Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Sea Time is Tea Time: Part 1

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Starting point is 00:01:29 As a Get Sleepy listener, you can sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com slash get sleepy. That's betterhelp.com slash get sleepy. Welcome to Get Sleepy. When we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thanks so much for tuning in. Tonight, in the first of our two-part series, we'll meet Taylor as she begins a long overdue vacation on the beach. She'll feel the sun on her face, the sea breeze whipping through her hair, the sand squishing beneath her toes, and and the water, lapping at her feet, should also discover a little tea shop called

Starting point is 00:02:37 Sea Time is Tea Time, that she simply must explore. A big thanks to Chase for writing this two-part series, and to Vanessa who'll be narrating it. You can hear part two in a special Tuesday night bonus episode right here tomorrow. Before we begin, let's take some time to relax, both in body and mind. Allow yourself to get comfortable, making any adjustments you need. If it takes you a little while to eventually come to that perfect spot that you can drift off in, that's quite all right. Tonight, I want you to remind yourself, that there is no hurry, no hurry to settle and no hurry to fall asleep. The less urgency you put on this whole process, the more likely it is that you'll be

Starting point is 00:04:06 able to drift off naturally. Now don't get me wrong, if you're still scrolling on your phone while you listen or engaging with some other stimulating activities, that's not going to be helpful, but just lying in your bed and listening along. Remember that we all have our own process and take different amount of times to properly settle down. And if it brings some reassurance in itself, it takes me quite a long time, more often than not, to drop off fully and stay asleep. It's something that used to get to me quite a bit. but I've learned to accept that it's just a longer process for me and the more pressure I put on myself, the more I push away restfulness and relaxation.

Starting point is 00:05:22 So again, tonight, there's no hurry and no worries. You can listen along to our story and enjoy it in its entirety if you like. you do drop off before the end, that's okay too. You can always come back and listen to what you've missed tomorrow. Take a nice deep breath now and as you exhale, invite your imagination to open up and enjoy the scenes that develop in your wonderful mind. All you need to do is follow the sound of the next. Mess's soothing voice.

Starting point is 00:06:24 As we travel to a seaside town to join Taylor, this is where our story begins. Taylor has left her beach house and is making her way to the shore. Having just arrived for her vacation, she could not be more thrilled for this week of relaxing. While many like to come up with detailed lists and plans, Taylor enjoys the art of doing nothing. She does whatever comes to her in the moment. Wherever the day takes her is the best kind of plan, she thinks.

Starting point is 00:07:46 Taylor walks barefoot along the wooden planks that lead to the beach. She intentionally chose a spot that isn't known for its tourism, but for its seclusion. It's the beach of her childhood and many happy memories. There are hardly any other people here right now, and there weren't many shops open when she drove into the town. Seeing this has buoyed her spirits and made her that much. more excited about this trip. The wood is surprisingly smooth under Taylor's feet, and the warm rays of the afternoon sun on her skin are a welcome reprieve after being cooped up in the car on the drive here. The road trip had its own kind of release, but arriving at the beach was the ultimate way of letting

Starting point is 00:09:04 go. Just as she crests the hill overlooking the ocean, that distinct smell of sand and sunscreen hits her. It is the best scent in the world to her right now. Strolls by and waves at her. Taylor waves back and stops to take in the wondrous sight before her. She has been waiting a long time for this moment. So she lingers, gazing at the stunning view. The blue sky is filled with clouds, which look as though they've been perfectly placed. White tufts are etched across the sky in what almost seems to be a pattern. The colors are astonishing too. The white sandy beach alongside the emerald green and blue water.

Starting point is 00:10:27 The waves pull themselves back into the ocean, almost teasing before gaining momentum. then they're propelled forward until they crash on the shore. The familiar white crest of the breaking waves looks like fingers caressing the sand. Taylor watches as the waves are sucked back into the sea before that incredible tidal show is repeated all. over again. The rhythm feels therapeutic, watching the waves come and go, with their sheer power and regularity, is hypnotizing to Taylor and stepping on the sun-baked, glittering sand,

Starting point is 00:11:43 brings with it a piece so profound. She feels it all the way in her soul. It is one of the best feelings in the world. As she watches the ocean and sees how far it extends out into the horizon, Taylor reflects on just how ancient this body of water must be. It has been here for millions and millions of years. She wonders who was the very very very. very first person to step on to the speech and the first to go waiting into these waters. Then she wonders what their story might have been.

Starting point is 00:12:47 Maybe it was a person who stumbled upon this shore after a long, arduous trip. Perhaps they had been traveling far and wide. across the continent in search of a better life. After all, Taylor Muses, beaches can provide so much joy, the kind that changes a person in her mind. Humans weren't made to be confined to just one area. They were meant for so much more than that. Humans were made to travel, to encounter places of enormous beauty and possibility.

Starting point is 00:13:48 They were made to experience the whole spectrum of nature, to explore the farthest reaches of the planet, and to see and do new things. For Taylor, life is the pursuit of happiness and joy. and it should be explored on every level. Curiosity and adventure are what it's all about, she thinks. Taylor makes her way towards the shore, savoring the warmth of the sand between her toes

Starting point is 00:14:34 and the tickle of the sea breeze. There isn't another soul in sight. Now this is vacation, she thinks. Taylor reaches the water and walks until it is up to her ankles, then stops. It's just the right temperature. Warm, but not too warm. The waves come in. The water rippling.

Starting point is 00:15:20 around her ankles. The ocean is never still, she thinks. This thought takes her back to her school days. She remembers learning why the ocean is always moving, constantly in motion with its waves and currents. Ocean water moves in myriad ways. There are the waves that crash and curl on the shore. While in the deep ocean, big conveyor belts of water flow for thousands of miles down the planet. Taylor turns her face towards the brilliant sun. She recalls that both the sun and moon, exert a gravitational pull on the earth,

Starting point is 00:16:33 creating the tides and currents of the ocean. Taylor is naturally curious. And when it comes to the ocean, she knows quite a bit. Feeling the wind ripple through her hair, she thinks of its integral role in the creation of majestic. waves. The smallest waves in the ocean are known as ripples or capillary waves. As the wind blows

Starting point is 00:17:16 across the surface of the water, they start growing. The stronger the wind, the bigger the waves become, reaching great heights at times. When the waves reach shut, hollow waters. Like where Taylor is standing now, we'll start to curl, then break. It is fascinating, she thinks, how the elements combine to create such beauty and movement. And waves don't transmit water, but energy. The energy passing through the water is what creates the waves. making it move in a circular motion. So, she thinks, it is energy that the waves travel by,

Starting point is 00:18:28 but it is the wind and gravitational pull of the sun and moon that cause the waves in the first place. Taylor has always enjoyed understanding how the world works, Even on vacation, she smiles to herself. Eventually, Taylor decides it's time to move on. She takes one last look across the brilliant water, her gaze lingering at the point where it meets the bright, Robin Blue Sky. It is so beautiful that she finds it hard to peel her gaze away. But soon,

Starting point is 00:19:35 her feet are taking her along the shore. The beach is empty, and the sand is littered with seashells almost everywhere that she looks as she walks. As she walks, Taylor can't help, but bend over to sort through some of them. She's eager to find and keep the pretty ones. And if she's really lucky, maybe she'll find a shark tooth. Ever since she was little, and her family took regular vacations to this exact beach. Shark-tooth hunting has been one of her favorite things to do as Taylor sifts through the sand. She remembers with fondness that there was even a contest in town every summer.

Starting point is 00:21:00 One year, her brother found the largest shark-tooth the town had. ever seen and even won a free pizza for it. Taylor was immensely jealous at the time. The memory makes her chuckle now. She wants to find an even larger shark tooth than the one her brother found to take back with her and show him. Scanning the beach. There are so many clusters of seashells. When Taylor spots a prominent grouping, she stops and squats down. Taking her time with this assortment,

Starting point is 00:22:05 she picks up a large, pale pink and white conch. Her fingers rushing over its roots, riches and smooth parts. Then, she immediately lifts the shell up to her ear in hopes of hearing the sea. This used to be a favorite pastime. There's nothing quite like the magic of hearing the sound of rolling waves coming from within the depths of the shell. Taylor lowers the conch to further inspect its spiral shell and the long, tapering end, called the spire. She admires its intricate shape, and the beautiful colors and patterns that are etched

Starting point is 00:23:15 across the surface of the shell. It truly is an incredible object with so much history. Once it was inhabited by a sea snail, and slowly over time, it found its way onto this beach, lying here and waiting to be discovered. Taylor thinks of how many people have done this very thing, stumbling upon a conch, bringing it up to their ear and hearing the sound of the ocean. From her own research on the subject,

Starting point is 00:24:12 she knows that there have been many different theories about this sound. According to one theory, the sound comes from the listener's blood, echoing as it rushes through the blood vessels in their ear. However, this has been disproved, as exercise increases. blood flow, you would expect the sound in the shell to change after a person has exercised. But it remains the same. Others believe the air flowing through the shell generates a wishing sound, but that theory was disproved too. After being tested in a sound

Starting point is 00:25:19 room. All in all, the most probable explanation is that the wave-like sound is created by ambient noise. When you hold a conch to your ear, it captures the noise around you, which resonates inside the shell. This produces the distinct sound that resembles ocean waves. Essentially, the shell acts as a resonating chamber. Conscious are fascinating to say the least. Taylor reflects. They've been used across many cultures, and all kinds of ways.

Starting point is 00:26:28 In ancient Greek mythology, the conch was the symbol of Triton, the god of the ocean. He was known to blow a twisted conch trumpet in an effort to either calm the waves or increase their collective strength. Taylor recalls that conscious have also been used in a religious or ceremonial context, such as in a call to prayer, many of the ceremonial conscience unearthed from the past

Starting point is 00:27:18 have been resplendent with bright colors, elaborately decorated, with precious stones. These beautiful objects have stood the test of time. And even today, conscious are still considered sacred in some cultures. Taylor gazes at the object in her hand

Starting point is 00:27:54 in a whole new light, in another part of the world. This shell could be regarded as a treasured item, and long ago, it might have been used as a call to summon fighters to battles. But in this moment, the shell is hers to study and enjoy. Taylor lifts the conch up to her ear one more time. to hear that unmistakable sound of waves crashing upon the shore. She decides to take it with her as a souvenir. Maybe she will even modify it and use it as her own personal wind instrument.

Starting point is 00:29:05 She remembers from a documentary that if, the end of the spire is removed, it's possible to blow air into the shell through the hole and produce musical notes. The sound can be loud and dramatic. There are even expert conch trumpet players that use them in musical performances. Although a conch lacks keys or valves, it can still produce beautiful and varied sounds when played as an instrument. Furthermore, a player can modify the sound by Ambroschor. This is the control of a sound through the facial muscles and. tongue, as well as by the shaping of the lips. Taylor slides the conch into her knapsack. Then she continues to rifle through

Starting point is 00:30:36 the countless numbers of shells on the sand, still hunting for a shark tooth to bring back with her. After a while, Taylor decides to take a break from her search and continues down the secluded beach, immensely enjoying the time to herself. She almost forgot how freezing it is being here, when it feels like the beach is all hers, A flock of seagulls flies overhead. Squawking. Their chattering can be heard long after they have passed by. Some seed to feed them.

Starting point is 00:31:47 She'd packed it just in case. But the seagulls don't turn around. Oh well, she thinks. As she returns the seed to her jacket pocket, while she walks, she continues to scour the beach for any treasures. And as she bends over to inspect some shells, a large shadow appears,

Starting point is 00:32:30 seemingly out of nowhere, the unmistakings, unmistakable shadow of wings. Taylor looks up and right in front of her, standing on the sand is a lone pelican. The bird is easy to recognize with its characteristic, massive bill and famous throat. but she has never seen one so close before. The pelican is beautiful, with its broad wings, long, slender neck, and pristine white body. It even seems regal. The bird regards her curiously.

Starting point is 00:33:45 its eyes tracking her every move. So she carefully retrieves the seed from her pocket and holds it out towards the dignified creature. Much to her surprise. The pelican chuffs at her before turning its head. it's clearly not interested. Once again, Taylor places the unwanted bread back in her pocket. Just as she is wondering what the diet of a pelican consists of,

Starting point is 00:34:45 it takes to the air. The pelican soars over the water Before suddenly diving straight down Comes up rather quickly While gulping down a fish Mystery solved Taylor laughs to herself She dusts the sand off her shorts

Starting point is 00:35:26 and stands up again. She resumes her trek down the beach, leaving the bird to its meal. As Taylor walks on, she looks across the water. In one spot, the water seems to be moving in the wrong direction. the waves going more backward than forward.

Starting point is 00:36:08 She strains her eyes to see what is happening there. Her efforts are rewarded almost immediately. She spots the telltale signs of dolphins. Big splashes. and intermittent bursts of spray coming up out of the water. A whole pot of them suddenly breaks the surface. Six or seven dolphins arc gracefully out of the water and splash right back in.

Starting point is 00:37:15 or doing it all over again. Their smooth, rubbery skin glistens in the sun. Taylor spots a few baby dolphins called calves following their mothers in the back. And they might be the cutest things. She has ever seen. They splash and spiral through the air. With what look like huge grins, plastered on their faces, Taylor watches the dolphins frolic in the water.

Starting point is 00:38:23 They continue down the shore, almost keeping perfect pace with her as she walks, her mouth gaping open at the sight. It is spectacular. A dance that seems more choreographed than spontaneous. The dolphins indulge themselves in the, the water, the ocean spray reflecting the sunlight as she watches the dolphins fade into the distance. Taylor reflects on just how wonderful this day has been. She couldn't have planned for a

Starting point is 00:39:40 reaching the pier, she looks out over the next stretch of beach before her. And what she finds surprises her. She was expecting to see the usual empty beach, but instead appears to be a house on stilts, extending out into the water, not where she stands. She is almost certain that it wasn't there last year. Curious. Taylor continues walking until it is right in front of her. of all wooden steps leads up to a boardwalk which goes out into the waters to the steps is a white-washed sign

Starting point is 00:41:25 that reads sea time is tea time all guests are welcome taylor is growing more intrigued by the second. The wooden steps look as though in here for ages. What did she not know of this place before? The closer she gets to the house, the more she realizes just how beautiful, as if it has been here. Determined story.

Starting point is 00:42:50 To the Bordeaux begin. Leave Taylor here for now. And join her again soon. For the next part of the story. Good night and sweet dreams.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Sea Time is Tea Time: Part 1

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