Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Tranquil Trip to Madeira

Starting point is 00:00:00 Before tonight's episode, I want to let you know about our supporters' feed Get Sleepy Premium, the best way to experience the show and get a good night's sleep. With Get Sleepy Premium, everything is ad-free. You'll receive a bonus episode every week, and have full access to our entire back catalogue. Your support really helps, and means so much to us. Simply tap the link in the show notes to learn more. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make it possible for us to bring you two three episodes each week. Imagine how much better the world would be if everyone woke up well-rested every day.

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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, where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host Thomas, thank you so much for tuning in. Our story tonight takes us to the breathtaking Portuguese island of Madera, where a woman named Sylvia is enjoying a relaxing vacation and the bounty from both land and sea that can be found in this special place. Just to remind her for anyone who didn't hear me mention it before, we currently have a Get Sleepy Listener survey live on our website that we would love for you to complete if

Starting point is 00:02:33 you can spare a couple of minutes to do so. I'll put a direct link in the show notes, or you can go to our contact page on GetSleepy.com and find it there. Your feedback is completely anonymous but incredibly valuable for the team and I to understand what you love best about the show and where we can improve. So a big thank you if you do manage to fill it out. So my friends, it's time that we settle in and get nice and cozy in bed. Ready for a good night's sleep.

Starting point is 00:03:18 As any long time listeners will know, I still find it difficult to switch off and get as much sleep as I'd like myself. One thing I find to be very effective with helping me restore a karma mind frame is a repeated affirmation of sorts. And I'd like to share it with you now. to share it with you now. So breathing as steadily as you can, trying to regulate a consistent pattern. You can reassure yourself that there is no danger be made here and now. You don't have to repeat all of those affirmations. You're welcome to just take one or two. Or perhaps you'll find you can adapt them to better soothe your own mind with whatever you need to affirm to it.

Starting point is 00:04:57 Of course, I hope that you're already feeling calm and relaxed. And if so, just maintain those consistent, gentle breaths and simply communicate to your mind. I am relaxed and ready for a deep, restorative sleep. With your body and mind in the right place, sleep will naturally follow. So, let's make our way to Madera. It's the perfect place to land if you want to get away and that's what Sylvia is doing right now. She's just landed and is sitting in the back of a taxi from the airport. Sylvia relaxes into the cool leather seat of the taxi. She watches Funshore Airport drift away and is immediately enraptured with the view of Madera. Madera is a fertile island in the Atlantic, just west of Morocco. It is the tip of an ancient volcano deep and green that Sylvia imagines the secrets of a world are hiding there.

Starting point is 00:07:15 Funcial, the capital, is less a busy metropolis and more a dusting of tile-topped buildings across the hills and valleys. Between cream-colored houses, with rust-colored hats, are banana trees. In fact, every inch of the ground in the city that is too steep for a building is populated with banana trees. The bunches of still-green bananas are covered in protective canvas bags, like sacks of presents waiting to be opened. to be opened. Sylvia can't help but be amazed at the way the roads twist and turn gracefully with each hill and valley. Tunnels and bridges are numerous, but each piece of infrastructure on the island seems to be designed to preserve the natural beauty

Starting point is 00:08:27 of the mountainous terrain. As the taxi goes through town, Sylvia spots a local park filled to the brim with more plant species than she has ever seen in one place. There are huge cacti standing like sentinels. There are sprawling succulents, a thousand times bigger than the little ones she manages to grow in her apartment back home. There are elephant ear plants with leaves so large she could wrap herself in one. Sylvia makes a mental note to explore the park further tomorrow. The dark volcanic soil on Madera makes it a fruitful island, allowing the locals to be

Starting point is 00:09:31 nearly self-sufficient. They grow bananas and sugarcane as their main exports. The smaller neighboring Dezertis islands are still uninhabited, but teams of locals sail to them in turns to act as custodians of the wild flora and fauna. Medirins take great pride in carrying not only for their own island, but also for the deserts. Sylvia's taxi drops her off at the Marina. She thanks the driver for the ride, his good service, and for taking her luggage to the hotel for her. He tells her to have fun and thanks her for visiting Madera. Sylvia walks from beneath the shade of massive palm trees and onto the boardwalk. It is lined on one side with boat tour companies, seafood restaurants and bars. On the other side are boats of all kinds floating peacefully

Starting point is 00:10:58 on the glistening water. water. Sylvia has a few minutes before the first event of her vacation and decides to get a closer look at the water. She perches on a large grey rock that juts out from the boardwalk and peers into the water. It is clear and clean like a piece of aquamarine glass. Sylvia notices some motion just under the surface. She watches the crabs going about their activities. She watches the crabs going about their activities. Some relax in the sun while others seem to be engaged in serious crab business. Before long Sylvia leaves the crabs for a dolphin and whale watching tour. She and a few other tourists put on life tests and take their seats in a bright yellow boat. The skipper and the biologist that lead the tour welcome everyone on board. The biologist, a local woman named Carolina,

Starting point is 00:12:37 tells them that the morning boat tour saw a lot of animals, and she is hopeful for the same this afternoon. The skipper Antonio expertly guides the yellow boat out of the marina and into the open ocean. They stay near the shore following the coast around the island. From here, Sylvia can enjoy the beautiful landscape from a new perspective. Outside of Funchal, there are great swathes of mountainside covered in emerald green vegetation. Around the peak of the mountain is a permanent crown of fluffy white clouds. The clouds seem soft and weightless. They remind Sylvia of a picture of herself at age 5, sitting in the bathtub wearing a crown and a beard of bubbles that weighed nothing at all. Sylvia turns her attention back toward the land.

Starting point is 00:13:57 The island is larger than Sylvia realised and she appreciates that much of the terrain outside the towns has been left wild. Sylvia closes her eyes for a moment and enjoys the energising feeling of the sea spray and the wind in her hair. The boat slows outside a small village on the coast. Carolina tells everyone that another boat saw a seal in this area half an hour ago. She encourages everyone to be patient and keep their eyes peeled. After a few moments Sylvia sees a little grey blue head bobbing in the water. Everyone is delighted by the sight of such a normally shy creature. The seal examines their boat curiously. Sylvia is struck by its large, soulful eyes. The seal snorts playfully at the boat before disappearing into the blue water. As Sylvia and the other tourists turn to one another, they realize that they are all smiling with silent joy from the encounter. Carolina congratulates It regulates them on the experience, pointing out that it is rare to see a seal, even for

Starting point is 00:15:47 her. Antonio takes the boat further out to sea, where they have a higher chance of spotting whales or dolphins. While there are a few companies on the island that run tours like this, all of them are fiercely protective of their waters and animal life. Carolina tells the passengers that they stay with a group of animals for no longer than 10 minutes, so as not to stress them out. And they never go swimming with the animals during carving season.

Starting point is 00:16:39 Carolina Beams as she declares to the boat that carving season means a lot of babies are around and to have their cameras at the ready. Just then, Antonio slows the boat and points to a particular area in the water. They have come across a pot of spotted dolphins. Sylvia is amazed at the speed with which they chase one another around. Carolina points out how many mothers and calves there are, more than Sylvia can even count. The spotted dolphins are recognizable by the spots on their sides and bellies. The small dolphins circle around the boat, jumping and playing. They are attracted to the yellow colour, but Carolina reassures the group that this is also because dolphins are intelligent creatures.

Starting point is 00:17:49 She says that they know when they meet other friendly beings like humans. After ten delightful minutes of laughing and watching. Antonio announces that it is time to move on. He tells everyone to sit down and the boat begins to move. Then Carolina gets a call on her radio that common dolphins have been seen, not far from their location. The common dolphins are slightly larger and have a grey stripe down their sides. This pod is less playful than the last and is intent on fishing. less playful than the last and is intent on fishing. Everyone in the boat watches in awe as these intelligent aquatic mammals coordinate with one another to feed on a shell of sardines. After a few minutes, the boat turns back towards land.

Starting point is 00:19:09 As Antonio urges the yellow boat faster, Sylvia is enveloped by the wonderful feeling of the wind whipping her hair. She takes a deep breath in, unable to keep a wide smile from breaking across her face, and laughs in pure joy. As the boat returns to the marina and slows, Sylvia reflects on the excursion. She is overjoyed. She has never seen animals that intimately out in the wild. Sylvia takes a moment to appreciate the way Carolina and Antonio put the safety of mediris animal neighbours first. She thanks them for an unforgettable day. Back on dry land, Sylvia decides to wander through downtown Funchal. She turns inland from the marina and follows

Starting point is 00:20:29 the cobblestone streets uphill. Her attention is caught by the sound of music drifting from an alleyway. Sylvia follows the alley to its end and is greeted by an array of colours, rhythms and sweet scents. She has happened upon the Flower Festival. There are stalls selling Maderaan cultural items and trinkets, such as court cats and purses. A sweet young girl helping her mother run the court stall, offers Sylvia a poppy, the flower of Madera. The scent of the flower immediately eclipseses at flower stores, in women's hair, growing from huge pots dotted along the street. It is a heavenly walk through the sweetest perfumes. There are beautiful women in traditional outfits covered in flowers.

Starting point is 00:22:09 They're colorful skirts gliding around them as they stop to chat and take pictures with anyone who asks. They seem to be almost floating down the streets like brightly coloured angels. There is a small concert in the square with jazz music. Sylvia stops to listen to an older woman with a beautiful voice, sing a lovely rendition of Come Fly with me. She feels as though she could fly to the moon with no help at all. A Sylvia wanders away from the busy streets and up the mountain. from the busy streets and up the mountain. She appreciates the way the small alleys are roofed with flags or flowers. A pair of cats lounge in a pile in the sun. One of them

Starting point is 00:23:18 opens an eye as Sylvia approaches and detangles itself. Sylvia pets the cat for a few minutes before it returns to its nap. Sylvia continues her walk up the mountain following signs for a famous local landmark. Following signs for a famous local landmark, she is enticed by the rumor of gardens so beautiful that they rival those of Babylon. It is one of the reasons she was so keen to visit Madera. When she reaches the botanical gardens, she finds them even more incredible than she imagined. They cover a massive area with seemingly endless varieties of plant life. of plant life. Silvia starts at the top and slowly begins her descent through the gardens. Along the many paths are tiles set into the garden walls depicting the history of Madera. The tiles are all hand painted and bright. Some areas simply have tiles with patterns, each one more complex and beautiful than the last. As she walks, flowers, shrubs and trees, vibe for her attention.

Starting point is 00:25:11 Sylvia is drawn to a twisted olive tree with a thick trunk and small blue leaves. A plaque at the base of the tree tells her that it is over a thousand years old. It lived for nearly 500 years in Rome before the Romans brought it to Madera and planted it on the island. Sylvia reflects on the centuries of history this tree has seen as she examines its white bark. Birds sing throughout the garden and Sylvia can hear a peacock in the distance. She happens upon a small pond with stepping stones that take her to the peacock enclosure. A large bird caused her as she approaches. He is perched on a branch nearly 15 feet in the air.

Starting point is 00:26:22 His iridescent tail is draped behind him. Each of the feathers ends with an eye that shines purple, gold and green in the afternoon sun. His blue green body shimmers as he raises his head and gives another soulful call. Sylvia attempts to mimic his call and receives a ruffled look in return. Further down the path Sylvia finds a red bridge that crosses a small creek. She stops and enjoys the view for a moment. From this point, she can see all the way down the botanical gardens, each level and path leading to a new statue or exotic plant. Through the many shades of green, bright spots of orange catch our eye from the birds of paradise in bloom. Sweet smells are carried through the garden air by the ocean breeze.

Starting point is 00:27:51 Having descended through the gardens on one side, Sylvia decides to go back up again on the other. She doesn't want to miss a single thing. She reaches the gates of the botanical gardens just in time for the final tourists to filter out. It's closing time. Sylvia checks the sun and sees that it is still quite high in the sky. She wanders down a side street until she finds a path that leads down a valley.

Starting point is 00:28:38 Sylvia can hear water in the distance and makes up her mind to find the source. Green moss grows between each stone of the narrow, cobbled path. The way slopes down towards the sound of the water and is shaded by towering eucalyptus trees. They are not native to this island, but were planted here by the Portuguese settlers. Sylvia enjoys their relaxing scent in the air. The air becomes cooler, but not cold as she descends into the valley. The path remains clear and she can see that it leads up to the other side. Yellow, orange and pink flowers doted the way. Sylvia pauses to take a closer look at the sweet flowers.

Starting point is 00:29:50 The yellow ones look as though someone came with watercolor paint to give them all a little swipe of orange at the center. Bees fly between and around them. Sylvia continues on, eager to find the water. At the bottom of the valley there is a stone bridge that crosses a large creek. Sylvia peers over the bridge, watching the clear water running over the stones. Then she notices a simple footpath leading down to the creek. Sylvia follows it to the source, a waterfall that seems to spring from the very heart of the island itself. The water is crystal clear and the air is fresh. Sylvia traces the journey of the water in her mind. From the snow melt, it underneath the cloud crown of the island, down through water-carved

Starting point is 00:31:15 valleys, and finally to the happy creek at her feet. Sylvia climbs from bolder to bolder, down the creek to the rapids below the bridge. Here she finds a particularly large bolder and takes a comfortable seat. She feels the moss beneath her fingers, soft and velvety. She listens to the sound of the water. Something within her is calmed by its familiar rhythm. Her heart rate slows and she breathes more deeply. She watches the water move slowly downstream. Between and over any obstruction, water always finds a way. winds away. It flows, redirects, speeds up and slows down as needed. It makes its own path through nature, bringing fresh nutrients that sustain everything along the way. Beyond the sound of the water, Sylvia hears a delicate bird song, accompanied

Starting point is 00:32:52 by the rustling and whispering of the towering trees. She turns her eyes to the giants around her, to the giants around her and notices the soft movement of the upper branches. She allows her eyes to be unfocused and feels like she can see the island breathing through the movement of the trees. The sound of the creek in her ears is like the happy murmuring of the island telling her its secrets. Sylvia takes these moments to reconnect with her own body. She enjoys the feeling of breathing steadily in synchronicity with the breath of the trees. Beyond the bridge, Sylvia has a view of the rest of the grey clouds that flows from the mountain behind her to North Africa and to other points beyond. She imagines that the island of Madera is sending out a bit of itself on those clouds, some

Starting point is 00:34:23 of its peace and abundance. In her mind Sylvia joins the clouds journey. She begins at the very tip of the island. Below her she can see the whole of Madera, all green vegetation and black volcanic soil. The little houses and villages dot the mountain all the marina and compete into the shining sea. She spots the dolphins happy to play and eat around the island until the weather changes changes and they must make room for others in these clean, plentiful waters. Sylvia sees all of back to her body. She feels relaxed and rested and opens her eyes to the now orange sunlight.

Starting point is 00:36:01 The sun is setting and gently reminding her that it is time to start her journey back to town. Sylvia follows the steep footpath back to the bridge where she pauses. She takes a moment to appreciate the creek and her secret time here. As she turns to start her ascent back the way she came, Sylvia notices that the orange light of the sun has changed everything around her. The usually leaf-green trees are now a bright yellow green. The dark earth is sun-kissed. Even the yellow and orange flowers seem to glow with an inner brightness. The sun reflects off each cobblestone, so Sylvia feels as though she is following a path

Starting point is 00:37:13 of gold. Eventually she arrives at the top of the path, just in time to see the sun reach the horizon. Her way has led her to the top of the valley ridge, with a view of the west. The clouds over the ocean are painted orange, pink, purple and yellow. Each colour blends seamlessly into the next, creating half a dozen new shades in combination. They are set against the sky, which fades from light blue to a beautiful violet. As the sun dips its head, Sylvia notices stars are already starting to break through the dimming light. She observes how the few early stars glittering

Starting point is 00:38:30 in the sky mirror the sea below. With the sea and sky shining around her, Sylvia bids a final farewell Sylvia bits of final farewell to the sun and enjoys the end to her day on Madera. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... you ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Tranquil Trip to Madeira

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