Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Wandering in Arashiyama (Premium)

Episode Date: August 12, 2020

This is a preview episode. Get the full episode, and many more, ad free, on our supporter's feed: https://getsleepy.com/support. Wandering in Arashiyama Nadine takes us to a serene bamboo forest in Japan. 😴  Sound design: bamboo rustling.    About Get Sleepy Premium: Help support the podcast, and get: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads) The exclusive Thursday night bonus episode Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free) Premium sleep meditations, extra-long episodes and more! We'll love you forever. ❤️ Get a 7 day free trial, and join the Get Sleepy community here https://getsleepy.com/support. And thank you so, so much.  Tom, and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more and thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. It's early morning, so early in fact that you're the only one walking along this narrow path, winding slowly uphill. You reach an intricate wooden gate and pause for a moment. In front of you, on either side of the path, thousands of bamboo trees stand tall and perfectly straight. As the morning breeze passes by, the bamboo forest lets out a gentle but vibrant rustling

sound. You tilt your head backward in awe to admire their imposing appearance. This type of bamboo can grow up to one meter a day. From where you're standing, they seem like paintbrushes drawing the clouds. You wonder how old this forest really is, whether it has stopped reaching for the stars or if it's still growing. You step forward, hearing the crunch of dirt beneath your feet, and follow the path inside the forest. Walking amid the soaring trees feels like being in another world, a peaceful world with endless shades of green. Here it feels natural to slow simplicity, to feel and not speak.

Every time the path curves, new rows of bamboo come into view. Each is slightly different than the next. Yet, looking at the forest as a whole, you feel a strong sense of community. They've grown together, while carrying on with their never-ending search for water and light. Now you have reached the heart of the forest. As the wind swirls around you, the bamboo seems to wake up, shivering with excitement. The tall, slender trees sway slowly back and forth. You enjoy their enchanting dance. You close your eyes and for a few seconds soak up the sounds of the forest, the delicate flutter of the leaves and the soft crackle of the bamboo trunks.

The sounds appear and disappear as the wind flows in and out. Birds chirp from hidden corners and tiny critters buzz about with joy. It's a place of extraordinary tranquility. It allows you to relax, rather than feeling like you need to accomplish something. Just being here is special enough. As you continue exploring, you note these two tiny human statues, not bigger than your face. Hitted at the foot of a gigantic tree, they are barely visible. Despite their size, their presence feels important, their heads around, their mouths are curved in a smile, and their palms are pressed together in a praying position. They could be the protectors of the forest, you think. Not far from the statues, you find a particularly unique bamboo trunk stretched out on the ground. Its colour is different from the others. It reminds you of an old Japanese legend called the tale of the bamboo cutter.

It tells of a humble old man who found a baby girl inside of a shining stalk of bamboo. Together with his wife, they raised the child and she grew into a woman of extraordinary beauty. Many princes and even the emperor of Japan wanted to marry her, but the girl refused, because every time she watched the sky, she was overcome by sadness. She came to realize that she was not human. She longed to return to her place of origin, the moon. But the Emperor, overcome by his enchantment with her, sent his gods to prevent her leave. One night, when the moon was covered by clouds, a carriage

manned by luminous beings descended from the sky. She returned to the moon and left the emperor a letter and a small bottle with the elixir of life. Infuriated, the emperor ordered they be burned atop the most sacred mountain, Mount Fuji. You wonder whether this bamboo trunk on the ground has any relation to the special one in the legend. That's something you will probably never know, you think. you