covered in autumn leaves. Begin to feel the crisp breeze and hear the sound of crunching underfoot. We're in no rush this evening, so let the pace of your breath meander along,

Starting point is 00:05:18 just like our leisurely walk. And with that, I'll hand over to Vanessa as we step into the vast country of Canada, where our story begins. You stand on a quiet street taking in in the yellow, orange, and red colors on the branches around you, and the crumpled brown leaves underfoot. narrow brick houses line the street to your left, and across the road, children in woolly sweaters are swinging in the park. Their parents sit on benches, chatting and laughing as they sip on steaming mugs of hot cocoa and warm apple cider.

Starting point is 00:06:52 You can hear the gentle hum of an electric street car and the voices of people talking and laughing a few blocks away. Wondering down the street, you pass an older couple walking their dog who not and smile at you. Soon, you arrive at Queen Street, a main road filled with life. Traffic crawls by and horns honk, but this doesn't stop people from enjoying a leisurely day. Bundled up groups of friends huddled together on patios, enjoying the last days of the year before winter takes their gatherings indoors.

Starting point is 00:07:57 As you pass, you catch the scent of food from around the world. Alpastor tacos, steaming bowls of fa, sizzling falafel, freshly chopped sushi, and garlicky pasta. One of the best parts of living in this city with people from all over the world is getting to taste delicious food. You pass by thrift shops, a staple of this trendy part of town, where stylishly dressed mannequins seem to wave at you from window displays. Stopping for a moment at the art store in a one-story brick building, you admire the handmade jewelry, clothing, greeting cards, and even tie-priders made by local artists. While this area of the city isn't far from the center, it feels almost like a small town. You warm up in the shop while chatting with the owner. A jewelry maker from the West End comes in to drop off more stock.

Starting point is 00:09:49 You're the first to see some of the beautiful designs and gorgeous stones she's made. Stepping back out into the crisp air, cross the street and enter a cafe. Giant pumpkins are resting on bails of hay in the back of the eatery. They bring forth memories of fall, of exploring pumpkin patches, picking apples at the orchard, and trick-or-treating for Halloween when you were a child. You smile at the memories and order a warm apple cider to go. As soon as you smell the hot drink, it whisks you back to your childhood days once more. But when you step outside, your mind refocuses on the present moment. The fall scene that greets you is too beautiful for you to be thinking of other things. Red and white street cars scoot down the road on their tracks and wires that match the red leaves on the trees. You walk further along the street, passing an independent bookstore.

Starting point is 00:11:54 Gazing at the display of books in the window, you look forward to the autumn and winter days ahead, look forward to the autumn and winter days ahead, you'll spend curled up inside some of your local cafes reading. But today, you want to take advantage of the sunny, mild weather and explore. Continuing west down Queen Street, you pass by the Broadview Hotel. This Romanesque style building used to tower over the city, but now it looks at home amongst the high-rise apartment buildings. Its impressive architecture made this a popular social club in the early 1900s. You decide to pop inside and take the elevator up to the rooftop where some of the glamour of the 1920s still remains. Once at the top, you pass by people ordering drinks and sitting in booths and on leather bars tools. You find one to perch on so you can get a bird's eye view of the city. Then, you order a coffee and let the mug warm your hands as you watch everything happening

Starting point is 00:13:51 down below you. Old blackened brick buildings meet sleek, modern ones. The muted colors are broken up by patches of colorful trees and green spaces. The breeze touches your cheeks as you take in the view. The people below who are going about their day all wrapped up in scarves look tiny from up here. The wrecked noise of the street, there's a sense of calm on the rooftop. You enjoy living in a place with four distinct seasons. It seems as if things are always changing, just like the ever-changing city itself, with its new restaurants, new shops, and new faces, but always the same streets. streets. The sun glitters on the windows of nearby buildings as you finish your coffee and head back down to street level. Continuing west, you cross the Don Valley Bridge next to a rattling street car. You marvel at the way some buildings in this area are so new and others are over 200 years old.

Starting point is 00:16:07 Then, you walk south following the dried-up river and come to a hidden park with scattered families sitting on blankets having picnics. The leaves are thicker on the ground here, and they crunch underfoot as you walk. Birds hop from branch to branch, from branch to branch, serenading the picnickers with their songs. Exiting the park, you walk west again, past the shops and restaurants

Starting point is 00:17:01 of the Canary District. and restaurants of the Canary District. Once an industrial area with only one diner called the Canary, the neighborhood is now a thriving residential area. Still, they keep the name to honor their history in the city. The street widens into a promenade lined with trees dedicated to countries that participated in the Pan Am Games. Their leaves too are changing color with the season. White fluffy clouds float in the sky as you make your way to the historic distillery district. While only spanning a few blocks, this part of the city is filled with interesting stories,

Starting point is 00:18:25 interesting stories, art, and people. The narrow, cobbled lanes, brick buildings, and black metal gates welcome you to the area. It almost feels like a city within a city protected as a historical place. High rises surround this part of town, but there are none in the small streets of the district. Tourists' amble from shop to shop, buying maple candies and locally made chocolate. Artists hurry in and out of galleries, carrying blank canvases, their pants stained with paint. You can see the thin sea and tower in the distance to the west. Its point shoots up above the rest of the skyline. It's not far, but it feels worlds away compared to the squat old buildings of the distillery district.

Starting point is 00:20:09 As you walk down the lane, you notice a chocolate shop and decide to step inside. A rich smell meets your nose when you open the door. And the woman behind the counter smiles and gives you a small wave. You're lucky enough to have come on one of the days when they're making fresh chocolate in the factory at the back of the shop. Joining some other customers in front of a glass window. You watch the liquid chocolate moving round and round in a giant stainless steel mixer. That is so big. It almost takes up the full room. Chocolateeers are pouring the liquid chocolate into different trays and mixing it with flavors before placing the trees in a fridge. You wander around the shop, looking at all the varieties of chocolate they have. Raw chocolate, brownies, cookies, bars of every flavor from Newfoundland eyes wine. You pick out a few goodies to share with friends later and then leave the shop

Starting point is 00:22:36 and head back onto the cobbled lane. Following the road further into the district, you soon find yourself in a square. There are more shops and restaurants here, and children run around playing games while their parents gaze in historic windows. Walking down to the bottom of the square, you stop in a cafe that used to be the fire hall. There's an old fire truck next to the red brick building. And when you enter, a chandelier with fake candles to set the mood hangs from the high ceiling. The mosaic floor meets a Victorian-style counter. The grand mirror on the wall makes you feel like people could have been grabbing coffee from here for the last hundred years. You purchase a warm drink and a slice of pumpkin pie and settle in to watch the colorful leaves blow in the wind outside.

Starting point is 00:24:33 Finding a table near the window, you listen to the general background noise of the cafe. The espresso machine blowing steam. Metal spoons clinking against ceramic mugs. The chatter of people enjoying a coffee break. the chatter of people enjoying a coffee break. The wish of wind every time the door opens, and the music playing softly under it all. This is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon watching the people go by. has a unique mix of tourists, artists, artisans, and curious locals. You watch them pass with woolly scars and pom-pombed hats, scattering the brown and orange leaves underfoot as they walk. The sweet taste of the pumpkin pie is delightful and makes it feel even more like fall.

Starting point is 00:26:30 It's got a hint of cinnamon spice to it and goes down smoothly with a sip of tea. You pull out a glossy magazine and flip through the pages, enjoying that you have nothing that needs to be done today and nowhere to rush to. You can just enjoy each moment as it comes. When you finish your snack and feel ready to continue your walk, you button up your coat and amble out into the fresh air. You cross the square to the opposite lane, finding yourself once again in a narrow, cobbledeyway.

Starting point is 00:27:46 Soon you pass by a couple of art galleries with interesting offerings inside and continue on your way. Exiting the distillery district, you cross the street to the Esplanade, a quiet little slice of green in the center of the city. You see a game of basketball and some teens doing skateboard tricks before coming out on the other side. The street is busier now as you wander to the St. Lawrence Market. The roof is shaped almost like a barn, but the brick exterior with arched green-pained

Starting point is 00:29:04 windows makes you feel like you've yet again been transported back in time. And you very well could have. A farmer's market has been run on this site since 1803. Inside the bustling building, brick archways welcome you to the lively market. Food producers from all over Southern Ontario are selling fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and dairy. As you wander deeper into the market, you pass stalls selling artisanal chocolate, tea and coffee. Even further in, you find the antique stalls with treasures from eras past. You're not here to buy anything today. Just to look. You enjoy browsing the furniture, sculptures, and

Starting point is 00:30:53 trinkets, people have found, scrounged, and saved in this city. saved in this city. Since people have come here from all over the world, the antiques hail from many different places, brought by grandparents and great grandparents alike. In many cases, they traveled far to get to this country. And now, their descendants get to share their cultures with a new generation of Canadians. You listen to fenders and visitors, haggling over prices and admiring different goods. The chatter echoes around the hall, from the food stalls, to the artisanal stalls, to the antique market,

Starting point is 00:32:18 making the space feel alive and animated. Spending a bit more time wandering through, you see someone by a whole fish and another person ask for a vet of oil. Fruit and vegetable vendors start to pack up as their stocks run low for the day. And do you take it as a sign to move on? After all, there's still so much more to explore in the city. Walking down busy front street, you watch families popping in and out of stores.

Starting point is 00:33:27 Businessmen walking by with laptop bags slung over their shoulders and couples meandering slowly, taking in their surroundings. taking in their surroundings. In a few blocks, you find yourself in front of one of Front Street and Wellington Street, the gooder ham building was erected as an office for a nearby distillery. Its interesting wedge, or triangular shape, makes the building look small and narrow at first. But as you walk past, the building widens to match the available space. The mint green pointed roof is framed by skys pass, taking in the red brick and the

Starting point is 00:35:16 artistic details of the design. Then you walk on past the hockey hall of fame, celebrating one of Canada's favorite past times before turning left toward Lake Ontario. One of the best things about the city is its location on one of the great lakes. When Tarantonians want to get away from the busy city for an afternoon, they head to Tarano Island. You decide to follow their lead and head to the ferry terminal to wait for the boat to arrive. In the summer, this space is filled with families hoping to visit the small amusement park on the island. But today, only a few others are waiting with you looking for an escape. Or perhaps, there are some of the few island residents. A small fairy approaches, and a smiling crowd disembarks before you're

Starting point is 00:37:14 allowed to board. You find a seat outside so you can watch the city flowed away as you drift toward the island, which is just a 10-minute boat ride from the center of Toronto. The view doesn't disappoint. The tall sea and tower and white bulb of the sky dome, where baseball games are played, take center stage. Behind the buildings, modern skyscrapers, housing condos and offices make up the familiar skyline. A cool breeze blows around you as the fairy picks up speed and you pull up your scarf getting nice and forth. You arrive at Toronto Island with a gentle bump and watch as a rope is thrown to anchor

Starting point is 00:39:01 the ferry to land. You disembark with the other passengers and wander down a car-free island road. The island was once a peninsula, but the strip of land connecting it to the mainland was destroyed by a storm in the 1850s. You follow the road past a lagoon with houseboats and a bridge leading to one of the residential areas here. Very few people are lucky enough to live in this beautiful place, which is covered with trees. It feels as though you've traveled deep into the countryside, though you're only minutes

Starting point is 00:40:18 from a bustling city. With no cars to brush them out of the way, the fallen leaves line the wide path you're heading down. It's incredibly satisfying to hear them crunch underfoot with every step you take. Each time you pass an opening in the trees to your right, you get a glimpse of the Toronto skyline. And when the landscape opens on your left, you can see out into the up and down. People cruise past you on bikes, laughing with friends, and you watch one family hosting a picnic on the grass next to the road. You pass the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, a small white beacon that's one of the oldest lighthouses in North America, and take a moment to walk its circumference. Soon, you find yourself at a small pond with a bench where you take a rest, breathing in the fresh air.

Starting point is 00:42:25 rest, breathing in the fresh air. Wondering a bit further down the main road, you cut out on a narrow trail through the trees and shrubs, walking over a thick pile of leaves. It's that delightful time of year when the ground is coated in leaves, but there are still some beautiful colors painting the trees. Before long, you come to one of the island's beaches. This one is quiet and has a view of the city and the distance. It's getting close to sunset and you settle in for the show. You lay a wool blanket on the beach to sit on and pull another out of your bag to drape Then pull another out of your bag to drape over your shoulders for warmth. It already feels cooler as the sun sinks lower than from yellow to a pinkish red. The colors on the trees combined with those of the setting sun make you feel like you're in a work of art.

Starting point is 00:44:31 The pink, yellow, and purple rays dance on the shining windows of the office buildings. windows of the office buildings, putting on a light show for you and the other people scattered around the beach. As it starts to get cooler still, you gather dry leaves, sticks, and a few logs to build a bonfire. The sky is bright with purple and pink now. And the light blue overhead is growing darker by the minute. You pile the leaves under the sticks and lay the logs on top. When others on the beach see what you're doing. They come join you with smiling faces, bringing wood from where they were sitting. Together you watch the sun disappear, getting to enjoy this moment with strangers who now feel like a community.

Starting point is 00:46:16 It's amazing what kind of power a shared experience can have. or a shared experience can have. When the sky goes dark, you light the fire, watching the flames, blick believes and eventually travel to the logs. travel to the logs. You warm yourself by the crackling blaze and look up at the stars. If it weren't for the red, blue, and yellow lights running up and down the sides of the sea and tower. You might not believe that the biggest city in Canada was just a few minutes away.

Starting point is 00:47:25 It's away. Everything feels still and peaceful here. The group starts chanting and sharing stories around the fire. Stories of where they come from, what brought them to this city, and what their favorite things to do are. Everyone has a different reason for traveling to the big city, and everyone has journeyed from a different place. It's one of the things you love about Toronto, how all the and cultures and backgrounds combine to make one big story. After the evening tales are told, everyone quiets down again as they set against the stars. You hear the fire crackling, and the odd whisper of one friend to another.

Starting point is 00:50:00 Waves crush against the sandy shore. Soon, you'll catch a boat back to Toronto and snuggle into your cozy bed. But for now, your completely content here, taking in the city from afar. you 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. 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.

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Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Relaxing Tour of Toronto

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