Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Bridge of Light

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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. Welcome to Get Sleepy, the podcast where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thanks so much for tuning in. In tonight's story, we'll join Zoe as she discovers the secrets of an ancient bridge in her city. While it may look like an old ruin, her natural curiosity for such things means she's sure there's more to settle down for the night. Close your eyes and gently remind yourself that there is nothing more you need to do or

Starting point is 00:02:39 to concern yourself with for today. You're entitled to be fully present and peaceful in this moment, watch an image form in your mind. You can see a city spread out before you. A city full of beautiful old buildings made of pale stone. In the sunlight everything seems to glow and turn to gold. This city has been around for hundreds of years and the signs of its ancient history are everywhere. You can see the remains of ancient walls and temples and a calm green river that flows beneath old bridges. Although it's now a bustling metropolis, with cars and trams passing through the streets, this place retains a special peaceful atmosphere.

Starting point is 00:04:18 Here, it feels as though you could turn a corner and travel back in time. This is the city where a girl named Zoe once lived. And this is where our story begins. Zoe had always lived in the city. She was born in the hospital near the river, right in the heart of the historic center. Then she spent the next 16 years of her life just across the bridge in one of the oldest quarters. When Zoe strolled through her neighborhood on her way to school, she liked looking at all the little details in the streets. Sometimes, she made a game of it, trying to spot something she'd never noticed before.

Starting point is 00:05:49 It might be an ancient inscription carved into the sandstone walls, while the sights of a pet parrot in a window high above her. There was always something new or old. For centuries, this neighborhood had been the artisan's quarter. While some of the oldest buildings had now been converted into cafes or restaurants, converted into cafes or restaurants. There were still plenty of interesting little shops. On the corner of her street was a shop that sold mirrors of all shapes and sizes, as well as unusual handmade glass ornaments.

Starting point is 00:06:43 Nearby was a cozy secondhand bookshop, which was owned by Zoe's neighbors. The shop window was filled from top to bottom with dusty volumes, though some space had been left near the front. On sunny days, the Onus cat Leo would curl up for a nap in the window, surrounded by books. The antique furniture shop was another of Zoe's favourites. of Zoe's favourites. It was tucked away in the quiet courtyard of a residential building. When the owner was repairing an old chair or table, she would often leave them outside in the sun. At times, the courtyard resembled an open-air living room. That was how Zoe felt about the whole neighborhood. All the streets and buildings were so familiar that they seemed almost

Starting point is 00:07:58 like an extension of her own home. She always felt completely at ease here. As she walked to school on this particular morning, she enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, focusing on nothing but her surroundings. She knew the streets by heart so she didn't need to think about her route. When she was in this area, she sometimes felt as though she were in a relaxed trance, free from thoughts. Wondering through the sunny streets, Zoe found herself tuning in and out of the sounds of the city. In the background was the low rumble of traffic, so familiar she barely noticed it, and the cheerful cries of the parakeets in the trees on the river side.

Starting point is 00:09:07 Then, there was the sound of the river itself. It was a slow-moving tranquil river with jade-green water. Only the occasional boat passed, and the river often seemed silent and almost motionless. But when Zoe stopped to listen carefully, she could detect the quiet murmuring sound of the water. It had its own special melody. Sometimes, when she looked at people, hurrying past her in the street, she wondered if they were even aware of the river. They always seemed to be in a rush, focused on their destinations. So he liked to take her time on her morning walks, especially once she reached the river. Then she would slow down, walking at a leisurely pace, as she pondered over which bridge to cross.

Starting point is 00:10:32 Her school was on the other side of the river, so at some point she would have to cross over. But there were bridges all along the water. She could take her pick. First, there was the iron bridge with its curved, lattice sides that resembled a butterfly's wings. A little further up was the wooden bridge, an elegant foot bridge that seemed to float in the air.

Starting point is 00:11:12 Further still was the marble bridge, which was lined with beautiful stone sculptures of mythical creatures. Zoe tended to vary her route, depending on her mood, the time of year, and the sunlight. On this particular morning, she decided to cross further up at the marble bridge so she could stay on the sunny side of the river for a little longer. Along this stretch of the river, there was also another bridge which Zoe never crossed. She longed to walk over it and often gazed wistfully from afar. But this one was known as the old or broken bridge and there was no way of accessing it. The bridge was broken on both sides, completely detached from the land.

Starting point is 00:12:27 What remained was a large stone ruin, rising out of the middle of the river, like a strange, vertical island or a rocky tower. This bridge had been broken for as long as anyone could remember. It didn't even have a real name, and people mostly ignored it. The city was full of history and ancient ruins after all. The bridge was just one of many remnants. And besides, so many other bridges had been built since. All along the river were roads and walkways made of wood, stone, iron and steel. The people of the city could

Starting point is 00:13:29 cross from east to west and west to east wherever they liked. With no particular reason to restore the broken bridge, it had simply been left in the river of forgotten ruin. But Zoe didn't see it as a ruin. Although the bridge was old and broken, there was also something magical about it. That morning, on her way to school, Zoe stopped on the embankment and turned to gaze at the old broken bridge. The other people in the street continued to walk briskly onwards. For them, it was as if the bridge were insignificant, or even invisible. Yet, when Zoe was looking at the old bridge, time seemed to stand still. The traffic noise around her faded into the background and she could hear nothing but the flow of the river and the morning bird song. Her attention was entirely focused on the ancient monument in front of her.

Starting point is 00:15:10 The bridge resembled an uneven, towering pile of stones and bricks. Some of the fallen stones were visible in the water, forming rocky islands for the birds to perch on. Higher up, the shape of the bridge gradually became neater and more defined. The rough stones merged into layers of grey bricks, which supported the elegant ruins of a marble facade. The upper part of the bridge was marked with time-weathered inscriptions that were no longer legible. Some of the lettering was obscured by plants and vines that sprouted from the cracks in the stone. At the far edges of the marble facade were fragments of sculptures.

Starting point is 00:16:18 It was difficult to tell exactly what they were, but Zoe thought she could see a lion at one end and a unicorn at the other. Then there was some kind of snake or a fish or even a mermaid, and in the middle an engraving of a sun with swirling rays that spiraled outwards. For Zoe, the most magical part of the bridge was the tree. Right at the top, seemingly growing out of the marble, was a small tree with curved branches and yellow leaves. In certain lights, the leaves turned golden or a dark flame-like orange. The tree reminded her of a menorah, a beautiful, burning candelabra. And in that moment, the whole structure seemed like a portal to another world. Zoe never tired of gazing at the bridge, tracing every subtle detail. Sometimes she thought that if she looked for long enough, she would discover its secrets. Ever since she was a child, she had dreamed of somehow reaching the top of the bridge and

Starting point is 00:18:06 finding out for herself. She'd always been drawn to these inaccessible corners of the city. A broken bridge, a secret garden, or a private terrace, knowing they were out of reach only increased their fascination. As she looked at the bridge, a white bird flew across the river and landed on the edge of the crumbling marble facade. If only she too could fly. Zoe sighed and decided it was finally time to walk on.

Starting point is 00:19:02 She couldn't spend all morning day dreaming. On her way home after school, she would stop to look at the bridge once more, admiring it from another angle in a different light. There were so many ways to see things after all. She'd once read that it was impossible to step in the same river twice. The flowing water meant that the river was always moving, changing, transforming into something new. To some extent, this expression was true about everything. Maybe even an old ruined bridge could change with passing moments. Or it might appear different and new when viewed in another moment or from somewhere else.

Starting point is 00:20:12 The world was full of beauty and mystery thoughts, Oee. She would never take any of it for granted. of it for granted. Later that day, after seeing the bridge again on her way home, she decided that she would try to learn more about it. If she could not physically reach the bridge, the next best thing was to discover something about its mysterious past. When she reached the streets of her neighborhood, she passed by the same shops she had seen that morning. There was the courtyard of the furniture shop, the shutters of the mirror shop slowly descending as the owner closed for the day, and there was the second hand bookshop. Just as Sory was about to walk towards her building, she found herself suddenly coming to a stop. She stared into the window of the bookshop without realizing why, her gaze drifting from cover to cover.

Starting point is 00:21:42 Then she realized why she had instinctively stopped. Perhaps there was a book in this shop that mentioned the bridge. It didn't really matter if it was a book about history or myth, or even a novel or a poem. She wanted anything that might give her insight, or even just a clue. So he stepped inside the bookshop and breathed in the familiar, comforting scent of old books. The shop was owned by an elderly couple who lived in the apartment above Zoey's. She often came here to browse the shelves, or even just to say hello. At first she couldn't see any sign of the owners. She could only spot

Starting point is 00:22:52 the old tabbicat Leo who was culled up on the desk sleeping peacefully. So he stroked him lightly so as not to wake him while she waited for one of the owners to appear. She was in no particular hurry, so she was happy to enjoy this moment, caressing the cat's soft, warm fur. After a while, she heard footsteps, and then saw Daniel emerge at the top of the stairs that led to the basement. As soon as he saw Zoe, his face lit up. He saw Zoe, his face lit up. Daniel was a kind, grandfatherly old man, who'd known Zoe ever since she was born. They'd always been neighbors, and he sometimes joked that in a way they were family. He and his wife had adopted Leo as a kitten shortly after Zoe was born, so the cat spent almost his entire day asleep.

Starting point is 00:24:29 As Daniel and Zoe talked together, he paired contentedly in his sleep. Even without opening his eyes, he seemed to be aware of Zoe's presence, and happy that she was there. Zoe explained her interest in the old bridge, and asked Daniel if he had any books that might have some information. Even just a sentence would be enough, she said, as she knew so little about it. Daniel said that a new book had just come in. Of course, it wasn't really a new book. Like everything else in the shop, it had been published decades ago. But it was still about the secret history and folklore of the city, and there would probably

Starting point is 00:25:35 be a mention of the bridge somewhere. He reached behind the counter and pulled out a thick dark blue book. The binding was falling apart and some of the yellowing pages were coming loose. It was clearly very old. As Zoe turned the book over in her hands, she thought of all the people who had owned it or read it over the years. She imagined these readers as kindred spirits. Like her, they had been fascinated by the hidden corners and secrets of their beloved city. When she reached into her pockets, Zoe realised that she didn't have any money to buy the

Starting point is 00:26:38 book. But Daniel patented her on the arm and told her not to worry. She was welcome to borrow the book for as long as she liked. He trusted her to take good care of it. Zoe smiled and thanked him. This was not the first time Daniel had lent her a book. Sometimes he acted more like a librarian than a bookshop owner, as he believed that knowledge should be free and accessible to everyone. Perhaps he lent her the book because he thought she needed to study the bridge

Starting point is 00:27:29 for a school project. It was a project in a way, but it had nothing to do with school. And as it was Friday evening, so Zoe could forget about her studies for now. That night, when she was tucked up under the blankets in her cozy bedroom, she turned the pages of the old book. Some of the index pages were missing, so it took her a while to find what she was looking for. Handling the book carefully, she flicked past black and white illustrations of familiar monuments. among the monuments. There were the ruined columns of a pagan temple and the remains of an old market place. On another page was the back of the book, there it was. The entire page was filled with a beautiful engraving of the bridge. It showed every detail clearly from the symbols on the marble facade to the fallen stones

Starting point is 00:29:11 in the river. The artist had captured it perfectly. Perhaps they had been just as enchanted by the ruin as Zoe now was. She turned her attention to the next page and began to read quickly, eager to learn more. It seemed that the bridge had been shrouded in mystery, even when this book was published nearly a century ago. There were many theories about the bridge's origins and design, and its form into ruin, but nothing's certain. However, there had been people in the city who believed that there was something special about this bridge, or even magical.

Starting point is 00:30:18 The longest paragraph was about the Sun symbol in the middle part of the bridge. was about the Sun symbol in the middle part of the bridge. According to the author, some people believed that the bridge had been built in ancient times to honour the Sun. At certain times of the year, the Sun light at dawn illuminated the exact part of the river where the bridge had been built. The other symbols on the facade were a mystery. Perhaps no one would ever know the significance of the lion, the unicorn, or the mermaid. and perhaps these designs had no meaning at all. They might be merely decoration. The author speculated that maybe long, long ago, the bridge had been connected to some kind of some worship. But there was no way of knowing for sure.

Starting point is 00:31:33 Sometimes all research came to a dead end. Then there was nothing to do, said the author, but look elsewhere. As Zoe closed the book and placed it gently on her bedside table, she reflected on what she'd just read. She understood what the author meant, but she didn't believe that there were ever any true dead ends. There was always a way of learning more, seeing more, and getting a little bit closer to the truth. Zoe switched off the light and settled into bed, making herself comfortable. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Starting point is 00:32:36 At the end of a long day and week, she was feeling so sleepy. Now she could finally relax and enjoy a good night's rest. With each breath, she could feel herself falling, drifting, sinking into deep sleep. That night, she dreamed that she was walking down a long, sunlit street in the city. She didn't know exactly where she was, but the place felt somehow familiar, like she'd been there a long time ago. All she knew for certain was that she felt happy and safe there. The street was narrow, with tall orange walls on both sides that were overgrown with ivy and flowering jasmine. As she walked, the street seemed to gradually get wider and brighter.

Starting point is 00:33:59 She could sense that there was water at the end of the street, and trees, and flowers. With just a few more steps, she would be there in this beautiful new place. When Zoe awoke in her dark bedroom, It took her a few moments to adjust. She had the sensation of having slept for many hours. But when she glanced at the clock, she saw it was still night, about an hour before dawn. Zoe had slept so well and so deeply that she now felt completely refreshed. She lingered in her warm bed for a while, daydreaming about all the things she could do that weekend. Although she knew she could easily fall asleep again and rest until late in the morning,

Starting point is 00:35:14 she felt ready to get up now. Perhaps she could make herself an early breakfast and go up to the roof terrace to watch the sunrise. When she turned on the lamp on her bedside table, she caught sight of the old book. In that moment, everything she had read and dreamed came back to her. Now she knew how she wanted to spend her morning. As so he got dressed, she smiled to herself. It was as though the universe had given her a gift. It was rare to wake up naturally this early, feeling refreshed and ready to start her day.

Starting point is 00:36:18 Now she would make the most of this beautiful morning and the gift of time. Before setting off, Zoe wrote a short note for her parents and used a magnet to stick it to the kitchen fridge. This way they would know where she'd gone if they woke up early too. But there was a good chance she'd be back before they'd even woken up. The bridge was only a 15 minute walk away, so she would soon be back home to join her parents for breakfast. Outside the streets were still dark, illuminated only by the old cast iron street lamps. As Zoe walked through the silent back streets of her neighborhood, she noticed that the

Starting point is 00:37:26 sky was slowly lightening, changing to a softer shade of blue. It was the first time she had ever experienced this magical transition, the moment just before the dawn. The city was almost deserted at this hour. It felt so peaceful as if everyone was under some kind of magic enchantment. Zoe can almost believe that she had the entire city to herself. It was just her and the birds, singing first glimmers of gold were just about visible on the horizon. She quickened her pace, keen to be near the bridge by sunrise.

Starting point is 00:38:41 Although she didn't know exactly what to expect, she hoped that she would somehow see it differently in this light. Zoe got as close as she could, leaning on the low wall that separated the street from the embankment. She sighed wistfully as she gazed at the shadowy mass of the ruined bridge and the outline of the golden leaf tree on top. Although it was still too dark to make out the details clearly. With every passing moment the sky grew lighter revealing more of the structure. It was like a curtain slowly being lifted up and up. And then, as the sun rose higher, a magical transformation took place. Suddenly,

Starting point is 00:39:57 right in front of Zoe was a path of sunlight. The thick ray of light passed from one side of the river to the other, crossing right through the middle of the ruined bridge and illuminating the edges. She could hardly believe her eyes. The path of sunlight had created a shining structure, completing the bridge. The structure in the middle of the river was no longer a ruin, but an entire bridge which radiated golden light at both ends. So he had never seen anything so strange or so beautiful. Perhaps she was still dreaming, she thought, as she stared in wonder at the gorgeous apparition.

Starting point is 00:41:06 But whether she was dreaming or not, in that moment, it hardly seemed to matter. The sunrise had offered her a path, and she would take it. After climbing over the low wall, she stepped onto the golden bridge. It was surreal in a way, but also surprisingly natural. She was amazed to discover how solid it felt beneath her feet, as sturdy and real as a stone structure. And yet, she was walking on air, walking on light. The golden bridge connected seamlessly with the middle part, the ruin that Zoe knew and loved. But as she stood there in the centre, she now knew that there was so much more than a ruin. The bridge was its own magical world. She walked slowly over the stone floor, which over time had been transformed into an

Starting point is 00:42:41 overgrown garden. There were plants and purple wildflowers blossoming out of the stone, and right in the center was the golden tree. In the radiant light of the dawn, it seemed as if the entire tree was made of gold, from the slender trunk to the translucent leaves. This must be a dream, so he said to herself. She looked around at the spellbinding scene, taking in one detail at a time. The shining tree, the wild garden, the bridge of light, and then the green river below, and the rising sun turning the sky amber. If it was a dream, it was the most beautiful she'd ever had. In that moment, the city seemed to belong to her. She smiled, feeling peaceful, fulfilled and deeply happy. Once she had looked around in all directions, drinking in every detail to her heart's

Starting point is 00:44:31 content, she closed her eyes. Perhaps when she next opened them, she would discover that it had all been a wonderful dream. But no matter what, she knew that this special sunrise had changed her life, illuminating everything. 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. 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 00:47:16 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 do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

Starting point is 00:50:02 I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. ... ... ... I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it.

Starting point is 00:51:20 I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. ... you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Bridge of Light

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