Autumn Walk To Sleep

Autumn has now begun to slowly show itself,

With it changing temperature and form colours.

It is a time for change,

To let go of summer,

To contemplate and to take care of yourself.

As you wrap yourself up snug tonight,

You are warm and safe from the outside elements that autumn brings.

Outside it may be raining,

Windy and cold,

But inside you bask in warmth and more silent offerings.

Listen as much as you can from the words that you will hear,

Visualise the scenes that are described and follow along in your own way.

With summer now being eclipsed by the autumnal red sunsets,

The cooler nights begin to set in.

As the seasons change,

So too do the needs and wants of your mind and body.

Tonight you will take an autumn walk,

A journey to sleep.

On your journey,

Observe the calming sounds of this darker part of the year.

It is a time to nurture,

To pamper and perhaps hibernate for a little while,

Which will bring healing for you in the changing months.

The purpose of this walk is to clear your mind and help reconnect you with your inner self.

Perhaps the changing weather has made you feel out of sorts somewhat.

Autumn is about change,

Which is a contrast from the vibrant colours,

The sunshine and the blue skies of summer,

To a minimalist landscape.

From warmth and abundance,

Comes cooler nights and the building up of your own reserves of peacefulness,

Grounding and contentedness.

In this particular moment and the next few hours,

You will slow down any thoughts and let go of any tight or tense muscular activity,

To sleep peacefully in a warmth of comfort.

As you imagine and immerse your mind in this experience,

Feel the words that you hear in your own way.

As you listen along,

Feel the slowing down of each and every breath and sense the warm subtle relaxation that begins to develop in your muscles.

Close in your eyes,

You see red,

Golden and yellow leaves,

Floating past your line of view.

As they float,

Tumble and disperse,

You find yourself standing in a forest.

You have a warm jacket,

A scarf and a hat to keep your body insulated.

In some way,

This forest looks familiar.

Perhaps you have been here before.

You see a vast amount of trees,

Too many to count.

Forests grows on rocks and up the root of tree trunks,

Bringing some greenery to the earthy landscape.

This place and time feels soft on your soul and reinvigorating to your body.

There is no need for hurriedness.

You can completely take your time.

Placing one foot in front of the other,

You begin to walk.

How fast or slow you want to walk is totally up to you.

This is your time.

You hear the crisp rustling of fallen leaves crunching beneath your feet on the ground.

With each step comes a satisfying synchronisation of sound and movement.

Forests rustle under your feet and small discarded twigs crackle as you walk.

The tall once blooming green trees are now bare branches reaching out from their trunks to a cloud filled sky.

The sun glows dimly through the white sheet cloud cover which hides its light and heat.

You begin to detach from any concerns,

Instead absorbing these peaceful surroundings.

The air is fresh,

With the tiniest of droplets which start to form a layer of fog as the sun invisibly sets.

Your path is made of a dirt track between the stripped trees which lead back to civilisation.

Squirrels scamper up and down the trunks,

Trying to find a tidbit to take back and stash in their nest.

Their furry tails display caution as they wiggle and flay them around,

Evading any human knowledge that they are there.

Much like the squirrels,

You too are on a trail of discovery,

Alternatively searching for your own peace of mind.

You find it in the observing of everything around.

From the squirrels scurrying,

The leaves tumbling and the whole atmosphere of this autumn wood,

You begin to relax.

The fog starts to thicken with each step,

And as it changes the landscape,

You begin to wonder about your own state of mind.

Still being the same place it was a few weeks ago,

But now changed into something different.

It makes you think how you can change your mood or perspective on things in your own life.

Continuing to walk,

You relax some more.

Your shoulders sink from the peaceful look upon your face as you notice and observe more.

Here,

In this place,

You feel relaxed and calm enough to be yourself.

The lanterns that line your path begin to glow an orange haze,

Each one getting harder to see as they become faint through the fog.

The bulbs of the lights seem to float within the drifting haze,

Like orbs of energy in the misty air.

As it gets darker,

The fog is illuminated into what seems like a large orange cloud.

The lamps emit enough light to shine through only part of the fog.

You now see only the edges of the path and the dewy grass that shimmers as you walk safely in the middle.

The odd dandelion sprouts from the ground,

The yellow petals bringing some colour amongst the greyness of this autumnal evening.

Now as you observe the changes that happen here in mid autumn,

You see it as a time for change.

You see that the trees have shed their leaves from the warmer days of summer and now everything is preparing for another season.

As you calmly think to yourself,

You can't help but notice how nature is very similar to life.

Autumn is about perhaps reflecting about your wellbeing,

Or pondering about where you would like to be in the next season.

It can also be a time of retreat,

Preparedness or a metamorphosis.

Being neutral and without overthinking,

You can calmly contemplate what this moment means to you.

Somewhere in the quiet times of life,

You can possibly see opportunity,

Improvement or even the idea of release.

Then you take a moment to feel what your heart is telling you about this moment.

Feeling good with what you discover,

The path opens up a little.

You reach the end of the forest and are now walking upon a more chalky path,

With tufts of grass here and there.

Horses roam free either side of you,

Grazing on the short wet fields.

The sheep that are dotted around can barely be seen on the hillsides,

Some slowly walking,

Some lying down.

The scent of bark now fades into fresh new air,

Filling your lungs and making you slightly tired.

You are as relaxed as can be,

Your arms now dangling by your sides,

Your feet somewhat on automatic pilot.

You are quite content to be part of the life that surrounds you,

Now seemingly dreamlike as you vibrate in sync with autumn.

Now on the hillsides,

Gusts of wind gently blow every now and then.

The horses mains waft about,

The grass rolls down the hill and the clouds move more quickly.

As the first patters of rain can be heard on your jacket,

You pull out your umbrella from your pocket.

Only a light shower,

The rain helps you enter that daydream state as you walk.

Perhaps you think about the summer gone,

The upcoming winter or something else,

Either way it's a positive thought that helps you to relax more.

With warmth in your mind,

There is no need for you to feel cold.

You are enjoying your pleasant walk,

Content in every way.

Now as the path opens up a little more,

You look upon a lake,

The vapour of the fog looking much like steam rolling across its veneer.

Bubbles pop on the waters surface,

Obviously from life underneath.

A little island in the middle houses a tree surrounded by driftwood.

You see birds nests perching within the branches,

A head popping up every now and then to take a look around.

As you walk around the lake,

Rocks reflect the stillness in the water,

Making it all look much like an oil painting.

The whole scene is stationary as you glide past on the positive vibes of your daydreams.

With everything still and calm,

It feels like you are floating over the ground.

Peace fills every muscle on your face,

Down to your hands and your abdomen.

You can't quite see what is on the other side of the lake,

And as you try to look,

You are drawn back to yourself.

Each breath now calmer than the last,

Every muscle more relaxed than a moment ago.

In the distance you see the haze of car lights,

Street lamps and houses.

As you near home,

You are quite relieved knowing that you will welcome the rest.

A thin narrow path leads you closer to civilisation.

On reaching a gate,

You open it.

Closing the gate,

The sounds of a small village are heard.

The mumbles of people talking,

The bells on the shop doors and footsteps clanking,

Sometimes splashing on the rain soaked ground.

Walking through the village,

You smell the last loaves of bread from a baker's being made,

A truly great greeting home.

The warm scent brings a euphoric feeling to your every sense.

The sweet smells of vegetables and fruit wafts from the green grocers,

Probably being the most colourful store of them all.

The splashes of footsteps and cars glisten in puddles,

Where concentric circles hypnotically spread.

The once bland surface beams with reflections of every light.

Market stalls packing up for the night display upcoming winter wear.

Scarves,

Hats,

Gloves and coats dangle from the shabby fold up stalls.

The warm waft of open shop doors feels nice when you pass them,

Especially on your face,

Reminding you of that reward for when you get home.

As the fog thickens more,

Everyone begins to finish closing up.

The sound of brooms on the floor,

The clanks of doors as the evening turns into night.

Now walking around the corner,

Everything becomes quieter.

Tudor houses line the street,

Only the echoing distant bustle you passed can faintly be heard.

Oak trees,

Silver birches and firs stretch into the night sky.

From the pavement in the gardens of Thouzai's,

Lights can be seen through closed curtains which accompany the tall street lamps.

You can now see your house,

An old Tudor style home,

With a wall lantern shining like a beacon.

Crasping your keys,

You walk up to your gate.

Opening your gate,

You feel relief.

As you close it,

You arrange the metal bundle with the front door key pointing in the direction of your house.

Now at your door,

You unlock it and walk inside.

The warm air from the heating relaxes you instantly.

Taking off your coat,

You close the front door.

All you want to do in this moment is get into bed.

You are very tired and feel that your walk has been of great help.

Turning off the lights as you go upstairs,

You reach your bedroom.

Your body is a little cold from the foggy outing,

So you change into your night clothes and slip into bed.

As you lie down,

Every part of your body recognises the relief.

Your cold nose hides underneath the covers and begins to warm.

Your breath acting as a catalyst.

Getting comfortable,

The rustling of the sheets stops as you settle.

Everything becomes so quiet.

Looking out of your window,

You only see the tops of a few trees and a couple of roofs.

The fog is now much more dense than before,

Making it very hard to see anything at all.

Your focus is gained from the orange glow of a street lamp.

You imagine its warm colour heating your body.

The raindrops on your window reflect or mirror the light of the lamp as they drizzle down the glass.

Wind and rain is now heard.

It seems you made it back just in time.

The dark room,

Highlighted by the soft gentle light,

Helps you to start drifting off.

As your body begins to warm,

You relax further.

Letting the temperatures of all areas of your body rise,

You loosen immensely.

Now beginning to relax and float to a sleepier state,

Imagine that as you warm up,

The heat radiating around your body is tension.

The warmer you get,

The more tension leaves your body and escapes out through the sheets,

Leaving only positive energy inside.

As your mind settles more into the tranquil sounds of autumn,

Your neck and head tilt downwards into the soft cradling pillow.

The hypnotic raindrops clear your thoughts and soothe each muscle on your face.

Your eyes and the areas around your eyes are now soft,

Accepting your desire to go to sleep.

Your nose now warm,

Breathing in deeper and longer,

Sleepier breaths.

As the warmth starts to glow down your neck,

Your shoulders sink deeply into a perfect position.

This time is gentle,

Peaceful and healing in every way.

The warmth in the tops of your shoulders slowly allow your arms to descend.

As your arms become softened by this atmosphere of bliss,

Your wrists,

Hands and fingers curl up themselves.

Becoming looser and more comfortable on every exhalation,

You surrender to the pure comfort that you feel.

Warmer and sleepier,

Your hips sink heavily into the mattress,

Loosening the bottom of your back at the same time.

Your mind already half asleep,

Drifting in and out between the sound of the raindrops.

As your upper body delves deeply into a heavier and more relaxed state,

Your thighs and knees follow,

Smoothing out any tension from within.

It may be cold,

Raining and windy outside,

But here in this moment,

You are sheltered,

Warm and safe.

As your awareness fades out and into sleep,

Your calves,

Ankles,

Feet and toes tingle with warmth and rest into place for the night,

Your whole body now radiating beneath the sheets.

As the rain continues to tap at your window and the gusts of wind blow through the darkness,

Your eyelids become heavier and heavier.

Perhaps your jaw is now widening,

Or maybe you reposition yourself into a more comfortable posture.

In this moment,

You are in bliss,

Listening to the fading sounds of autumn as you float into sleep.

After the time spent sleeping,

Your energy will be restored,

Your positivity replenished and you will have a mind that sees the next day with a clear perspective.

These next few minutes are about beginning to hibernate for the night,

Readying yourself for sleep.

So by shifting about a little,

Find your perfect comfortable resting position.

It may be unsettled outside,

Where the wind blows,

Where the rain showers and the fog covers a once familiar land,

But you are safe and warm in a more silent space.

As you lie there warm in your nest,

Begin to let go of your day,

Like the trees of autumn that shed their leaves.

Here in this moment,

You are doing the same.

It is now time to let go of your day by releasing your own leaves.

Beginning at the top of your head,

Sense any thoughts,

Feelings,

Emotions and tension depart your body.

The leaves only fall now because of the change in your mind.

For the trees to regrow new leaves,

They have to adapt,

Hibernate and replenish themselves.

Pale unclear thoughts,

Colourless worries and brittle perceptions are taken with the wind of each of your calming breaths.

Any lines on your forehead,

Now uncompressed,

Smooth with the clearing of your mind.

Any deliberation now comes to a close for today.

Your eyes begin to feel more gentle,

Each eyelid settling heavily,

From letting go.

As each breath continues to blow the leaves of this soon to be yesterday away,

Your breathing pattern begins the hibernation process.

Your cheeks,

Mouth and jaw now feel unoccupied of having to hold on to any of the leaves,

Allowing them to silently float away.

Each muscle in your face now relaxed,

Now able to fully sense the freedom of less obtrusive distractions.

Your thoughts now,

Unattached from anything,

But the warmth and tranquility of drifting pleasantly further.

As you breathe down on every exhalation,

The metaphorical leaves on your neck swish and swoop into the slipstream of your breath and away.

The muscles in your neck now unrestricted in how much you can relax them.

Your head slowly bows deeply into your pillow as you ease silently into a peaceful slumber.

Your head becoming very heavy with the strong feeling of release that you sense,

Your eyelids closing like the shorter,

Darker days of autumn.

Like the winds of change that can no longer be resisted,

Your shoulders loosen and splay out in pure comfort.

Each breeze of your calm breath clears away the leaves on the tops of your arms,

Which rustle away through the foggy landscape of unawareness that you now sense.

See in your mind and sense with your body,

Each individual leaf falling away as you scan down your arms,

Wrists,

Hands and fingers.

A soft,

Lethargic sensation in your arms gives your wrists every reason to let go.

As every muscle in your arms forgo any tension,

Your wrists liberate each hand and finger down into a descent of quietude,

A silent state of heaviness.

Now breathing deeper and lengthier breaths,

Your awareness fades further,

The hypnotic sound of each breath softening the atmosphere in and around your body.

On each breath out,

Your chest descends and you sense the symbolic leaves drift distant with the gentle wish of every exhalation,

Your rib cage now wider,

Allowing your chest to willingly accept every longer sleepy inhalation.

As the season of autumn continues on this night,

The leaves fall much easier as you bring your awareness to your abdomen and hips,

With your mind setting sail for sleep in the sometimes unconscious awareness you now experience,

You unburden your abdomen just by sensing a departing of any last remaining tension.

As the leaves sweep away from your hips,

Your legs lower,

Aligning your spine into relief.

Descending further into that hibernation state,

Your mind is beginning to sleep,

Your legs now releasing every tense muscle they have,

Unlocking your knees to accommodate your shins and calves with as much rest as they need.

Now free,

Your ankles slowly position your feet down safely into the warmth they now feel.

With the last remaining leaves floating away from your toes,

The bare freedom to sense comfort once again retires them for the night.

Still,

Safe,

Serene and at peace,

You drift deeper into that sleepy state.

Like an autumn night,

Your mind becomes silent,

Deeply hibernating in the satisfying darkened sky of this season.

As you transcend into sleep,

The beautiful darkness behind your gently closed eyelids entices your mind without declination.

Each breath sending you deeper into that pleasing twilight of awareness.

Much like the autumn equinox,

Where the length of the days and nights are equal,

Eventually drifting into the latter.

Your mind and body find balance in this moment,

In a peaceful and harmonious equilibrium of comfort and wellbeing.

As you float towards your deep sleep place for tonight,

The balance shifts towards unawareness and the reassurance of a good nights rest.

With emotions,

Feelings and mood balancing out,

Your mind travels down further to your safe place and your body consumes the warmth of settlement.

Detaching now from all conscious thoughts,

Your mind is shown a sleepier way of thinking.

Autumn is about seeking comfort from the changeable environment.

Find your cosy dreams now through the darkness of your eyelids.

Feeling the warmth of your own body and the bed you relax down into,

Allow that radiating invisible glow of heat to lull you further into sleep.

As the warmth deepens through your muscles,

Sense them loosen more and more,

Every joint in your body relaxing effortlessly.

In letting go of your day,

You feel your mind and body replenishing whilst retreating to take a break.

All sounds begin to be distant as your awareness drifts.

The very short moments before sleep is when reconnection to your true self emerges.

There is no ego,

No overthinking,

Nor negativity.

Letting go of everything is what sleep and autumn have in common.

If you feel that there are still leaves that need to be shed,

Then allow them to float away now.

Like the changing temperature of this season,

The need for more layers to stay warm helps to keep comfort nearby.

As your head sinks deeper into your pillow,

You find another layer of sleep filled thoughts.

Follow them down,

Relaxing all the way.

In your closed eyelids,

You see a single golden leaf,

It descends down in front and with you.

As you visualise this leaf,

The distance between it and you shortens,

Until you are lying on top of it.

Seek lighting downwards,

Towards your place of sleep you go.

Everything is silent,

Tranquil and peaceful.

Down below you observe a rich golden coloured forest with trees far and wide.

You can also see the bare trees through the autumnal fog.

Slowly floating down,

You reach a leaf filled path in between the trees.

Soft golden pallet before you looks enchanting,

From yellows to orange to the dark bark statues dotted around.

Having a gentle walk through the forest,

The leaves underneath your feet rustle a crisp footstep.

Your breath can be seen as you exhale,

Spouting a plume with each breath out.

As you look into the air,

You see the miniscule water drops of the fog drifting past.

You are warm,

Covered with thick clothes,

Snugly wrapped up safely to enjoy this unobtrusive landscape.

The cool air is easy to breathe,

Clearing your mind with the space of this wondrous location.

Your shoulders are completely down now,

As you venture in your own time to explore.

Low lying fog covers the ground in the middle of the fields off in the distance,

Where you see the silhouettes of horses meandering.

Birds are nowhere to be seen in the bare trees above,

The branches stripped of every leaf.

These squirrels can be seen scurrying around,

Searching for reserves in anticipation of the winter to come.

The grass and leaves beneath your feet covered in dew from the changing air.

At the anticipation of winter coming,

You are filled with a sense of letting go,

But also of observing what you cherish.

It's during autumn,

The season of change,

That realisations are observed,

And taking moments to just be present are important.

This time on your own to explore your own progression is a contemplative one,

As if you were watching from a distance.

In this moment you feel free,

Undistracted from any thought processes,

And completely at peace.

Walking through this silent forest brings you closer to yourself,

You begin to look on at the simple but meaningful surroundings,

And take in the appreciation.

Not only is the clothing you wear keeping you warm,

Your heart now becomes warm from the self love you show yourself.

Each breath soothing your every muscle as you continue to walk along the golden path.

With self appreciation and peace inside,

Each footstep takes no effort at all.

Feeling your body becoming lighter,

You relax some more.

Ahead you see a tree with a door embedded in its bark,

Curiously you walk towards it.

Crisp footsteps up to the door clear your mind further as your curiosity gathers.

On reaching the door,

You see that the words please come in are inscribed on a wooden sign.

Following the door,

You walk through and into the hollow tree.

Closing the door behind you,

It becomes silent and warmth can once again be felt.

In front of you are a set of steps,

With lanterns lighting the way down,

And another sign with the words this way to sleep.

Agreeably you take your first step downwards and continue your descent.

The stairs curve around in a circle,

The lanterns getting dimmer the lower you go.

You are safe and as you continue to take each relaxing step down,

You begin to find your dream for tonight.

Each breath deepening and your body completely relaxed,

You carry on.

Steps descending into sleep following the steps.

Your shoulders melting as you follow this new path,

With each step you feel sleepier.

Relax with the knowing that you will get a good night's rest now.

As you cross the boundary of awareness and into sleep,

Your every breath becomes deeper and longer,

Freeing your chest to a looseness.

Every part of you becoming softer the deeper you go,

Your mind now clear,

Your body as relaxed as can be.

As your subconscious mind and inner self dream,

Your body sinks further into comfort.

First your face muscles loosen to a drooping limpness as your mind detaches and disconnects from awareness.

Your neck allows your head to descend deeply by completely letting go.

Weak and heavier your arms become.

Both wrists slacken your hands like anchors,

Your fingers now loose and free.

As your abdomen flattens out,

Dispersing the last of any remaining awareness,

Your lower back slumps into peace.

With the silence in your mind to the perfect tranquil dream for tonight,

Your legs lower down,

Unlocking your ankles.

As you get closer to your dream,

The warmth of self love that you feel for yourself radiates around your heart area.

Now is the time for rest without another thought.

You let go completely.

Nearing your dream,

My voice begins to fade away,

Leaving you only with a positive image to see.

You are warm,

Safe and on your way to a place that will rejuvenate every part of you.

Your eyes feel no need to do anything else but stay closed.

Your body need not move and your mind becomes the destination for tonight.

Down deeper you go,

Relaxing,

Drifting and floating further,

Having no inclination to do anything else.

You just relax and go to sleep.

Your mind is clear,

Your face is relaxed,

Your body is heavy.

No more thinking for today.

You are doing great as you relax more and more.

As the night progresses,

You sleep more soundly.

The more you relax,

The more you loosen.

Allow each breath to naturally become deeper and longer.

This time is just for you.

Enjoy it by descending further.

You are heavily sinking further into your bed.

There is no need to think anymore tonight.

Every breath loosens your muscles.

The warmth of self love you have for yourself heals your mind.

There is now silence in your mind.

From letting go of everything,

You feel a sense of being balanced.

Only positivity is felt in this moment.

You are relaxed completely.

You are falling asleep.

You are ready to sleep.

In this moment,

You are asleep.

God bless you.