Island Of Love: A Guided Visualization For Sleep

Hi,

Thanks for joining me,

Clara,

On this guided visualization for sleep based on visiting the Island of Love.

If you have islomania this sleep story about the Island of Love is for you.

Islomania is obsessional enthusiasm or partiality for islands.

Islomaniacs have a unique passion for island hopping.

They appreciate the joy of visiting one island after another and love the feeling of being surrounded by the sea and the sense of freedom and adventure from exploring the unknown.

Islomaniacs are also drawn to the beauty of the islands with their white sandy beaches,

Palm trees and crystal-clear waters.

For them there's something magical about the islands,

Something that fills them with a sense of peace and contentment.

Islomania is a rather healthy obsession.

For those afflicted,

Island hopping is a hobby and a way of life.

It's a way to experience the world and the joy of the open sea.

So if you have islomania don't be ashamed,

Embrace it and enjoy this island adventure.

Before we begin please find a place where you feel comfortable and can rest.

A quiet dimly lit area where you can really relax.

Please take a few moments to become as comfortable as possible.

Covering your body with a blanket,

Adjusting your pillows or doing whatever you need to do to let your body know it's time to rest.

Then as you settle down allow your eyes to close and your breath to slow.

Slowing the mind down.

Now let's invite the body to rest.

Beginning to breathe a bit more deeply as you feel the weight of your body in your resting place.

Telling your head to sink deeper into your pillow now.

And make sure that the shoulders and the neck are relaxed.

It's time to rest.

Allow your back to soften too.

Again sinking deeper into your pillows.

It's time to rest.

If your body starts to shift or reposition in this meditation that's okay.

It's natural.

Allow yourself to make adjustments as needed to ensure the best comfort and relaxation.

Now it's time to drift.

Drift away from anything going on outside of your body.

Drift away from any sounds outside.

Drift away from your surroundings and drift away from your stream of consciousness as you feel yourself diving deeper into the subconscious mind.

Allow any sensations to come and go like waves.

Your breath is your anchor and if you feel yourself drifting into sleep before this visualization has ended that's okay.

It will always be here for you to revisit.

The journey to the island of love is lengthy or quick depending on where you live in the world.

But you're on the last leg of your travels there.

As you board the ferry you feel your stress and worries melt away.

The morning sun is shining.

The sky is a deep blue.

And the salty sea air fills your lungs with freshness.

You take a seat on the top deck.

As the boat pulls away from the dock you feel the cool sea breeze against your skin and the boats gentle rocking beneath you.

Within no time the small port disappears and you're out at sea.

No other passengers are traveling to the island of love on the boat.

So you're all by yourself apart from the captain and a couple of deckhands.

One of whom drapes a necklace or lei of pale ginger blossoms around your neck when he takes your ticket.

The garland of flowers is a gift of welcome in these southerly parts.

The subtle fragrance of the flowers reminds you of honeysuckle.

The ferry to the island is from another time.

The boat has been crafted from exotic mahogany hardwood.

The deck is varnished teak and the exterior of it is currently painted white.

In some places the paint is chipping off the exterior walls so you can see all the different layers of paint.

At one time or another this very boat was blue,

Red and once even yellow.

You wonder how many times this boat has made this journey over the years.

The sea is calm today so the crossing is smooth.

Along the way the ferry passes an archipelago of scattered smaller atolls.

All deserted islands.

The only sign of life is the occasional seagulls who soar around the boat especially when they notice you eating the packed lunch you brought.

You lie down on the bench using your coat as a pillow.

You close your eyes and drift off for a nap.

You wake up just as the tranquil shores of the island of love appear.

As you get closer to your destination you're suddenly transfixed by the island's beauty.

You can see lush green coconut palms gently swaying in the breeze and crystal-clear turquoise waters lapping against a white sand beach.

A sense of peace descends over you as the boat pulls into the sandy bay and as you step off the ferry and on to the deserted island of love there's an unmistakable energy from the place.

In fact,

As soon as you step on the shore a warm feeling of love washes over you and you realize the island has reignited a love for yourself and acceptance of who you are.

The calmness and peace that the island brings you is a feeling you never want to let go of.

You take a few moments to bask in the sun,

Soak in the island's beauty and in a way you also feel like you've arrived home.

You feel connected to a place many miles away from home that's somehow a part of you.

Your reverie is disturbed by the departure of the ferry.

The crew waves goodbye and one of them shouts out they'll return for you the following day at 11 o'clock.

Now you're all alone here with the peaceful sound of the waves lapping against the shore.

A reef drops off fairly steeply to the left of the beach.

The water is so clear here that you can plainly see the undersea realm below the surface.

A tapestry of habitat with colorful corals pulsing with life.

Kaleidoscopic squalls of fish and a couple of dark gray stingrays.

You turn to look behind you when a few bright green colored parrots announce themselves with loud squawks from the palm trees.

They're perched on a bough above a path that leads between the coconut palms.

When you decide to explore and begin walking on the path you can almost feel the eyes of the parrots watching you as you make your way along it.

The palm fronds overhead catch a breeze and stir gently from side to side.

The path leads to a small cabin.

It's the place you'll stay overnight.

A mythical place you've read about and seen photos and paintings of.

The home of the painter Paul Gauguin.

The cabin is situated in a shady grove of coconut palms with a palm frond roof,

A large deck and brightly painted window shutters thrown open to the sun and the offshore breeze.

When you go inside the house the first thing that strikes you are the vibrant colors.

Every wall,

Every piece of furniture seems to be alive with color.

Everywhere you look there are paintings and sketches.

You explore the cabin,

Taking in the beautiful artwork and discovering all the work by Gauguin that's been left behind.

You can't help but feel a sense of awe at being in the presence of all these masterpieces.

On the kitchen table is some fruit in a large woven basket with a note that says Aloha.

Some of the fruits you're unfamiliar with but you recognize pineapple,

Mango,

Banana,

Coconut,

Avocado and papaya.

On the table next to the fruit is a vase with exotic orange and purple flowers.

And there's a large cowrie shell.

You take off your lay garland,

Lie on the bed and look up at the woven palm frond ceiling with a high pitch.

You imagine the painter himself lying here and understand why he spent many years in this place,

Worlds away from his home in France.

You think about something you read in Paul Gauguin's journal.

He wrote,

I shut my eyes in order to see.

So you close your eyes and feel a perfect stillness.

You're not lonely or afraid.

Because you have this rediscovered sense of love for yourself.

You can sense the presence of something larger than yourself.

Something beyond your comprehension and infinitely beautiful.

A feeling of peace and knowledge that you're home and that your time on the island will stay with you forever.

You drift off into a peaceful sleep,

Dreaming of the possibilities in this world and the joy and beauty that can be found here.