Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Journey to the World Above

Starting point is 00:00:00 Tonight's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. 2024 is flying by, and when life goes so fast, it's important to take a moment to celebrate your wins. To take stock and make any necessary adjustments to help you thrive throughout the rest of the year. Therapy can help you reflect on your progress and set achievable goals for the next six months. My most recent therapist was great at setting me week-to-week tasks and goals, which we agreed upon together, and building that sense of progress and accomplishment over a gradual period helped me immensely. So if you're thinking of starting therapy, give Better Help a try.

Starting point is 00:00:48 It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Take a moment for yourself. Visit betterhelp.com slash get sleepy to get 10% off your first month. to get 10% off your first month, that's betterhelphelp.com slash get sleepy. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name is Thomas, thank you for tuning in. Please be sure to hit subscribe or follow on whichever platform you're listening on. Not only will it help you stay up to date with our latest episodes so you never miss out on a good night's rest, but it will help us to reach more new listeners and further our mission to help the world get better sleep. Once that's done, you can leave your device to one side and settle down.

Starting point is 00:02:11 settle down. In tonight's story, the first part of a series, we'll be traveling beyond the clouds. We'll meet Clementine, a girl who lives in London. Her visit to a bookshop leads to the most magical adventure in the world above. It was written by Shorna and I have the pleasure of reading it for you. Before we hear our story, let's take some time, just as we always do, to prepare ourselves for an idyllic night's sleep. Make sure you're nice and comfortable, and just come to a place of stillness where you can focus your attention on the here and now. As you lie in bed, you can give yourself permission to let go of any lingering thoughts or reminders, they can wait until tomorrow. Just turn your attention inward as you focus on my voice.

Starting point is 00:03:37 Feel the rise and fall of your chest and stomach, and try to just gradually slow your breathing, which in turn will relax your nervous system and help the rest of your body settle even more. To complement those deep soothing breaths, I want you to say to yourself, I am calm. And I like to use the pattern of the breath as a guide, yourself I am peaceful. I am grateful. And finally, affirm to yourself, I am sleepy. Perfect. Allow that greater sense of calm, peace, gratitude, and sleepiness to cradle you in comfort tonight. While you relax, just listen to the sound of my voice as we begin tonight's story. It all starts misty bookshop windows. People outside chatted to one another as they sloshed through

Starting point is 00:07:09 puddles. The bell above the bookshop door rang softly as Clementine stepped inside. She smelled that mild, familiar scent, dust, and brand new books. And the bookshop was just as she remembered it, larger on the inside than it seemed from the outside, and quaint and welcoming. The floors were made out of hard oak and creaked ever so slightly as she walked on them. Clementine was a regular visitor, so the creak of the floorboards didn't bother her. It faded into the background, along with the shuffling of feet from incoming customers, and the sound of turning pages. Antique light fixtures were dotted around the ceiling of the shop,

Starting point is 00:08:37 and the light they emitted had a yellowish tint. Clementine shook the rain off her yellow coat and placed it on the rack that stood next to the entrance. Then she put her yellow umbrella in the nearby stand. As the door of the bookshop shut off the outside world, Clementine heard the ambient hum of customers' whispers. It was like a gentle undercurrent, not even prominent enough to be called noise. Frederick, the shopkeeper, waved at Clementine from behind a book. Frederick was a kind middle-aged man with green eyes and a magnificent beard. His hair swept over his scalp and across his forehead in a glorious fashion. Clementine waved back, but it was too late. Frederick had once again dived head-first into the book he was reading, and was lost to the world.

Starting point is 00:10:12 It was one of the quiet joys of Clementine's day to stop by the bookshop on her way home from school and meander through the seemingly endless rows of books. The walls of the shop were a dark blue and Clementine found this appropriate. She believed the walls to be a metaphor for the imagination, or how far a book can take you to the sky and beyond. The bookshelves were mahogany and spaced so they were no more or less than a meter apart. so they were no more or less than a meter apart. Clementine turned a corner and continued to wander until she heard a thud. She looked behind her, but there was no one there. Hello, she called out, but no one responded.

Starting point is 00:11:44 Clementine looked down, and in the middle of the floor was a thick, blue, leather-bound book. She approached it cautiously. As she knelt on the floor, the most remarkable thing occurred. The pages began to move. She scooped the book off the floor and into her arms, and then closed it to admire the front cover. The lettering was recessed and gilded. She whispered the title of the book as though it were a secret, The World Above, and as she said it, a smile touched her lips. At that exact moment, a strong gust of wind blew the door open and rushed through the bookshop, along with a considerable amount of leaves. Frederick grunted, somewhat aggravated that his reading had been so rudely interrupted. He walked to the door and shut it, all the while mumbling to

Starting point is 00:13:16 himself. Clutching the book against her chest, Clementine slowly approached Frederick. Above the desk hung a large, exquisite clock. It was already five o'clock. Soon, it would be time for dinner, and her mother would most probably be wondering what had delayed her. Frederick's nose resided deep in his book, and Clementine didn't have the heart to disturb him. One minute went by, then two and three.

Starting point is 00:14:13 Clementine began to fidget, shifting her weight from one leg to the other and back again. She bit her lip and looked at the clock. Frederick asked if she was in a rush and Clementine nodded. He told her that she could have the book provided she answered one question. Do you believe in magic? Clementine thought the question rather peculiar. Do I believe in magic? A long time ago, Clementine had believed ardently. She believed the authors of her bedtime stories to be historians rather than fiction writers. She believed in the To fairy and the Easter bunny and Father Christmas. That was until she had the talk with her parents. But then, last December, she had crawled out of bed to her window, and she had seen the shapes of a plump man, reindeer, and sleigh move across the jingle of bells, the melodic sound of chuckles, and tiny hooves on snow.

Starting point is 00:16:15 And in that moment, Clementine had done something she thought she would never do again – believe. Now, holding the book more tightly than before, she looked into the green eyes of the bookshop owner and grinned. She told him that she did believe. Frederick let out a chuckle. He told Clementine that the book was hers, and not to forget her umbrella, because she would be needing it. her umbrella because she would be needing it. Then he chuckled again and picked up his book and away with the giants and fairies he went off to the land of story. Clementine put on her coat and scarf, then pushed the book into her rucksack. She

Starting point is 00:17:35 grabbed her yellow umbrella and waved goodbye to Frederick. Although he was reading, he still managed to see her from the corner of his eye and waved back. Outside, the weather was grim. Though it was drizzling, the clouds seemed continuously heavy. Greyish water ran off the pavement and into the gutter. The pavement was covered with leaves, many brown, a few green, and a great deal the color of butter. An icy gust of wind blew in Clementine's direction, so she buried her face deeper into her scarf and kept walking. her into her scarf and kept walking. People rushed and cars drove by, splashing water onto the pavement and wetting the bottom of Clementine's tights. She groaned and walked on. Another gust of wind came, lifting her hand and the umbrella it was holding toward the

Starting point is 00:19:16 sky. Clementine pulled the umbrella closer to her body. Then another gust came with such force it lifted not only the umbrella, but Clementine as well, so that she was on her tiptoes. She fought with the wind as if it had a mind of its own, grunting, sighing, and heaving. Just when she thought she had bested the wind, another gust came, but this time, the air was warm, and it did more than simply barrel through the streets and shake a few trees. It lifted Clementine clean off the pavement. clean off the pavement. She squeaked with surprise,

Starting point is 00:20:34 but the streets were now empty and the cars had all disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the smell of exhaust pipes. Clementi's legs dangled in midair before she settled back on the pavement. But she had no time to heave a sigh of relief as another gust came. It lifted her higher this time, and away she went. She attempted to grab onto something, a washing line or a lamp post, but they were all out of reach. But they were all out of reach. As Clementine flew upwards, she watched the and power lines, beyond trees and chimney tops. London was now a patch of brown and black and green. Realizing there was nothing much she could do, she gripped tightly onto the handle of her umbrella. There was a significant thrill, a joy even, soaring where she thought only birds could

Starting point is 00:22:24 reach. As Clementine approached the clouds, she saw a family in a hot air balloon. The parents were pleasantly surprised, and the children waved excitedly. Clementine smiled and waved back, though she was sure to grip the umbrella tightly as she did so. And then, just like the pavement, the family receded out of view. Clementine broke through the clouds and now had an expansive view of the heavens. Beyond the first layer of murky, grayish atmosphere, the sky was pale blue, with white swuffs of clouds dotted all over it. Still higher she rose, and her joy turned to wonder in an instant. The clouds were now pink.

Starting point is 00:24:02 Clementine was gently placed on one of them. The umbrella closed, wrapped the clasp around itself, and positioned itself amazement, her feet sank into the clouds as if she were wading through snow. The clouds weren't exactly weightless, but they were not of any texture that she could place. She looked around. Next to her was a rather large sign that read, Pickup Point. pickup point. Clementine scratched her head and sat on the cloud cross-legged. And just then, she heard a sound in the distance, a choo-choo sound. She looked up. A steam train approached out of nowhere and steadily made its way towards Clementine. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the world around her had morphed into a magnificent train station. Trains pulled into the station and left at an exponential speed, but there were no ticket stands and no train attendants. With a warm gust

Starting point is 00:26:12 of wind, another train arrived, all steel and smoke, and then slowed to a halt. It paused on the tracks in the clouds, proud in its polished grandeur. A brown-haired boy stepped out of the train and smiled. He had bubblegum cheeks, white teeth, and a slender up in Clementine's mind. Finally, the words she was searching for came to her, and she asked him where they were. they were. Without hesitation, the boy told her, the world above, and he reached out his hand towards Clementine. The world above, thought Clementine. She dug into her bag and pulled out the blue leather-bound book, and of course, the same words were written across the front of it. Timothy chuckled. I've been looking for that, he said.

Starting point is 00:28:09 He explained that a long time ago, there was a bookshop owner who lived in the world above. It was no secret that this man wanted to travel, and he was also known to collect old books he had found and give them a new life by putting them on the shelves of his shop. Clementine had always suspected there was something unusual about Frederick, the bookshop keeper. Timothy's hand was still suspended in midair. At last, Clementine's curiosity got the better of her. With a deep breath and a smile, she took Timothy's hand and stepped into the carriage.

Starting point is 00:29:35 The walls and floors were carpeted in blue, and all the mahogany, the table, the doors, and the frames around the windows were inlaid with gold. The wood shone as though it had been freshly polished. Clementine sat on a seat that was so plush, she was sure she would sink into it indefinitely. She sighed, closed her eyes for a moment, and took deep breaths in and out. and out. Outside the window, the air from the train blew the clouds upwards. The only thing visible was a continuous stream of pink fog. Clementine leaned closer to the window and looked up. She watched the pink clouds rise towards whatever existed above the world above. The clouds seemingly unraveled into tufts, and then, at the very last moment, disappeared into nothing. Timothy and Clementine arrived at Candyland and stepped off the train.

Starting point is 00:31:30 Children pushed each other on swings that were constructed from confectionery. The swing seats were made of cookies and the chains attached to them were candy canes. Wanting to get a closer look, Clementine stepped towards the park. Her feet sank into a bed of something lush and soft – grass. of something lush and soft – grass. Timothy bent down and plucked a blade out of the soil and placed it in his mouth. Clementine looked surprised, but Timothy chuckled. He bent down once more and plucked another blade. Clementine wondered if in the world above, grass was some sort of delicacy. She placed the grass on her tongue, and it dissolved into granules like sugar. Then she noticed that the flowers weren't flowers, but lollipops.

Starting point is 00:33:12 but lollipops. She pulled one out of the soil, which was not soil, but in fact, chocolate cake. Timothy and Clementine wandered around the town. Clementine watched old women with brooms shoo children away for breaking off pieces of their gingerbread houses and eating them. As a joke, Timothy approached one of the gingerbread houses and swiped his fingers along one of the neatly piped edges of frosting. Clementine erupted into fits of giggles when a woman came out of the front door and swatted him away with her broom as if he were a pesky fly. as if he were a pesky fly. Timothy simply licked the frosting clean off his fingers, while the woman huffed and returned inside. A little later, Timothy and Clementine arrived at the Chocolate Lagoon, which was located

Starting point is 00:34:31 directly next to Sherbet Hill. Sherbet Hill was exquisitely yellow and sparkled with the granules of sugar encrusted into it. Some children tumbled down the hill while others sat near its base, dipping all sorts of things into the chocolate lagoon. lagoon. Timothy plucked two twigs with marshmallows off the chocolate tree nearby, each detached from the tree with a satisfying snap. Clementine ate the last of her marshmallows and chewed on the chocolate twig it was attached to. She thought about what a wonderful place this was, where it was eternally warm but the chocolate didn't melt, where one could eat as many sweets as one wished and never feel sick. It was beyond wonderful, beyond tremendous.

Starting point is 00:36:13 tremendous. It was splendid, and perhaps even beyond that. At last, when it was time to leave, Timothy reached out his hand and Clementine took it. Before stepping back onto the train, Timothy grabbed a fistful of cloud and took a large bite out of it. Clementine, now knowing better than to respond with confusion, simply copied him. The fluff of the clouds disintegrated into strands of sugar in her mouth. It was candy floss. Clementine thought that if she lived in the world above like Timothy, perhaps she wouldn't find it quite so exciting. Eventually, she would become accustomed to all the wonderful things that could be found here. And then, another thought dawned on her.

Starting point is 00:37:40 Clementine asked how long she had been gone for because she was certain she had missed tea. Timothy told her that time worked differently in the world above. She would be home before tea with a few minutes to spare. For a sizeable portion of the train journey, Timothy tried to explain the pros and cons of various toadstools. Red and brown, large and small. Toadstools could be used by those native to the world above to travel from place to place. The trains were mostly for newcomers and visitors. Timothy loved all modes of transport and had no preference, but there was certainly something special about the red toadstools. At a certain point, Clementine decided she'd heard enough about toadstools

Starting point is 00:39:04 and slowly tuned the boy out. Swayed by the movements of the train, they both found themselves succumbing to blissful sleep. A good while later, Timothy woke from his slumber and shook Clementine's shoulder. He whispered that they were at the next destination. The two stepped off the train into the pink fog. As the clouds settled, Clementine saw something green and hefty twist and turn heavenwards. Though it had smaller vines and leaves, it resembled a tree trunk. When Clementine pointed out the unknown vegetation, Timothy said that it was a beanstalk, and they should probably get out of the way. get out of the way. Before Clementine could ask why, a large boot landed next to them. Her eyes trailed the boot all the way up, and she saw a friendly face beaming down at her. The giant waved at Timothy, who in turn waved back. With a chuckle, the giant stepped over the train and found a path that led in the opposite direction.

Starting point is 00:41:10 From a distance, he hollered to stay safe. Timothy guided Clementine to the edge of the path, and they made their way into town. Soon, they arrived at the marketplace. Clementine thought it resembled London in a way. Adult giants carried bags of groceries and new clothes, while the giant children played games, weaving in and out of the adults. The streets in town were lined with perfectly paved gray cobblestones, lined with perfectly paved gray cobblestones, and after every few shops, there were black street lamps just like the ones on Clementine Street. While Timothy and Clementine observed the comings and goings of the giants. A plump hand wrapped itself around Clementine's body so that her arms were squashed next to her sides.

Starting point is 00:42:40 The hand belonged to a toddler giant who believed Clementine to be a toy. The father giant apologized on behalf of his daughter and introduced himself as Pemble. He then asked Timothy and Clementine where they needed to get to. Clementine told him that she promised her mother she'd be home for tea. The giant smiled and said not to worry. He would get Clementine to the nearest drop-off point. Pemble told his wife he'd be back soon, and off they went. went. For ease of transport, the giant placed Timothy and Clementine on his shoulder. Timothy spent the time pointing out the various lands and towns below.

Starting point is 00:44:14 At one point, Clementine rested her tiny hand on Pemble's neck, which made him laugh. It tickled, he told her. Soon, a train station and a large cloud came into view. Timothy pointed eagerly. Pemble placed the children on the cloud and smiled. It had been lovely meeting the two of them. Timothy and Clementine nodded in gratitude. And it seemed that with a single step, Pemble disappeared into the distance. Clementine embraced Timothy with both arms. Timothy squeezed her back. He had done this many times before. He'd guided and seen off a multitude of travelers, but he'd grown particularly fond of Clementine.

Starting point is 00:45:31 It was okay, though. He knew they would meet again. Timothy told Clementine to open her umbrella, then jump and wish for home. He explained that the winds from the world above would guide her exactly where she needed to be. And after a long pause, he told Clementine to look after his book and keep it safe. After all, it was her passport. Timothy watched Clementine wish for home and jump. He leaned over a cloud and raised his hand in farewell as Clementine descended into the wild below. She landed right in front of her house, the house with the yellow door, and knocked firmly. Her mother opened it. Timothy had kept his promise. She was home before tea. That evening, as Clementine thought about her visit to the world above, she couldn't sleep. She was consumed with all she had seen and smelled.

Starting point is 00:47:31 The yellow umbrella leaned on the wall near the window, and the book was on her bedside table. bedside table. Clementine looked at them once more and soothed herself with the thought that she'd had enough adventure for one day. She breathed a deep breath and smiled. She knew the world above and Timothy were not far off. She would most certainly see them again. Clementine stretched her limbs and, in no time at all, found herself drifting You You You You I'm going to go ahead and start the video. You I'm going to go ahead and start the video. You The... You I'm going to go ahead and start the video. You You You You I'm going to go ahead and start the video. You You You You You You You You You you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Journey to the World Above

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