Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Cora's Perfect Day

Episode Date: November 26, 2019

Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, we'll start with some breathing exercises to help you wind down. Then, Tom will tell us the story of a day in the life of a gentle, loving, and cherished pet dog. ����  Sound design: dog panting.    Support Us   - Get Sleepy’s Premium Feed: https://getsleepy.com/support/.  - Get Sleepy Merchandise: https://getsleepy.com/store.  - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-sleepy/id1487513861.    Connect  Stay up to date on all podcast news and even vote on upcoming episodes!  - Website: https://getsleepy.com/.  - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getsleepypod/.  - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getsleepypod/.  - Twitter: https://twitter.com/getsleepypod.    About Get Sleepy  Get Sleepy is the #1 story-telling podcast designed to help you get a great night’s rest. By combining sleep meditation with a relaxing bedtime story, each episode will guide you gently towards sleep.    Get Sleepy Premium Get instant access to ad-free episodes, as well as the Thursday night bonus episode by subscribing to our premium feed. It's easy! Sign up in two taps!  Get Sleepy Premium feed includes:  Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads). The exclusive Thursday night bonus episode. Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free). Exclusive sleep meditation episodes. Discounts on merchadise. We’ll love you forever. Get your 7-day free trial: https://getsleepy.com/support.  Thank you so much for listening!  Feedback? Let us know your thoughts! https://getsleepy.com/contact-us/.   That’s all for now. Sweet dreams ❤️ 😴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

That is why the team and I make Get Sleepy, and our broad network of sleep podcasts called Slumber Studios. And you can join us in this mission. You can help by sharing your favourite episode with a friend or family member, or by supporting the show via our premium feed, which will get you ad free access to the entire Get Sleepy catalog, plus all of our weekly exclusive bonus episodes. You can even get a discounted price by subscribing to our Samba Studios Premium Bundle, which includes the Sleepy Bookshelf and Deep Sleep sounds as well. You won't find better sleep anywhere else. To learn more

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. Welcome to Get Sleepy. The podcast where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. As always, I'm your host Thomas. And thanks for tuning in. I hope the podcast has been helping you so far to get a bed in night's sleep or just be a comforting backdrop as you lay in bed. As always, if you wake up tomorrow, feeling happy and hopefully refreshed, then we'd love if you could review the podcast and iTunes. Tonight's story is one that I'm sure many of you will be able to relate to. It's about a pet dog called Kora, my old pet dog called Kora. I was inspired to write this story, to share that experience of the most wonderful love

and friendship that you receive and reciprocate with your pet dog. Now the character in the story you will notice isn't a cool tom, but it's very much a story from the heart that I really hope you enjoy and that you find it soothing and comforting and it just helps you drift off into a lovely refreshing night sleep. I myself have really struggled for most of my life with sleep trouble, you know, sleep deprivation in some near, whatever you want to call it. And it's really hard to break out of your own mind sometimes. So if you're in that same sort of situation, then I hope you can take some comfort from knowing you're most definitely not alone.

And that's why we're here at Get Sleepy. It's a really creative community in which we can all help each other. So if you have stories of your own troubles or of maybe some unique ways that you found work for you to get you off to sleep and to get your bed and night rest and please do share those stories. Share those tips and ideas on our website at getsleepy.com. I'd love to hear from you guys, so give us some feedback and tell us about your own experiences. And of course, not to forget, please do share this with friends and family. There's no better gift than a good night's sleep, so I'm sure they'll really appreciate it.

If you let them know about this podcast. Now before we get to the story, I encourage you to just take a moment to settle into bed. In your own time, just close your eyes and turn your awareness to the hearing now. As you listen to my voice, just begin to focus on your breath. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Next, hail slowly and fully. Perhaps you can count to five or six in your head as you draw the breath in. And the same as you release the air back out through your mouth. Just feel the tension naturally easing in your muscles. There may be areas of the body that feel particularly tense. And to ease this, just squeeze the muscles for several seconds, really tighten them up and then release.

You'll gradually feel a soft, relaxed sensation and just let your body sink into the bed. You can repeat these techniques as many times as you like, so there's no need to feel rushed. I'll be reading the story to you for plenty of time to come. Let's enjoy... Korra's perfect day. Cora is an eight-year-old golden laparadol. She is an excitable, happy and energetic dog that lives in the southeast of England. A family are made up of mum and dad, two older children and the youngest sibling, Lucas. They adopted her when she was just a few months old, and have cared for her with total love and protection ever since. In return, Korra always displays love, loyalty and care towards every one of them. What's more, she's always the most pleasant and friendly dog to all who greet her. It's often said that dogs can read human emotion better than we can ourselves. Labrador's are particularly affectionate and empathetic dogs.

They're known for being loyal, helpful, highly intelligent, and Kora boasts all of these characteristics. She understands her family completely. She knows if they're tired or full of energy, happy or sad, feeling confident or feeling vulnerable. Their cherished pet always acts accordingly, forever lifting their spirits with her kind, loving nature. When the family first brought Korah home, Lucas was very young and a little afraid. Sometimes he struggled to realize that she was just being playful. She would often snatch his toys or nibble his socks or even jump up on his lap. But over time, the two formed an unconditional bond. They grew up together, discovering all sorts of new adventures along the way, and the two became the very best of friends.

Now on this day, Korra is a full grown adult laparator, and Lucas is in his early teens. It's the middle of summer and the country is experiencing a spell of glorious warm weather. Hearing the footsteps of her owners, Cora awakes from a restful night's sleep in her cushion bed. As always, the first act of the day is to trot outside into the garden for a quick look around and other pressing needs. Meanwhile, Dad fills her food bowl with a good helping of dried food and a splash of water. Already the sun is glistening on core as light golden coat. A cool morning breeze sweeps over the grass and rustles the plush trees and bushes. Chora stands on the lawn and takes a big stretch.

This helps to wake up her muscles after a good night's sleep. With her belly rumbling, Kora hops back inside. She heads straight to her food bowl and swiftly pol making their own. Toast with butter, porridge with honey. Chora stands nearby the worktops, hoping that the odd crumb might drop on the floor. The smell of freshly toasted bread is delectable, but Cora will have to settle for just the one course this morning. With the sound of the morning news resonating from the small kitchen television, a groggy Lucas makes his way downstairs.

With his eyes still half close, suffering the brightness of the summer morning, Korra greets him with a wagging tail. His face immediately lights up as he crouches down and strikes core his soft, fluffy fur. He gives her a good dog you are. I think we ought to take a long walk by the river today. Just the mere mention of a walk has caught a springing up and down with excitement. Not just yet, I need to have my breakfast first. I need to have my breakfast first. Lucas pours himself a bowl of his favourite cereal and a glass of apple juice. He heads into the lounge to watch a spot of telly. Gora follows eagerly but sits just outside of the lounge door. In here, the carpet is a navy blue colour, and mum doesn't much like Korra walking on

it, a whitish fur melts in the heat and can stand out like a sore thumb on the carpet. Once breakfast is done, it's time to explore. Lucas walks into the utility room and rattles Cora's collar and lead. With this, the golden lab rushes in to meet her best friend, and leaps into the air, unable to contain her excitement. Calm down, calm down Lucas cries, as he tries to hold her still. I can't get your collar on if you're jumping around this much. After a minute or so, Korra finally manages to relax long enough for Lucas to clip her collar on. Suddenly he reaches into the box of dog treats, rewards for Korra along the route. With her tail wagging like a pendulum in overdrive, the pair set off towards the nearby meadows.

Walking through the alleyways, Korra tries to pull her head. She knows the field to get in closer and can't wait to explore the sights and smells. Lucas gently pulls back on her lead to slow her down, but it's not long before the shaded paths open up to an expansive green meadow. Lucas loves to play a game with Cora at this point. He asks her to sit down so that he can unclip her collar. Then he tells her to stay and he walks ahead. Glancing over his shoulder, he sees Korra trying to hold back her desire to run. Then after 25 yards or so, Lucas turns, looks back and slaps his knees with a cry of Kamhirgarh, Cora bucks off the mark and sprints towards him, Wishing past as if crossing the finish line of a 100 meter race. She then slows her pace and turns back to meet Lucas. He decides that her patience and obedience warrant a treat.

He flicks a biscuit into the air and corralips and catches the treat in her mouth. The two of them walk towards the nearby river, breathing in the fresh air and appreciating the nature around them. The meadow has a couple of regularly used paths. In the centre, the grass is long and untamed. Upon every visit, a coral loves to run into the long grass for a sniff around. It's full of all sorts of insects and creatures. The grass rises to almost double the height of the four-legged hound, meaning Lucas sometimes loses sight of her. Cora, where are you?

This way. Sometimes he has to shout a few times, but inevitably, Cora always reappears. She bounds through the long grass, springing up and down like a dolphin on the ocean surface. The grass feels so soft and springy on her furry skin. It's great fun to run through and always a relief to see Lucas waiting for her at the end of the field. After all this exploring, Kora is feeling a bit hot and bothered. Therefore, Lucas guides her through a shaded thicket which then opens up to the riverbank. It's always a tense moment for Kora as she waits to see if the tide is in or out. If it's out, there's no way Lucas will let her clamber through the mud to reach the water.

Lucas will let her clamber through the mud to reach the water. However, if it's in, then she knows that she can go for a paddle and call her body. Today, she's in luck. As they stride up to the top of the bank, the glistening water becomes visible. With this, Kora looks to Lucas for his approval. And he says, hmm, go on then, go for a swim. Me, seconds later, Korra is flying through the air, ears flapping in the wind, paws stretched out wide, waiting for the exhilarating moment of crashing into the cool water. Patling along with the gentle current, Kora feels a wonderful sense of weightlessness. Her body cools down in the refreshing river. And seeing as dogs do not sweat. Instead, letting off their body heat by panting, a dip in the water is all the more invigorating. Lucas chuckles as he sees his pet floating along, body and mass, only her head visible out of the water. When Kora eventually climbs out, her fare is heavy with the liquid. She stops still after a few steps, And Lucas quickly backs away, she shakes her body at a rapid

rate, letting off a huge spray of murky river water. Lucas manages to stand clear enough that just a few drops land on his arms and legs. A U-Dung Cora, he asks. She looks back with a grin and carries on along the bank. After another half a mile of walking along the river, Lucas takes Cora down a lane that leads to a farm trail. This farm is open to the public and boasts a vast array of animals. Firstly, the path runs adjacent to a field of sheep, as Korra trots past with excitement, many of the sheep shyly retreat. Korra can't quite understand why they wouldn't want to play with her. If it wasn't for the fence, she'd be enjoying a game of chase with them in no time.

Further along, the path the five foot fence and gently swaying its coarse tail. Slowly walks up to the horse, who powers its head to greet him. He softly brushes his hand over its smooth face, feeling a warm sense of connection. The Korra affectionately peers into the horse's eyes, and she too feels the loving nature of this magnificent animal permeating through her. This is a moment in time. Three different species, all reciprocating and dimming for one another. Lucas and Cora continue their stroll through the plush green trees and bushes. They see goats, pigs, chickens and cows around the rest of the farm trail. By the time they get home, they're both feeling a bit worn out. The temperature in the sun is slightly overbearing by now.

Therefore Lukas and Kora join Dad in the garden, picking a shady spot to kick back and relax. Lucas lays on a reclining garden chair. Oscara sets herself down just to the side of him. And an hour or so of snoozing and shoes. A warm breeze washes over them, the shade thinning as the sun slowly engulfs the south-facing garden. Lukas sits up and gently wakes Korah from her slumber. Feeling refreshed, Lukas asks his dad if he would bowl him a few balls so that he can practice his batting ahead of a cricket match next week. They use a tennis ball in the garden, making sure fences, plants and windows don't end up damaged.

Korra acts as a fielder, catching and retrieving the ball from wherever Lucas hits it to. She brings it straight back to dad and hands it over with her tail wagging. Good girl, Korra, he exclaims, she loves being praised for helping out. As the afternoon rolls on, the family are in and out of the house. Chora spends her time napping, exploring sights and smells, and accompanying mum with the housework. She is rewarded with the occasional head massage and belly rub. She tries to show her breath, quips mum. Korra grins and strolls off into the garden to carry on her day.

Come five o'clock, it's time for Korra to have her dinner time meal. Mamas had the slow cooker on all afternoon. Herb, spices and veg, all cooking in the pot, has sent a mouth-watering smell, drifting through the whole house. Kora, of course, wishes that she could try some of the human food. But alas, she is presented with her usual. As mum places the bowl down in front of her, Korra looks up with sweet eyes. Her heart warming stare is just enough to persuade mum to make the food even tastier. She pours a splash of gravy over the dried food. What an amazing smell. What an amazing smell. This is Korra's absolute favourite treat. It makes her ordinary meal twice as scrumptious and she can't help just scoff it all down in quick time. With her stomach satisfied, Korra joins Dad as he waters the garden.

The colourful flowers are so thankful for the quenching cool water. Lillies, dandelions, carnations and many more make up this beautifully kept backyard. It's a very peaceful and relaxing place to be as the evening sets in. A little later, Korra is taken for a quick walk around the block with man. Then, as the sun sets and the sky darkens, she and Lucas lay together on the cool grass. They stare up at the night sky. Korra rests her head on Lucas' belly as he provides a gentle glow over the town. For Cora, this is the perfect end to a wonderful day. It just goes to show how the simple pleasures can mean so much.

Around 10 o'clock, it's time for Kora to set her head down for the night. Lucas gives her a biscuit and makes sure her water bowl is full. Good night, Khan. Thanks for all the fun we shared today. Korra rubs her head against his leg, showing her affection and gratitude for Lucas. He closes the utility door and the room turns to darkness. She knows that she is loved, cared for and truly a part of the family. I'm sorry. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... you you