A warm welcome to this guided sleep story and meditation where you will take an enchanted journey into a butterfly sanctuary.
You will be guarded by these wonderful creatures and whisked away into a world of comfort,
Of peace and of deep rest.
But first,
Let us take a brief moment to relax.
We will do a short guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.
This will allow you to slow down and relax,
Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,
Peaceful rest.
When you are ready,
Breathe in through the nose for three,
Hold for four,
And breathe out for five.
Let all of it go now.
Again,
That's in for three,
Hold for four,
And release,
Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,
Today and tomorrow.
Again,
In for three.
Continue to breathe in this way in your own time,
And with each breath out,
Allow your body to sink just that bit deeper.
Allow your breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.
Enjoy this new peace flowing through your body and let your breath become soft and easy like the gentle ebbing and flowing of calm waters on a quiet shore.
Gradually now,
You see the world start to transform around you.
The colors mingle together and the images blur,
Until at last,
You start to focus again.
You are walking through a small,
Quiet forest on a cool autumn evening.
The golden sunset warms the woodland with tinges of red and pink,
Casting long shadows across the fallen leaves,
Which carpet the floor with various shades of brown,
Orange and yellow.
A soft breeze weaves through the trees and it is wonderful to breathe in.
This is one of your favorite places to visit after a long and tiring day.
It is a place where you can leave your worries behind and just be at one with nature.
Today,
However,
There is something even more magical in the air.
You can sense it all around you.
As you walk,
You follow the gentle pattern of your steps,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
And this steady repetition allows your thoughts to slowly dissolve as you focus only on your footsteps.
You breathe in this fresh,
Healing air,
Slow and deep.
You allow it to fill your stomach and your chest,
And as you exhale through your mouth,
You release any remaining tension.
You are enveloped by peace and very slowly you feel a smile creeping across your face.
And just then,
Perched atop a small rosebush to your right,
You see a single butterfly waving its wings in a very slow and almost deliberate manner.
Its purple wings are veined with silver and its body seems to pulse very gently with a hypnotic glow.
You are drawn to this butterfly instantly.
In the next moment,
It lifts away from the roses and begins to flutter in front of your face as if trying to attract your attention.
And then,
It turns away from you and begins to weave down a small forest path to your right lined with white stones,
A path that you are sure was not there before.
You are intrigued by this butterfly and decide to follow it,
Turning off course and working your way down this narrow woodland path,
Your new companion guiding your way.
And it's here where the air begins to change.
It becomes lighter almost and so do your footsteps,
And through the breeze now you are met by a concoction of smells,
Lavender,
Wildflowers and even a hint of citrus.
All of a sudden you find yourself standing in front of a small gate which has been carved from silver vines.
You are now absolutely certain that you have never been to this part of the forest before,
But you are delighted to discover it.
There is a sense of safety here,
Of protection and of comfort,
And you welcome this with open arms.
The butterfly circles over the gate three times,
Before again fluttering ahead down the path beyond.
With a deep breath,
You push open the gate and continue to follow your companion.
Your butterfly guardian perches itself on your fingertip now and you hold out your arm,
Allowing it to lead the way and trusting it completely.
Gradually,
The landscape of this woodland begins to change and suddenly you are surrounded by tall green grass coming up to your waist on either side of you and filled with flowers in all the colours of the rainbow.
The trees have silver trunks and are peppered with leaves of purple and midnight blue,
Each one twinkling in the last light of the setting sun.
And suddenly,
All at once,
An infinite collection of butterflies emerge from the grass.
Some are almost as big as your hand,
Pulsing in scarlet,
Emerald and sapphire,
And others are the size of your fingernail,
Twinkling in gold and silver,
And it's as if tiny stars have come down from the sky to greet you tonight.
These butterflies fill this enchanted woodland with a soothing,
Sleepy symphony and a beautiful array of colourful lights that all shimmer and pulse in their own rhythm.
Your footsteps are so light that you feel as though you are floating down the pathway and your entire body can simply release.
You drift down the path effortlessly,
Surrounded by this kaleidoscope of colour and protected by your butterfly guardian.
It is one of the most magical experiences and you cannot help but feel so connected to this wonderful world and to the powers of nature.
And in the next moment,
You are guided into a wide open clearing full of thick emerald grass shimmering under the new moonlight that is backed by a thousand stars.
Your guardian leads you to the very middle of this clearing and gradually you feel yourself being lowered very slowly onto the grass.
Your whole body sinks down into this soft bed of grass and you feel both supported and completely weightless.
Above you now,
The perfect orb of the moon begins to pulse in a slow,
Repetitive rhythm as if signalling to the butterflies around you.
One by one,
They flutter even higher into the sky and they start to create a breathtaking display of dancing colours.
Your guardian stays on your fingertip and they will watch over you now,
Allowing you to sleep deeply all through the night and keeping your dreams pure and beautiful.
The infinite butterflies weave across the night,
Backed by the silver glitter of the stars and your sleepy eyes drift around,
Just taking in little details here and there.
The swirling blue and gold to your right or the wave-like pattern created by the emerald butterflies to your left.
You see groups of silver and red butterflies shooting up into the sky before breaking away from each other in a flash,
Giving the appearance of tiny fireworks popping in different pockets of the night.
And all of this is watched over by the ever-present moon,
The true guardian of this land.
You feel their light and their symphony washing over you.
You feel your body relaxing and your mind emptying completely.
Your breath has become so slow,
So deep and so calm.
You are enveloped by colour and by comfort and you know no matter what,
You can always find your way back to this hidden realm,
To be reunited with these butterflies and to be soothed by the magic of this world.
And as your guardian butterfly flutters above your head,
You focus on their healing light now,
Feeling your forehead and your brow releasing tension and softening completely.
Slowly,
They flutter down your body,
Relaxing each and every muscle as they go.
Your eyes become heavy,
Almost impossible to keep open,
Your cheeks soften,
Your jaw is loose and your tongue releases.
You feel your throat relax and the muscles in your neck dissolve.
Your shoulders are warm and any knots are unravelling.
Your arms hang heavy by your side,
Resting on the soft meadow beneath you.
You feel your hands and your fingers tingling with delight.
Your chest is open and your breath is free.
Your stomach releases and you let go of any holding in.
Your buttocks and your lower back sink just that bit deeper now.
Your legs are softening and,
Bit by bit,
Your muscles are releasing,
Your thighs,
Your feet,
Your whole body pulsing with magic,
Warmth and relaxation.
You are entering a state of bliss,
Of ease and of complete comfort.
You embrace all of these incredible sensations as they ripple through your body.
And now,
There is no need for you to move,
There is no need to speak,
There is no need to think at all.
Here,
You are free to let everything go and to simply surrender.
You could not open your eyes even if you wanted to,
They are far too heavy and it is a beautiful feeling.
Are protected here in this hidden sanctuary of peace.
You are a special guest,
Welcome back any time.
Your butterfly guardian will watch over you,
They will keep you warm,
They will keep you safe and they will keep you sleeping throughout the entire night.
You are surrendering more and more,
Surrendering to the magic and giving yourself permission to go deeper,
Deeper and deeper and to drift into the most effortless sleep.
