Sleep Story For Adults: The Forest Herbalist

Welcome to Echoes of Serenity.

You're about to listen to a sleep story for adults.

It is meant to help you relax,

So that you can fall asleep more easily.

Make sure you listen to this story with relaxing ambience in a safe and quiet environment.

I wish you pleasant,

Magical dreams.

In this story,

You are a herbalist,

Living in a secluded part of the emberful forest.

You care for your plants,

Herbs and all the animals in your garden.

And when night falls,

You decide to stay outside,

In your cozy hammock,

To gaze at the starry night sky.

Herbs,

Plants and trees hold few secrets from you.

You live,

Deeply hidden,

In the woods of Emberfall,

By Kiloa Lake.

To live among the green,

In tranquility and with space all around you.

That is what you have always longed for.

You have lived alone here for years,

In this cozy cottage in the forest.

The animals know you,

And so do the mystical and magical creatures of the forest.

You live in harmony with them.

It is a beautiful,

Sunny summer's day,

And you have been working in your garden all day.

It is such delightful work,

Pruning,

Planting,

Caring for sick seedlings,

Drawing out their strength once more,

And listening to what they have to tell you.

You always had a talent for working with nature.

As a child,

You didn't want to go to school,

Even if it was Emberfall Academy,

Where you could learn magic.

You preferred to be outside.

Sometimes,

With your boundless imagination,

You would act out all the stories you knew.

But often enough,

You would lie on your back beneath the trees and watch how life grew around you,

Telling you everything you wanted to know.

You were different from other children.

Some adults weren't too happy about that,

But the trees told you that you were exactly who you were meant to be.

A herbalist.

You smiled to yourself.

You were quite a peculiar child.

Always solitary,

You felt little connection with the other children.

But you felt all the more connection with plants and animals.

You walk slowly through the garden.

Along the narrow paths,

Past herbs,

Spices,

Plants that others see as weeds,

Fruit trees and bushes.

Every plant has a story.

You let your fingers brush along the leaves and feel rough bark.

Soft velvety leaves,

Prickly thorns and smooth stems.

But also their unique energy.

The sun shines warmly on your skin and on all the green around you.

The earth takes a deep breath and absorbs all that warmth like a wonderful balm.

Your bare feet feel the warm earth.

The crickets chirp,

The birds sing and the delightful calm of nature feels like a warm bath.

Slowly you wander through the garden,

Which is partly organized but partly allowed to go its own way.

Oregano knows very well where it will grow best.

A few pumpkin plants,

Which haven't yet formed a fruit,

Now that it is still high summer,

Grow along the edge of the garden.

Your garden seamlessly transitions into the wild forest.

As a herbalist in the woods too,

You know you can find all sorts of useful plants.

Nature is an endless pharmacy for someone who knows the healing powers of plants.

You pass peppermint,

Marigold,

Lavender,

St.

John's wort and ivy.

Suddenly you hear a rustle and you stand still.

You have many little helpers in your garden.

Beings you work with and who have their own talents with plants and herbs.

You crouch down on the narrow path and a gnome appears with a big smile on his face.

It is Hanno,

An old man who has tended the garden for years.

You greet him kindly.

Hey Hanno,

What have you been up to?

He has a small bucket in his hands.

I sprinkled some fertilizer on the lavender and gave it some extra water.

I know you are careful with water,

The small man explains.

But the lavender is in full sun and I saw that it really needed it.

I believe you,

You assure Hanno.

He has a strong connection with the herbs and even though the lavender still looked fine,

The plant was probably very thirsty.

It's kind of you to be so caring for the garden.

You smile and a broad grin appears on Hanno's wrinkled face.

And what will you be doing now that the day is coming to an end,

He asks.

I'm just enjoying the peace.

Taking a stroll past all the inhabitants of the garden.

Having a chat.

Maybe making a salve or elixir later.

And then evening will fall and I will bathe in the silent,

Silver light of the moon and listen as the garden whispers its nightly lullaby.

Hanno nods.

It's almost time for me to go back to my little house.

Hanno lives in a hollow in one of the old trees on the edge of the garden.

When you sit in your easy chair,

You can just see the lights behind the windows of their little house.

It always gives you a warm feeling to know they live there,

Safe and cozy in the tree.

You say goodbye to each other and go your separate ways.

The narrow path winds between the plants.

You stop by the hibiscus.

There are a few scattered throughout the garden,

But you notice something about this one.

The plant is blooming profusely with beautiful deep pink flowers and you immediately recall that it contains many medicinal properties which are good for inflammation,

Depression and poorly functioning kidneys.

The leaves,

Flowers and seeds can be used for healing remedies.

But what is wrong with this hibiscus?

It was as if it was calling to you.

You step over some thyme plants to get closer.

This plant is clearly having a difficult time.

Is it sick?

You tune in and feel it tickle.

You feel annoying and you feel sickness and weakness.

Quickly you scan your gaze over the leaves and stems.

And there you see it.

It has aphids,

Black specks slowly sucking the life out of the beautiful plant.

Although aphids also have their place in the ecosystem,

It is important that they don't take over.

You will figure out something to support this plant and make it unattractive to the aphids.

You place your fingers on a leaf.

It is warm from the sun and feels soft and smooth.

You send through images of support and healing and ask the aphids to find another spot.

You work with energy from the cosmos and the earth to give the hibiscus strength and health.

You remain concentrated on the healing for a few minutes.

A moment later you feel that it is enough.

Carefully you take your fingers off the plant,

Thank the earth and the cosmos,

And quietly continue your walk through the garden.

As you approach the trees you step into the shade.

It is a bit cooler here and the earth smells damp of life and green.

Here grow plants that love coolness and can manage with less light.

There is also a beautiful beech tree with a soft,

Loving energy.

You approach the tree with a smile.

When you visit this beech tree you know that you will meet not only the tree,

But also its protective dryad.

You soon hear a high-pitched giggle and a cheerful voice greets you enthusiastically.

How nice to see you again!

The dryad floats toward you.

She actually lives in the tree as energy,

But takes form to be able to talk to you.

Even in this form she is still partly translucent.

The being has long,

Flowing,

Green hair and her energy ripples behind her like radiant stardust.

Not all dryads enjoy making contact with humans,

But Liara does.

You greet her back as you walk further toward the tree.

She twirls around you like a small whirlwind.

Then you sit down by the tree with your back against the rough bark.

Liara also calms down and floats beside you.

You usually need few words and now too you enjoy the silence together.

The sun is setting,

The shadows are lengthening.

The birds celebrate that another beautiful day has passed.

The insects are still busy while it is still light.

You feel wonderfully at ease here in the garden,

Right next to the forest.

You attune yourself to all the life around you and Liara immediately joins her forces with yours.

This way you can perceive what she perceives.

The colors deepen,

The beautiful green becomes even more vibrant,

Effervescent and radiant.

The blue sky sparkles with energy.

You see sparks jumping from the sage.

Waves of energy flowing from the basil.

And across the ground you see networks of connection come to life.

In which all plants,

Insects,

Animals and even the stones are in contact with each other.

You lean heavily against the tree and feel how it embraces you and makes you part of its world.

You feel how its branches stretch out to the cosmos,

From which it absorbs energetic life force.

Its roots reach deep into the earth through the cool sand between stones and pebbles,

Deeper and deeper into the black earth.

Where nutrients can be absorbed that ensure this tree is so powerful and strong.

You feel the grounding forces that also connect you to Mother Earth.

You take the time to experience this connectedness with everything around you.

Eventually you come back to yourself.

You feel refreshed and recharged by this moment of rest.

You thank the tree,

The Yara and all the nature around you.

Slowly you stand up and sigh deeply.

It is time to see what needs to be done in your little house and then wind down the day.

You walk through your garden to the front door.

Your little house is small.

It has a living room with a small kitchen,

A bedroom and a study,

Which is full of books,

Jars and bottles and a work table where you prepare your herbal blends.

You sell these to the potion shop in Amberville every so often,

So you have a small income.

As soon as you step inside,

You are greeted by your familiar,

A thick-haired cat with long black fur,

Named Zora.

She takes a run up and in one fluid movement you pick her up.

She purrs loudly and rubs her head against your chin.

Hello my darling,

I missed you too,

You whisper softly.

Carrying her with you,

You walk to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

You place Zora on the dining table and stoke the fire in the stove.

The wood crackles and the flames quickly flare up.

While the tea water heats up,

You cuddle with Zora a little longer.

Her satisfied purring vibrates in your chest.

The tea water is ready.

You grab some leaves and blossoms of chamomile and lemon balm and pour the hot water over them.

You take your steaming mug and take a seat at the table.

Zora jumps onto your lap and curls up into a black fluffy ball.

She purrs softly and you gently stroke her fur.

For a moment you close your eyes and let the peaceful atmosphere of your cottage envelop you.

You breathe in the scent of chamomile and lemon and feel the warmth of Zora on your lap.

When you open your eyes again,

You notice that the twilight has fully settled outside.

Everything is draped in a soft gentle light.

You light a candle for extra coziness.

Occasionally you take a slow sip of the hot aromatic tea,

Letting the silence seep into you.

If only this moment could last forever,

Zora,

You whisper to the cat.

She lifts her small head and looks at you intently.

It's always so peaceful in the twilight.

The day is over,

But not quite yet.

The night with its darkness hasn't arrived yet.

It's like we're hanging,

Still,

Here in this soft serene light.

Creating a moment where we don't have to do anything.

Not yet time for bed,

Not yet time to eat and all the work is done.

You smile and Zora bumps her head gently against your hand.

I know,

I'm just rambling.

No moment lasts forever and perhaps that is a good thing.

Zora lets out a soft meow as if in agreement.

You slowly finish your tea.

It has now become dark outside and you would love to sit outside for a few more hours.

It is still wonderfully sultry and the garden is teeming with life.

Moths flutter among the flowers,

Small creeping things,

Mice,

Rabbits,

They all visit your garden.

When you step outside,

Above your head,

Bats dart around.

Next to your little house,

A hammock hangs between two trees.

It is your favorite place to unwind.

Sometimes you take a book with you,

But now you don't feel the need.

Zora follows you outside and sits on the porch.

You climb into your hammock,

Carefully,

So it doesn't flip over.

The fabric is soft and yielding.

There is a soft pillow inside and a wool blanket for when it gets cold.

You wiggle and shift around until you can nestle comfortably in the hammock.

Your head rests on the pillow and you pull the blanket a little over your legs.

You sink down.

You see Zora's glowing eyes near your house.

You know she will keep watch.

Looking up,

You see the glowing,

Starry sky between the branches.

In the distance,

An owl calls,

Which evokes a nostalgic feeling.

You feel content.

Your breathing slows down.

Your body relaxes.

And your thoughts become quieter and quieter.

Now,

Nothing more needs to be done.

The garden is tended,

The potions brewed,

And the world is a safe,

Harmonious place.

You listen to the nocturnal animals,

The wind sighing between the branches,

And the night birds singing.

You let your arms grow heavy.

The muscles in your legs relax,

Your abdomen becomes soft,

And your breath flows smoothly and calmly.

All is well.

Night falls.

You feel the soft swaying of the hammock,

Like you're being rocked to sleep by Mother Nature.

This is a wonderful place to drift off to sleep.

Resting here will refresh and recharge you.

The night folds softly over you.

A deep,

Nourishing embrace that carries you effortlessly towards sleep.