Hello,
This is Lu,
And I'm so happy to welcome you to this sleep meditation.
This meditation has been created with the intention of helping you to relax,
Unwind in a beautiful place in Japan,
And sleep easily.
After the journey,
The soft sound of light rain flows for eight hours,
Guiding you into a restful night's sleep.
As you settle in,
Allow your body to soften and your breath to slow.
Tonight,
You are invited to drift into the heart of Kyoto during the spring season,
A time when the air is mild,
The evenings are quiet,
And cherry blossom flow softly beneath lantern light.
This is your moment to step away from the noise of the day and enter a world where everything moves gently,
Like petals flowing on a calm river.
This meditation is designed to guide your mind and your body into a deep rest.
The images of Kyoto's peaceful temples,
Wooden bridges,
And blooming cherry trees helps release tension and quiet the mind.
And now,
Take a moment to make yourself completely comfortable in your bed.
Let your body find a position that feels soft,
Supported,
And effortless.
Feel the mattress beneath you gently hold in your body and allow your muscles to loosen just a little more with each breath.
Let your shoulders drop,
Let your hands rest.
Let your jaw soften,
Your eyelids grow heavier,
And your breath become slow and smooth.
This is your time to unwind and to let the day fade away.
Now that your body is settling into stillness,
Bring your attention to your breath.
And we'll begin by gently lengthening the exhale,
A simple way to calm the nervous system and prepare the mind for deep sleep.
And we start with a soft inhale.
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three.
Exhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Again,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three.
Exhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three.
And exhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
One more time.
Inhale for one,
Two,
Three.
And exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
And six.
Let your breath return to a natural easy flow.
Feel how each longer exhale softens your body,
Quiets your thoughts,
And invites a deeper sense of calm.
As your breath settles into a calm natural rhythm,
Allow your mind to soften and dream.
With your body resting deeply,
Imagine the light beginning to shift,
The warm glow of late afternoon settling over everything,
And your journey in Japan begins.
You feel yourself standing in the heart of Kyoto Station,
A place where modern lines and soft echoes blend with the quiet spirit of the city.
People move slowly,
Unhurried,
Wrapped in the peaceful mood of early evening.
The air is mild,
Touched by the first hints of spring,
And somewhere nearby,
You notice a small breeze carrying the faint scent of cherry blossoms.
You walk toward the bus stop,
Moving at peaceful and effortless pace.
The city around you glows in golden light,
Rooftops shimmering,
Windows catching the sun.
When the bus arrives,
Its doors open with a gentle sigh.
You step inside and settle into a quiet seat by the window.
The bus glides forward,
Smooth and steady,
And Kyoto begins to drift past like a slow watercolor painting,
Traditional wooden houses with deep brown beams,
Tiny shops with hand-painted signs,
Bicycles resting against stone walls.
Everything feels calm,
Familiar and timeless.
As you travel north,
The city grows quieter,
The streets narrow,
The buildings soften into older shapes,
And the air becomes cooler,
Touched by the presence of nearby temples.
You notice the first cherry trees,
Their branches just beginning to bloom,
Petals glowing pale pink in the fading light.
They sway gently in the breeze,
As if welcoming you.
And when you step off the bus,
The world feels hushed.
A small canal murmurs nearby,
And a distant temple bell rings,
Low and comforting.
And you are approaching the Philosopher's Path,
A place where time slows,
Where petals drift like quiet thoughts,
And where your journey into serenity is ready to begin.
The Philosopher's Path,
Tetsugaku no Michi in Japanese,
Is a quiet stone walkway in the northern part of Kyoto's Higashiyama district.
It follows a narrow canal lined with hundreds of cherry trees,
Which bloom in soft shade of pink in early April,
Turning the entire path into one of Kyoto's most beloved cherry blossom walks.
The path stretches for about two kilometers,
Beginning near Ginkaku-ji,
The Silver Pavilion,
And ending close to the temple district of Nanzen-ji.
It was named after Nishida Akitaro,
One of Japan's most influential philosophers,
Who used to walk this route as a form of meditation.
Along the way,
Small temples,
Shrines,
Cafes,
And traditional houses appear quietly between the trees.
In the soft light of late afternoon,
When the crowds fade and the blossoms glow gently above the water,
The Philosopher's Path becomes a place where time slows,
A place made for reflection,
Stillness,
And peaceful wandering.
Before you,
The cherry blossoms begin to appear,
Soft,
Delicate,
And glowing in the fading light of early evening.
Each tree seems to breathe with the breeze,
And some blossoms are fully open,
Catching the golden rays of the sun.
Others are still in gentle bud,
Round and tender,
Holding the promise of tomorrow's bloom.
As you walk,
Petals drift down around you,
Slow,
Weightless,
And hurried,
Floating like tiny feathers through the warm spring air.
They land softly on the surface of the canal,
Creating a quiet trail of pink that moves with the water,
A ribbon of blossoms guiding your steps.
The scent is subtle and sweet,
A whisper rather than a perfume,
Just enough to soften your breath into a deeper calm.
Above you,
The branches form a delicate canopy,
A tunnel of soft color that filters the evening light into gentle shades of rose and gold.
The world feels hushed beneath these blossoms,
As if time itself have slowed to honor their brief and beautiful presence.
With every step,
You feel the tenderness of spring surrounding you,
Holding you and inviting you to drift even deeper into peace.
As you walk further along,
The sky begins to soften,
Clouds gather slowly,
And a light rain begins to fall.
Gentle drops tapping against the blossoms,
A rhythm so delicate it feels like music.
You notice a small tea house tucked beside the canal,
Its wooden frame glowing warmly against the cool evening.
Lanterns flicker at the entrance,
And the scent of roasted tea leaves drifts into the rain.
Tapping inside,
You are welcomed by worms.
The air is filled with the quiet crackle of a kettle and the soft fragrance of green tea rising in the steam.
You sit upon tatami mats as a cup of soothing tea is placed gently in your hands.
The tea is warm,
Earthy and calming.
With each sip,
Your body softens further,
Your breath deepens,
And your mind drifts closer to sleep.
Outside,
The rain continues,
Steady and tender.
It falls against the roof,
Against the blossoms,
Against the canal,
A lullaby of water that will sing through the night.
You lie down upon the tatami,
The blanket wrapping you in safety.
The tea's warmth lingering in your chest.
And now,
My voice begins to fade,
Becoming softer,
Lighter,
Until is it carried away by the rain itself.
The rain will remain with you,
Falling gently for hours,
An endless lullaby,
Guiding you into the deepest,
Sweetest sleep.
Eight hours of soft rain,
Eight hours of peace,
Eight hours of dreams beneath the cherry blossom of Kyoto.
I wish you a beautiful night,
Sweet dreams and see you soon.
