Mindful Bedtime Stories Written and narrated by Laurie Westbury Welcome to our mindful bedtime story.
Before we begin,
Take a moment to make sure you are nice and comfortable.
Dim the lights,
Adjust your pillow,
And curl up in your blankets just how you like them.
While you are enjoying this story,
Know it's okay to peacefully drift off to sleep.
Wishing you a very restful night,
Sweet dreams.
A day in the city.
The sun is finally shining.
As we are just entering spring,
The last couple of weeks we have had a lot of rain.
So when I woke up this morning,
I knew I would be spending some much needed time outdoors.
I could hear the gentle sounds of the birds singing outside of my window.
And you could feel that most of the world was still sleeping.
I was definitely a morning person.
I felt those first few hours were always the most calming.
As someone who can really feel other people's energy,
I like knowing I had the world all to myself.
Even if it was just for a little while.
As I got out of bed,
I put on my favorite fuzzy slippers and started with a glass of water and lemon.
Today looks like the perfect day to enjoy some of my favorite places downtown.
I tied my hair back,
Grabbed my laptop,
Some change from the windowsill,
And headed to my favorite downtown cafe.
This cafe managed to do everything right.
They had the best coffee in town,
Great service,
And the energy was always upbeat and uplifting.
It attracted a unique side of our city.
Any time of day,
You could walk in and the seats would be filled with these amazing,
Raw,
And organic people.
It wasn't a place you came if you were in a big hurry because you always wanted to stay,
Pull up a chair,
And enjoy everyone's company.
They also made these delicious energy bites that always went perfectly with whatever I was drinking.
Today I decided to change things up a bit.
I ordered an iced coffee in celebration of the bright sun outside and a homemade oat muffin.
I loved when Alice was working.
She always found these really lame jokes online and shared them with anyone she felt needed a smile.
You couldn't help but laugh.
She gave me a look as if she was trying to connect with my vibe and I knew I was about to get today's daily joke.
She gave me a big smile and said,
Why did the scarecrow win an award?
Because he was outstanding in his field.
I could feel the smile starting down from my belly.
I always admired Alice.
Even when she was busy,
And she was always busy,
She never made you feel rushed or pushed along.
She always took the time to get to know you,
And she had this mindful presence about her where you always felt deeply listened to.
Once I told her in passing that my shoelace snapped.
A few days later,
She greeted me with,
So how's the shoelace hunting going?
Find a good one yet?
As I turned around,
I noticed my favorite table was available.
It was facing a large window,
But was far enough that the sun didn't beat down directly on the table.
Placed in the center was an invitation to our community garden club.
And close by was a board filled with events happening all over the city.
If you wanted a unique night out,
This was definitely the place to find out what was happening.
I sat back down and enjoyed my iced coffee.
It was the perfect day to take a stroll downtown.
I loved the busy streets,
The unique shops,
But most of all,
I loved visiting the boardwalk.
Before the city built it,
Enjoying the waterfront was almost impossible.
Now you could walk for over an hour along the waterline,
Enjoying the ducks and many other seabirds along the way.
Often in the late afternoon,
You could find local talent sharing their favorite songs on a number of different instruments.
They would sit on a bench along the walk and have a donation jar or an open guitar case so people could donate if they enjoyed the tune.
These spots became a favorite stopping place for many of the elderly people in the city.
On some afternoons,
It felt like going back in time,
When music was more about meaning and connection.
A time or two,
I even got to witness the foxtrot and the cha-cha.
The wind was always a little higher down by the water,
But today everything seems so still.
My first stop was going to be a little shop called Bravely Natural.
The owners of the shop had a wonderful artistic flair,
Turning one wall of the outside building into a mural of beautiful aspects from Mother Nature.
In the center of the painting was a large lavender field.
Somehow I could smell the field right from the painting.
Just looking at it made me feel so in the moment.
As you entered an old-fashioned bell would let the owners know that you were there.
I stopped right there in the doorway and breathed in deeply.
It smelled like heaven.
Off to the side was a statement from the owners explaining the vision for their shop.
It read,
Welcome.
Our vision is to create a unique shopping experience unlike any other.
Each item in our store is handcrafted,
Organic,
Contains no chemicals,
And we only use biodegradable packaging.
We want to give your body the best of Mother Nature,
And in return we strive to do no harm to her.
As I glanced around,
I knew I would be taking something home from this wonderful place.
They had body scrubs,
Body butters,
Bath bombs,
Face masks,
And even essential oils.
I was drawn to the oils.
I knew they had many uses,
And I wanted something that would help create energy and lift the spirit.
After speaking with the owner,
I decided on a pure orange oil.
She allowed me to test it by placing a drop on the palm of my hand.
I breathed it in deeply.
As I reached the register,
I was told that I could reuse the glass bottle.
Just bring it in,
And they would gladly refill it for me with a 15% discount.
I thanked her and continued on my way.
My next stop was close by,
And it happened to be my favorite place.
Inner Bliss was a store that just opened a few years ago.
The couple moved here from Spain and always dreamed of having their own crystal and mineral store.
You could visit once a week and always find something new.
They also did testing on all of their shipments to ensure their customers were getting authentic stones from around the world.
The inside of the shop was very organized.
Each stone had a card placed under it,
Letting you know what the name was and where it came from.
If you wanted to know the spiritual uses for the stones,
They had a large book at the front of the store with all of the information.
I have always been very connected to rough stones.
To me,
They have a pureness to them.
They were in their natural form,
Not buffed and shined,
But the store had many of both.
As I walked around,
I was drawn to a beautiful piece of amethyst.
This particular piece was about the size of my hand,
Stood upright,
And had the most deep sparkling purple I've ever seen.
The color was so even.
I closed my eyes for a moment with it in my hands and I could feel the amazing energy.
Yes,
This would also be coming home with me today.
As I approached the counter,
The owner said she knew that piece was meant for someone special.
I smiled and told her how much I enjoyed her place.
She wrapped the stone in a beautiful silk pouch and included a card that detailed its properties.
She also included a piece of white sage,
Informing me to smudge the stone when I get home and to be sure to activate it by doing an intention ceremony.
I had one more stop to make,
Claire's Bookstore.
This was another one of those places where you could spend all day.
Claire went on these amazing adventures all around the world,
Bringing back the most unique book she could find.
Today I wanted to find a book on crystals,
And if I knew Claire,
She would have more than one to pick from.
The shop had a wonderful layout with antique chairs next to each bookshelf,
So you could take time to connect with your selection.
It also had a very unique smell,
One that is hard to describe,
But if I was going to try,
I would say wood,
Paper,
And the slightest hint of pine.
They also played very soft,
Peaceful music.
It was so low and soft,
It fit perfectly with the energy of the store.
Just as I walked in,
Sitting on a table right in front of the door was a book called Crystals for Emotional Healing.
It was meant to be.
The book had a full-page picture of each crystal,
And the following few pages gave detailed information.
I didn't need to see anything else.
Claire walked over and laughed at how quick I was.
She picked this book up at a market in Boston.
I had a brief moment where I realized how unique things are,
And sent out some gratitude for the divine timing of everything.
I thanked Claire and decided to head home.
When I arrived,
I couldn't wait to open up my new items.
I didn't want to go inside yet,
So I found the perfect spot on my deck in a comfy chair.
I loved sitting here as it had the best view of the ocean.
I started with the orange essential oil.
I opened the container and breathed in the freshness.
I felt the urge to apply some to my wrist so I could keep the scent with me.
Next,
I unwrapped my amethyst from its silk and took out the white sage.
I lit the sage and took a moment to cleanse myself first.
I let the smoke roll over my body,
Just allowing myself to be clear.
Next,
I let the smoke cleanse the stone.
I picked up the stone,
Closed my eyes,
And set my intention.
Please aid in keeping my mind clear and my heart true.
Just as I spoke the words,
I felt a shiver of connection run down my spine.
Finally,
I decided to take out my new book.
This was how I was going to spend the rest of my afternoon,
Learning about crystals and letting go of needing to do anything else.
The past few years,
I've really been making sure I have days that are free from anything,
Not worrying about cleaning or really any of my responsibilities,
Days where I wander and spend my time doing exactly what I want.
These days are so important.
Soon,
I felt my eyes begin to close.
Yes,
These kinds of days were meant for naps.
Until next time,
Sweet dreams.
