Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Restful Camping Trip

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, welcome to Get Sleepy. When we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. My name's Tom and it's my honor to be your host. Tonight's story was written by Mess Messiah and was a listener request. We'll follow along as two brothers, Sam and Alfie, head up to the mountains for a weekend of camping and adventure. With them, we'll visit ancient caves, discover rock art, and high-car, an old mountain trail, where seemingly time stands still. If you'd like to contribute any story ideas to us,

Starting point is 00:00:55 it's very simple to do so. Just get in touch by going to the contact page on our website at GetSleepy.com or if you follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, feel free to message us there too. We love hearing your ideas and taking inspiration from them, just as we did with tonight's story. Tonight's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. With the busyness of life and the time and energy we put towards other people, it's so easy to neglect our own self-care. Whether it's burning ourselves out from overworking or bottling up challenging emotions and thoughts, we can all be guilty of taking too little

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Starting point is 00:02:36 That's betterhelp-h-e-l-p.com-get-sleepy. Slash get sleepy. So my friends, it's time to settle down and give ourselves some space to transition away from our busy day into the calm and stillness of the night. I hope you're already feeling relaxed and peaceful, but if you're still making your way to that point, there's no need to feel rushed. In fact, whatever it is you're feeling right now, good or bad or somewhere in between, I'd like you to tell yourself to let it be. If you're worried about something, if you've got thoughts whiling around in your mind, or if you sense that your emotions are heightened, try to accept it battles with challenging feelings, emotions or anxieties, the more they tend to overwhelm us.

Starting point is 00:04:16 Particularly in this moment right here, where your intention is to settle down and get some rest. So, take a deep breath, my friend. And let the exhale flow out with a sense of reassurance. It's okay to just let it be. Allow your body to relax and allow your thoughts to drift along like those gentle summer clouds you see in the sky on a sunny day. This is the type of scene that graces the land over which Sam and Alfie are preparing to visit for their camping trip. Sam and Alfie are twin brothers, but their personalities couldn't be more different. Sam is pensive and a daydreamer. He prefers the tranquil things in life. Alfie is spontaneous, energetic, always looking for the next adventure.

Starting point is 00:06:31 Yet the brothers share a special passion. have one favourite thing in the world. And that is camping. Once a year, every summer, they pack up their camping gear and head off into the woods in the old mountains near the house where they grew up. And it is that time of year again. Early in the morning, the brothers meet at the train station in town and rent a car. It has been years since they lived in these parts. Before heading out, they decided to have breakfast at the cafe when they used to come regularly when they were younger. The place hasn't changed. It still has the same squeaky red vinyl chairs, hissing coffee machine, and big, delicious pies lined up on the counter, proudly displayed on domed glass cake stands.

Starting point is 00:08:10 This morning, they have three kinds of pies, cherry, peach, and summer wildberry. build berry. Sam and Alfie take their seats by the large window, watching the morning mists which have descended from the mountains rolled gently through town. The roads are empty since most shops and businesses are still closed. Only the cafe is open as it always is very early in the morning to welcome visitors or to see off travelling locals. These days, Sam and Alfie are both visitors and locals in this town. In the distance, the mountains take on a dual blue tone, that of pale sapphire. But it's just a trick of the eye.

Starting point is 00:09:33 Up there, the forests are verdant with wildflowers in every known colour. colour, and when the sun shines brightly, a million iridescent sparks fill the air. The coffee is particularly good this morning, simple, hot and fragrant. Sam takes his with a dash of cream while Alfie prefers it black. Unlike the places in the city where the brothers now live, there are no endless options or questions one has to answer before getting coffee. Here a cup of coffee is the most straightforward, unassuming thing in life. As it should be, they both agree. Realising that, after all, they have more things in common than they usually expect to find. After breakfast, the brothers drive towards the mountains as far as the road will take them. as far as the road will take them. Then they park the car at the bottom of the hill. From this point on, the only way is on foot. It's a sunny day and the weather is perfect for a hike up to the lush forest above, where they

Starting point is 00:11:28 hope to find a good spot to spend the weekend. The brothers look at each other and smile as they take their first steps along the narrow path which is formed naturally over the years. Sam and Dalfi know that for the next few days it will be only them and the wild beauty of these untouched lands and boundless skies. It's a welcome change of pace from the usual busyness of life. In these parts, one of the most striking features is the changing face of their surroundings, with each season. The path which leads from the foot of the hill to the forest is lined mostly with quaking aspen trees. In the summer, the lush greenness of those spindly trees is deep and rich with the gentle warmth of the season. But later in the year, as autumn approaches, the leaves of the quaking aspen turn such a scintillating yellow that

Starting point is 00:13:10 one can hardly believe it's the same tree. It's not a sudden change. It happens by degrees as summer fades into autumn. For Sam, this is what he loves most about the area. How nature takes its time to change, and how the changes follow some invisible, mysterious logic governed by the Earth's movement and its proximity to the Sun. Returning here each year for his annual camping trip with his brother. Doesn't only feel like returning to the place where they grew up. Being here also feels like returning to some original source of life. Where time stands still, and a person is free to simply be part of nature.

Starting point is 00:14:32 Alfie walks a little bit ahead of his brother along the trail. is still a few hours away, and he is hoping to reach the old creek by then. Once the sun is high in the sky, it will get quite warm, and he won't be able to wait to get out of his dusty hiking clothes and call himself off in the crystal-clear waters of the creek. Perhaps he'll even do a little angling and see if the fish are biting today. His usual spot in the fork of the creek never disappoints. There, he has been known to catch some good juicy rainbow trout and brook trout, even pike sometimes. Sometimes. Hopefully, Alfie thinks half allowed. That will take care of dinner for the evening. He thinks he can almost hear the rush of the sometimes quite the walking, breathing in the

Starting point is 00:16:12 fresh mountain air. A day like this is hard to beat, when the sky is brilliantly blue, the air is sweet and warm, and the song of wild birds cascades from the tree tops. Here and there they see a styling, a meadowlark, or a song sparrow, flying among the wispy white clouds. The further they walk, the closer they feel to the mountains, the trees, and the animals that roam these hills and valleys. The creek is particularly clear today. Sometimes if it rains upstream, the waters can turn a little muddy. But now there isn't a cloud in the sky and the rushing stream sparkles in the noon summer sun. Casting off bursts of golden sparks each time the water rolls over

Starting point is 00:17:40 a rock or branch. All along the banks of the creek there are majestic riverbatches. Over time exposed to the winds and the stream below, the trees have gently dipped towards the water. The crowns of each row of trees on both banks almost touch midway across the creek, creating a leafy canopy, shielding it from the hot sun above. The light falls in gentle streaks through the branches and leaves of the river birch trees, creating a soft atmosphere in this otherwise untouched part of the world, where nature is still free to be wild. Sam and Alfie decide that this is the perfect place to set up their tent for the weekend.

Starting point is 00:19:10 The last year they chose a spot down in the valley, in the heart of a glade surrounded by wildflowers and sugar maple trees. There they saw a white-tailed deer and her young grazing near their tent. From here, they're more likely to spot the white-tailed deer, coming to drink from the stream and cool off, or to see a busy beaver working on a dam. Whichever spot they choose in these woods, it always reveals a special part of nature and the natural order. As Alfie wades into the water to try his luck with the rainbow trout and pike, Sam watches in quite wonder the visual harmony all around him.

Starting point is 00:20:17 The trees, the creek, the tall grass, and the birds above all form a perfect picture, even though each is part of a wild of its own. When he was a little boy, his favourite thing was to lie in the grass and watch the clouds roll by, trying to decide what shape each looked like. Now he lowers himself slowly onto the grass, which is a little wet and cool from the creek next to it, and looks up. The cool grass feels good against his hot skin, after a long hike in the summer sun. It's fresh scent is reinvigorating and its silky smoothness caresses the back of his neck and shoulders. Up in the sky a few white clouds appear. Some can see the shape of a horse, a volcano, a star, and even a cloud that looks like a buffalo, the kind that used to live in this area many years ago.

Starting point is 00:22:07 It's the most pleasant feeling in the world, he thinks, to breathe in the mountain air. Smell the freshness of summer grass. Listen to the gentle babble of the creek, while watching soft puffy clouds chase each other across a blue sky. Sam must have dosed off, because when he opens his eyes, he sees that Alfie has already let her fire and is grilling the fish he's caught in the creek. He goes over to his brother and Alfie hands him a plate. They eat well, enjoying the delicious freshly caught fish. A hearty homemade potato salad brought along by Sam and good bread from the bakery in town. The ingredients of this meal are few and simple, but neither Sam nor Alfie feels like there

Starting point is 00:23:32 is anything missing. After lunch, both brothers feel particularly good and are ready to explore their surroundings. They put out the fire safely, get their backpacks and head towards the forest. They do not know exactly what they might be looking for, but decide to hike a bit further up the mountain where they've heard there are some old caves. A large plateau wraps around the mountain side. Sam and Alfie stand there, looking over the lush valley ahead, carpeted in the most beautiful shades of green. They can't see the creek from up here, but they can see all the way across the valley, where the other side of the mountain range appears as a misty blue against the electric

Starting point is 00:24:56 blue of the wonders of the world, Alfie thinks to himself. Up a narrow road, there is what looks like the entrance to a cave. Sam motions to Alfie to follow. They enter carefully, but realize quickly that this cave is a thing of beauty, and not a desolate place. Air, wind and water have, after thousands of years, eroded the outside of the cave walls and left it pockmarked with round holes, which let in the sunlight. Shafts of bright white light shine into the cave from its sides and roof, creating an almost kaleidoscopic play of light and shadow all around them. Further inside the cave they find a natural

Starting point is 00:26:30 pool that glows turquoise in the daylight coming through the roof above. The water is crystalline and the ripples of the surface reflect on the walls of the cave. White wavering flickers of light dancing all around them. Sam follows the reflected ripples along the cave walls with his eyes. They lead his gaze to a wall on the far side of the cave, where the shafts of light can't quite reach. He walks over and is met with an amazing sight. Sam calls his brother to join him, who is still by the pool, refilling his water bottle with fresh water from the spring. ring. Look, Sam says with wonder, pointing to the colorful wall in front of them. I've never seen anything quite like it, Alfie shares his brother's amazement. They are standing in front of what must be ancient cave art. The images on

Starting point is 00:28:14 the rock face are a mix of pictographs, painted pictures in colours of brown, red and rust, and petroglyphs, images carved into the surface of the cave wall. At first glance, Sam and Alfie can see certain images that are not difficult to identify. can see certain images that are not difficult to identify. Elk, Buffalo, Bards and Spears. There are also different human forms painted and carved on the wall, but these are not as easy to interpret. Some could be scenes depicting hunting, others could be depicting celebrations or other rituals given the wide, dramatic arm gestures. But it's hard to tell since the carvings and painted forms have blended over time into the cave's rocky surface. The brothers are standing in the same spot where many many years ago, men and women stood, carving and drawing images on the inside of this beautiful cave.

Starting point is 00:29:58 Perhaps they did so to share something with their contemporaries, or maybe to leave their art behind for people who would visit in the years to come. Standing in this spot where past and present connect makes both Sam and Alfie feel the full power and beauty of these mountains, these woods and the surrounding valleys. For all the years they've been visiting these parts. The brothers have never before come across rock art. The images of breathtaking, they both think. There is a special beauty in stories being shared through time. being shared through time. Sam looks at his watch and realizes that evening is nearing.

Starting point is 00:31:16 Even though the days are long in the summer and they have flashlights in their backpacks. He suggests that they start making their way down the mountain and back to their campsite. Alfie agrees. The sun is lower in the sky now and the air has grown cooler. Walking down the mountain path there is a pleasant breeze and it feels good on their faces which are warm from a day spent outdoors. Alfie cannot wait to get back to the creek and wash his face in the clear water. And Sam too, is eager to dip his feet in the fresh gushing stream and relax after a wonderful day of hiking and exploring these beautiful surroundings. When they finally get back to their camping spot, it is already dusk. The sky is a luscious, vibrant pink, and a flock of birds, no more than black silhouettes, races across the sky. Sam takes off his backpack and feels the relief of no longer carrying any extra weight. His shoulders relax,

Starting point is 00:33:13 his legs feel lighter and he is immersed with that sensation of being happily tired after a day of exercise. Sam enjoys that sort of pleasant fatigue that feels like a reward. It was how he would feel on summer evenings as a boy, after spending the whole day climbing trees and building thoughts with his brother and their friends. As the light continues to wane, Alfie notices that a little swarm of fireflies has gathered hovering over the creek. The forest and the mountains, he thinks to himself, are a place of constant action. There is always something going on.

Starting point is 00:34:27 This place never sleeps, he thinks, as he wades into the creek and fills his palms with the clear water, now an inky blue in the evening light. He splashes his face with it, feeling how it not only washes the dust and sweat from his skin, but relieves him of any lingering tension. They've only spent a day up here and already Alfie is feeling refreshed and renewed. He looks over at his brother Sam who is working on starting the fire to make dinner. Alfie is ready to eat after a day of climbing, hiking and exploring caves. Looking through the row of trees that line the opposite bank of the creek. Alfie can see flickers of deep blue among their branches, the evening sky along the horizon. He remembers a story somebody once told him in childhood. It was the story of a curious little woodmouse that lived in this forest. The woodmouse was adventurous and always looking for something new to discover and see. What he wanted to explore most of all was the other side of the mountain range, the ridge

Starting point is 00:36:38 across the valley. Every time the wood mouse looked over there, he saw that the mountains were a splendid medley of blues. They seemed to be so much more enchanting than the greens and browns that surrounded him. He imagined that it must be so beautiful over there, across the valley, a whole world, the same colour as the sky. One day, the woodmouse decided to cross the valley and reach the other side. He made his way through the forest, down the mountain side, and headed towards the blue mountains on the horizon. horizon. Along the way he managed to evade the hawks and eagles, soaring overhead. And along the way he made new friends like a rabbit and a red squirrel. Crossing the valley was the most adventurous thing he'd ever done in his life. But as he approached the opposite side, he started to think about a world that was only different shades of blue, and wondered if that was where he wanted to live, because he had begun to miss his forest. The trees that he knew, the glades where

Starting point is 00:38:39 he roamed. When he reached the mountain range, he was stunned to realise that up close, it was not all blue, but the same colours as his mountains back home. And when he turned back and looked towards home, he saw that now his mountain was a magical blue in the distance. The woodmouse realised that everything he had ever wanted had been there all along. But he was happy to have gone on an adventure and made new friends along the way. Thinking to himself now, Alfie realizes he has always felt like the curious woodmouse. He has always sought out new adventures around the world, and he has always been happy to return here to come home. The true beauty of a night sky can only ever be seen out in nature, far from the cities and the city lights. As Sam and Alfie finish their dinner, the sun has set completely and endless sparking stars

Starting point is 00:40:49 barking stars cover the entire dome of the sky above. It almost feels like being in space, a childhood fantasy for both brothers. The brothers sit silently by the fire. It crackles and sparks, and flickering embers glow at the heart of it, casting shadows all around. The woods around them are quiet now, and the night air is a little chilly. It feels good to sit by the fire and its soft warmth. From one of the coolers, Alfie takes out the desserts. Slices of cherry, peach, and summer wild berry pie, bought at the cafe earlier in the day. They divide the slices between them and serve them with hot cups of tea which are brewed right there on the fire. The tartness of the cherries, the delicate sweetness of the peaches, and the zestiness of the berries,

Starting point is 00:42:29 taste like little bites for bed. The night is clear and the air is pleasant. Both Sam and Alfie take their sleeping bags out of the tent and decide to turn in right there under the sky. Constellations they have looked at since they were little boys. Sometimes, they even find new clusters of stars and clouds that take the shapes of familiar objects. They point these out to one another. That looks like an oak tree, and that's like a cat. That one is reminiscent of those thoughts we used to build. And softly, gently, instead of counting sheep, they end up counting stars and their endless patterns, until they fall asleep, dreaming of new on the old mountain. ... ... ... ... you ... ... ... ... 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.

Starting point is 00:51:06 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 00:51:22 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

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Restful Camping Trip

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