Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Venetian Lagoon

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.

Starting point is 00:00:42 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

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 then we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. I'm so happy you're here with me tonight. Get Sleepy is designed to calm the mind and relax the body. To be a comforting place between the waking world and the land of dreams. Although I'm the host of Get Sleepy, this podcast is very much a team effort, and we'll

Starting point is 00:02:28 be featuring a rotating cast of soothing narrators to help you drift off to sleep. Tonight, we have a story narrated by my friend Abbey, called the Venetian Lagoon. You're going to love it. The most common reason people have trouble falling asleep is their own thoughts, a running mind. I'm no stranger to it. I've been held hostage by my own thoughts on many a night. Some people find it helpful to read or watch TV as they fall asleep. And this may help at first. But when they actually turn off the lights, their mind turns on. Without the distraction of a novel or TV show, the mind is left to wonder on its own, discovering every hidden worry and concern. That's where Get Sleepy comes in.

Starting point is 00:03:35 Twice weekly, we offer you a calming story to gently grasp your attention and hold it only as long as you need to drift off to sleep. The story gives your mind something to focus on, allowing those pesky thoughts to fade away. There are no bright screens to watch and no lights to turn off. screens to watch and no lights to turn off. Just press play and snuggle into bed as you normally would. The more you listen to this podcast, the more effective this technique will become at guiding you to sleep. Some nights you may fall asleep quickly and miss most of the story. If however, you find you're still awake when the story ends, there's no need to get frustrated. The soothing music will continue for a little while. And in your mind, simply retell the story to yourself. Soon enough,

Starting point is 00:04:51 you'll fall asleep. If you wake up happy tomorrow morning, we'd be so thrilled if you review the podcast on iTunes, I read every single one and I love hearing your feedback. You can even pitch us your own story idea or vote for your favourite story teller. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us make the show that much better. Before we hear the story, let's take a moment to unwind. Make sure you're in a comfortable position as you relax into bed. Now, begin to focus on the breath. Take a long breath in. And slowly exhale.

Starting point is 00:06:03 Breathe in and out. Try to maintain that slow, deep breathing pattern. And as your breath becomes slower and deeper, so your mind becomes quieter and your body more still. As you feel these sensations taking hold, you begin to think about how much your body has done for you throughout the day. Your legs carry you. Your neck held your head high. Your hands helped you accomplish your goals. Your heart and lungs kept everything going

Starting point is 00:07:10 without any conscious effort. Take this moment to smile inward and say thank you. Thank you, body. For taking care of me throughout the day. Now allow your breath to fall into its natural rhythm as you listen to tonight's story. It's called the Venetian Lagoon and it's narrated by Abbey Offer. You're standing on a wooden dock and blue-green water is lapping gently at a stone wall. With each tiny wave, the water leaves its imprint on the stone. A dark, damp outline appears briefly and then disappears again. Lapp. Lapp. Lapp. The sun is warm on your cheeks but it's not too warm. A cool breeze lightly ruffles your shirt. With it comes the briny smell of the sea and the salty smell of wet pavement. You hear the wings of a bird flutter overhead and you hear

Starting point is 00:09:17 the lapping of the water against the wall. This is Venice. For a moment, a lapping grows more intense. The water slaps harder against the rock. A bit of spray hits the red paint of a house just above the water's edge, a boat approaches, its wake disturbing the rhythm at your feet. It's a sleek boat, white with blue cushions that look inviting on this warm day. It pulls up alongside the dock and idols as they capped in Becken's you on board. You step onto the boat and it rocks gently beneath your feet. You find a cushion near the bow and take a seat. The captain tells you that to really understand this place, you have to start at the outskirts

Starting point is 00:10:27 and make your way in. That's where you're going now. As the boat picks up speed, you hear the engine go from a light rumble to a drone. rumble to a drone. The breeze grows stronger as you glide across the open water toward Marano, the place of glass. You close your eyes and let the sun warm you as the wind whips around your ears. The engine drones. You don't know how much time passes exactly, but after a while you feel the boat begin to slow. You open your eyes just in time to see the boat pull into the main canal that divides Marano. The captain eases up to a dock where you disembark. Marano is compact. He reminds you of Venice in miniature, with short bridges connecting both sides of the canal and elegant shops packed neatly together. You peek into the first shop window you find.

Starting point is 00:11:48 Of course, it is filled to the brim with beautiful glassware in all shapes, sizes and colours. There are blue and purple glass flowers, pink bowls filled with glass fruit of every variety. Large glass spheres that look like perfect balloons that will never lose their shape. Years ago, the glass makers were sent here to Marano where they honed their craft. Business flourished and people came from all over to find hand-blown treasures to take back home. Momentos of their journey, like yours today. You walk along the flagstone path, turning corner after corner, until you find yourself in an empty alleyway. There was only a single shop off to the left. Why not take a look in there?

Starting point is 00:12:59 In this shop, the walls are lined with Morano's famous glasses. These are large coblets with stems of forest green and ruby red. They give way to yellow and blue bowls. Hanging from the ceiling are grand glass lamps. On the first lamp you see translucent tentacles curl out from the centre in every direction, twisting and turning but never touching. Next to it, a second lamp reminds you of a clump of seaweed on the rocks that low tide with delicate emerald fans that curve out from a reddish brown stalk. There are tables in here lined with fragile glass beads in every hue, purple with white dots,

Starting point is 00:14:12 with stripes of burnt orange, long beads, round beads, seed beads. You've never seen anything quite like this shop. Morano needs a gentle touch, you think. Its craft is so fine, so perfected, so colourful. But there are more places to see on today's journey around the lagoon. You take one last look around you and then you find your way back along the path. A friendly cat follows as you twist and turn your way back to the boat. On board, the captain tells you the next stop is Burrano, even further out, near the far reaches of the Venetian Lagoon. You fall into the home of the boat, the rhythmic way it takes the current, bumping up and down, up and down. The breeze is cool against your arms, but the sun warms it too. It's a delicious mix of warm and cool, the perfect temperature for exploring, you think.

Starting point is 00:15:30 You watch as the shoreline zips by a collage of stone buildings, bridges and cafes. You arrive at Barano to find it's an even smaller town. Little buildings are clustered tightly along a tiny canal lined with compact boats. But though it's small, it's bright. Burano is known for its colourful exterior, pastel homes that cheerfully welcome visitors coming in by boat. As you climb out onto the shore, you see a mannequin outside one of the shops along the canal.

Starting point is 00:16:19 Draped across its shoulders is the finest lace sure you've ever seen. Lace is what makes this place stand out. Many women here still sew it by hand, using patterns pass down for generations. The lace making tradition here is 500 years old you've heard. So much history here in this fine work, flowers, chevrons, delicate inns and outts of needle and thread. Inside this shop, you see one of these lace makers sitting on a stool, a pattern on her knees. She definitely works the needle up and down in and out. She looks up at you and smiles, but it doesn't break her focus. Up and down. Up and down, up and down. Behind her, fine white lace tablecloths, curtains, shores, table runners,

Starting point is 00:17:40 and neatly folded and stacked from floor to ceiling on hand-made wooden shelves. The outside of Burano may be colourful, but in here it's a palette of eggshell and cream. You gently touch a small lace square on a display table to your right. It's so soft, so delicate, it's art. You won't spend much time here in Burano. The sun is lower in the sky now and it's time to head back to Venice. Now that you've seen the outskirts, it's time to go in the captain tells you. The journey back is calm and swift. You feel the breeze

Starting point is 00:18:38 ruffle your hair and imagine what it would be like to fly across this picturesque lagoon as a bird might. Exploring the nooks and crannies of the islands that dot its surface. To get a bird's eye view of the Venetian lagoon is to see a patchwork quilt of small, lonely islands, with ribbons of canals weaving around and through each. The houses are like tiny brushstrokes of colour, on a sea green and grey backdrop. Pink Yellow Crimson Burnt Orange Ivy Lylec Powder Blue As you near the outer edge of Venice, the boat slows its motor putting softly. You pull up alongside the dock where you were earlier in the day. This is where your time with the captain comes to an end, but your

Starting point is 00:19:59 journey through this curious city is just beginning. Like Captain, lets you off. It's best to take a small boat from here. You thank the captain. You wave and watch as the boat disappears against the bright backdrop of the setting sun out toward the lagoon. You pause for a moment. Sunset on the lagoon is such a relaxing time. The water is calm and glassy with a splash of burnt orange across its surface. Only as other small boats pass,

Starting point is 00:20:51 Dejental ripples push away from their bows, feathering out and behind the boat, and off into the distance. into the distance. It's quiet here, safe for the same gentle lapping of the water against the stone wall. Lap. Lap. Lap. To your left, there's an green house on the waterfront. From around the other side of it you see something slender and black peek out. As it emerges from behind the house you realise it's a boat, but it's not just any boat, it's sleek and shiny as stone and as graceful as a dancer, the way it glides over the surface without disturbing it at all. held close within its narrow frame, is a red velvet love-seed with a heart-shaped top and plush fluffy seats.

Starting point is 00:22:12 It's one of Venice's famous gondolas. A young gondaleer definitely slides the single paddle back and forth, On the lear, deathly slides the single paddle back and forth, back and forth through the water to maneuver the boat to the shore. You descend the stone steps and jump aboard. The small boat rocks ever so slightly beneath your feet. The small boat rocks ever so slightly beneath your feet. You take a seat and feel yourself sink down into the deep cushion. You take a deep breath and let it out slowly. You breathe in an exhale in and out, feeling your muscles loosen as the seat envelops here. This is what true relaxation is, you think? Without a word, the Gondelier turns the boat around the edge of the dock and into one of the narrow back channels of this strange and magical city.

Starting point is 00:23:49 It feels more intimate here in this canal. So close, you feel you could touch the walls on either side if you tried. You feel more in tune with the eb and flow of the currents here in this human powered boat. It smells of brine and stone. Small waves lap up and down against the smooth sides of the gondola. The boat falls into shadow beneath the tall sides of the buildings to your left and right which jut up from the water to the sky. You follow this small canal around twists and turns, then straight, then slightly to the left, and then before you you see the city's

Starting point is 00:24:51 grand canal. The cool evening breeze tickles your eyebrows as the gondola makes its way through the canal. Boats of all shapes and sizes crisscross the wide thoroughfare. You see the water taxis carrying their passengers from stop to stop. You see other gondolas slipping between the larger boats, ferrying their people from one side to another. You see Venetian's private boats, their owners laughing and talking to one another after a long day's work. There's a man in a rowboat turning his aures rhythmically, front and back, front and back, where he's going you're not sure but he certainly knows. He has a friendly face but determined. Ahead of you, you see the great white arch of the Rialto bridge, steps cascading down either side to meet the walkways on either side of this canal. Smiling, the gondolaire pulls up to the side of the canal.

Starting point is 00:26:36 You're not sure why, until you see the woman selling gelato out of a black card near the water's edge. You climb up a set of stone steps seemingly made for you. There are so many options to choose from. Chocolate, Stratchetella, fruit and cream, fruit and chocolate, yogurt and lemon. You pick two scoops but they aren't flavours you recognise, you want to be surprised. As you taste the first, there's a hint of something like mint perhaps. It's delicious, silky and smooth, exactly what you were hoping it would be. What a treat for this kind of lazy evening, you think. You slowly walk back down the steps and climb into your gondola again. You close your eyes and take in the sounds of the grand canal as you travel slowly, deliberately through the water.

Starting point is 00:27:57 Vendors selling wares, footsteps falling one by one on the hard ground. Water sloshing up and down as boats rock back and forth, tied to their posts for the evening. And then you hear the bells. Beautiful, clear, crisp bells tolling the hour. You open your eyes and agree with one of the most wondrous sights when it has to offer. This is Saint Mark's Square. The sound is coming from a crimson bell tower, a campanilla that stands tall and majestic above the square.

Starting point is 00:28:57 The domes of St. Mark's Cathedral cut arches across the sky, glowing in the reflected light of the sunset tower. You see the glittering facade of the cathedral, shimmering gold and blue and red like marano glass. The dogeous palace stands out,hell white against the other buildings here. It reminds you of a piece of burano lace with intricate patterns cut across its many arches and pillars and lattice edges. And now you understand this is what the captain meant. You have to start on the outside and

Starting point is 00:29:52 make your way in to the heart of this magical city. The history of Venice's people is woven into the very foundation of this place. You take one final look at the square as the sun finally sinks down below the horizon. Night falls on the Venetian Lagoon. Night is a magical time in Venice. The Gondeliers tears you away from St. Marks and you make your way back into one of the quieter canals and down. Light's twinkle from the top stories of the palatos that line this waterway. Elecant chandeliers just visible in picture frame windows above. In one of the palatos you see a woman dog peeking out at you from behind a heavy curtain. Your pasta house that doesn't quite seem like the rest.

Starting point is 00:31:18 Its front is boxy, with chunky white pillars standing at attention all in a row. Feathery green foliage cascades down the edges of this house, which stands out as a bit too modern for this aged city. You've read about this place, home to one of the most famous modern art collectors in history. Its facade is fitting then, it seems. Like so much of Venice, this house and the person behind it are intertwined. Venice, after all, is a city of stories and steeped in history. You look once more at the twinkling lights of the waterside homes. They're like stars on a painted canvas, you think. The lights becoming hazy as your eyelids grow heavy. It's been such a wonderful day. You've seen glass in every hue. The way their ancestors did generations before. You've seen a grand cathedral and palatos.

Starting point is 00:32:59 Venice is a city of enchantment and magic. It's also the most serene place, best seen from the soft seat of a slow moving boat. You'll just close your eyes for a moment, do you think? And let your body move with a gentle rocking of the gondola. As it travels down a quiet canal, deep in the heart of Venice. in us. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Venetian Lagoon

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.