8-Hour Sleep Story- The Forest Of Transformation

Welcome to Healing Rest.

My name is Kalyani,

And tonight I would like to guide you on a journey through the magical forest of transformation.

Many of us hold on to the past,

Dwelling on old events,

Emotions,

Or people who hurt us.

As we continue to look back,

We often prevent our present joy and our future potential.

We hinder our ability to grow by surrounding ourselves in unresolved feelings,

Fear,

Or a desire to be in control.

This way of being is simply the way that we protected ourselves in the past.

But this protective mechanism,

While beneficial long ago,

Has outlived its usefulness.

It now keeps us trapped in our past,

As old negative patterns continue on repeat,

And anxiety rules.

This meditation will assist us in learning how to process the past,

Learning how to release its ties that bind us and set ourselves free,

Transforming our life,

Choosing a new perspective,

Choosing new habits that allow us to move forward to create the future we have always dreamed of.

We no longer have to be defined by our past.

We can take our power back right now.

Please allow my voice to be that of a trusted guide and friend,

Someone who has walked this path many times,

One who has experienced the darkness but refused to stay there.

Together we will reprogram the past as we walk through the forest of transformation.

There is no need to relive the details that brought us to the darkness.

Instead,

We will stop shoving our emotions down,

Stop suppressing them,

Stop trying to forget them.

Instead we will notice emotions as they rise up,

No need to label them as good or bad.

Simply observe them and ask them what lessons they hold for us.

Once we understand the lessons of the past,

They will no longer define our future.

There is nothing to change or solve here.

Your only job is to witness,

To observe without judgment,

To allow yourself to feel.

Simply use this time for reflection,

Presence,

And connecting deeply to yourself.

You are not alone.

We walk this path together and you are in control.

I will assist you in weaving a beautiful landscape into your awareness,

But it is your imagination that we are awakening.

Feel free to change any details of the story to your liking,

And at any point,

Feel free to release the sound of my voice and drift off into healing rest.

As you dream the details of the future you are creating.

Now together let's invite the tension of the day to begin to soften and melt.

Inhaling through the nose,

Gather,

Open the mouth and sigh it all out,

Two more times with awareness,

Inhaling through the nose,

Gather,

And exhaling,

Release.

Last time,

Using your breath like a cleansing tool,

Inhaling,

Gather,

And exhaling,

Let it all go,

Then close your mouth gently and begin to breathe slowly and deeply just through your nose.

See or feel the sharp knot of tension between your shoulder blades slowly unraveling,

Inviting your bottom jaw to grow heavy,

As you surrender all tension and anger,

Soften all facial features,

As you feel your eyes growing heavy,

External sight at rest,

As we awaken our internal vision.

Allow yourself to arrive more fully in this moment.

Before we begin our journey,

Let's take some time to settle fully into the space around you.

Notice the support beneath you,

As you feel each point of contact between your body and at your bed,

Slowly roll your head from side to side,

As a long-held breath finally escapes,

Feel the back of your head growing heavy,

The feather-soft cushion of your pillow cradles your head lovingly,

Offering a gentle reprieve from the gravity of the day,

Inviting the light to wash away the heavy weight of the world from your shoulders,

Focusing on the sensation of each inhalation and every exhalation,

Gently bringing your wandering mind back to the present each time you notice it drifting off,

Feel the weight of your clothes,

Notice your blanket settling over you with a soothing weight,

Its heaviness clinging to the contours of your body,

A sweet embrace,

A comforting hug,

Silencing any nervous buzzing in your limbs,

A reassuring,

Cozy cocoon,

Creating a protective barrier against the outside world,

Awaken your sense of hearing,

And begin to explore the space around your body through sound,

Maybe you can hear the whirl of traffic off in the distance,

The hum of an airplane flying by,

Or the whisper of crickets buzzing,

The house creaking or settling,

Make no judgment of sound as good or bad,

All sound is simply vibration,

Emotion,

Frequency,

All of these sounds around you simply make up your surrounding area,

And once we are fully aware of the sounds around us,

We can invite them to fade into the background,

Allowing my voice to be your guide,

Your lifeline to the present moment,

And gently guiding you from past regrets or future worries back to the here and now,

Where all real experience happens,

Grounding you in your senses,

Grounding you in your body,

And grounding you in your immediate surroundings,

Where we discover peace,

Clarity,

And true engagement with life as it unfolds before us,

And invite your body to grow heavy and still,

A profound heaviness settling into your limbs,

A bed straining under the sudden crushing weight,

Arms and legs of lead,

The entire body filled with concrete,

Feels like lifting the weight of the world,

Your blanket and gravity wrapping you in a layer of protection and ease,

As you grow heavy,

Heavy,

Heavy,

Comfortably sinking deeper and deeper within,

And then welcome the sensation of lightness,

Floating in a small wooden sailboat on a vast calm sea,

Your limbs become buoyant in the complete absence of gravity,

The entire body as light as a helium balloon,

And ready to drift up,

Up,

Up towards the sun,

And feel the warmth of the sun as it kisses your skin,

While a gentle breeze carries the scent of salt,

Hear the rhythmic lullaby as the waves whisper against the hull,

A lazy sway from side to side,

Reminding you of the hypnotic rhythm of a cradle,

Feel it rocking you back and forth,

Back and forth,

With ease,

As you invite your body to grow lighter and lighter with each inhalation,

A sensation of being safely anchored to your breath,

The breath moves into your body,

Then glides effortlessly over the bow roller,

The heavy galvanized chain pulling the anchor down,

Down,

Down,

Into the depths of the tranquil turquoise sea,

And the slow deliberate feed of nylon line cutting through the water,

Follow it into the depths below,

See the shadowy anchor safely secured to the sandy bottom of the ocean,

And notice there is a hushed silence,

This is a hidden sanctuary of peace,

An undisturbed calm,

All sounds are muted,

Off in the distance,

The quiet stillness instilling serenity,

We are tethered to the present moment like a lifeline,

The past is memory,

Mostly untrue,

The future is imagination,

Filled with limitless potentials,

Only the present moment truly exists,

And it is where all life unfolds,

So at any point in time you can tug on this line and return back to the comfort of your bed,

Snuggled under your covers,

Feeling protected and held,

And allow my voice to be like the anchor that keeps you connected to reality,

Allowing you to appreciate the unique fleeting beauty of this moment,

And your imagination will bring you to beautiful places tonight,

But if you find yourself dwelling in the thought-based realms of the past,

My voice will comfortably guide you back to the present moment where all is well,

The warmth of your bed enveloping you,

The last traces of the day's energy evaporating,

Replaced with a thick welcoming thaw,

The exhaustion washing over your body like waves lapping at the beach,

But your mind remains alert and aware,

Your total focus on the sound waves of my voice as we prepare to set off for our adventure together,

Imagine we are standing at the edge of a great mystical forest at dusk,

A wall of emerald green trees reaching tall into the sky,

As their tangled roots dive deep into the earth beneath them,

Connecting earth and sky as a living bridge,

Effortlessly blending grounded ancient energy with the vastness of the heavens above,

Their bark is a frozen expression of the past,

A wise storyteller and also a silent guardian,

Bearing the gnarles of history and the scars of life,

And yet they continue to stretch up,

Hope filled,

Towards the warm healing rays of the sacred light of the sun,

Weather beaten pillars of strength,

A steadfast reminder of resilience,

Laughing at the storms of life,

Many centuries of winters endured,

They have mastered the ability to bend without breaking,

The shadows begin to stretch long across the forest floor as the light of day fades,

And the last drops of sunlight filtering through the canopy in dramatic horizontal rays,

Golden orange and deep red rays of light piercing through the leaves of these ancient guardians,

A gentle hush settles all around as the chaotic chirping of daytime birds calms down,

Replaced by the occasional hoot of an owl in the distance,

And the rustling of little creatures settling in for the night,

And the snapping of an occasional twig underfoot sounds unnaturally loud,

Momentarily silencing that low rhythmic hum of the insects all around,

A gentle breeze dances through the pine trees stirring up air that is thick with the scent of damp moss,

Blending with the sharp clean scent of pine,

And the heavy rich aroma of damp soil and decaying leaves,

A sharp chill descends as the sun disappears behind the trees,

The silent towering sentinels of the twilight,

The fireflies begin their joyful flickering dance in the gathering darkness,

The atmosphere is a mixture of peace,

Tranquility,

And a thrilling hint of mystery,

As if the forest herself is ready to share her deepest secrets just with you,

Before you lies a path of lush green moss,

A vibrant blanket that cushions the forest floor,

Cloaking the fallen logs in a soft velvety texture,

Adding to the magical quality of this fairy tale forest,

The emerald green moss softening all sounds,

Adding to the peaceful atmosphere of this beautiful natural cathedral,

An ethereal golden glow lights the path ahead,

As if the forest is welcoming you into its magical realm,

In this forest each tree holds a sacred memory,

A chapter of your past,

A record of history from your life,

Some trees may stir longing,

Sadness,

Or regret,

Others may bring you joy and laughter,

Some may shine the light of awareness,

Some may bring you insight and peace,

Remember we're here to simply witness,

There is no judgment,

No need to fix or change anything at all,

As we bring our awareness to our memories,

We will have the opportunity to perceive them from a different angle,

A new perspective,

To transform our life,

By shifting our awareness away from what happened to us,

And change it to what happened for us to learn and grow,

We walk this path together,

Side by side,

Allowing ourselves to open up to vulnerability,

For that is where we uncover our strength,

We step forward and the forest welcomes us,

You feel the soft springy moss underfoot as you take your first step forward,

The forest abound with the gentle serenade of the night,

The distant call of a loon,

The constant rhythmic buzzing of cicadas,

The forest is simultaneously profoundly still and yet intensely alive with soothing sounds,

A serene embrace,

As we walk deeper into the mystical forest of transformation,

Right away one tree draws your attention,

As it seems to pulse with a dim golden light,

This tree feels ancient and wise,

Its roots are thick,

Partially exposed and worn by time,

They dive deep into the earth,

Branching out beneath the surface like a network of memory,

Tangling with other roots and savoring their connection,

A secret network of knowledge,

A silent living monument to the passage of time,

A witness to generation after generation of your family,

A living chronicle,

Its rings represent the centuries of wisdom,

It holds memories of past storms,

Fires,

And the changing of the seasons,

Place your hand on its trunk,

Feeling deeply connected to its wisdom and guidance,

And right away a memory arises of a time long long ago,

You are very young,

Playing outside barefoot,

Running through the cool green grass,

Not a care in the world,

A time before your imagination went away,

Hear your laughter as you explore your surroundings with a feeling of curiosity,

A sense of first-time discovery,

Like an explorer setting off into the vast unknown,

The entire world feels new and open,

An undiscovered wilderness just waiting for you to explore,

Remember your childlike wonder,

Seeing the extraordinary within the ordinary,

Capturing the world around you through fresh eyes,

Completely free from worry of judgment or ridicule,

Fully present as you play totally absorbed,

Lost in your own little world,

Allowing your imagination to run wild,

Finding fun in the simple everyday things all around you,

Arms outstretched,

You run into the wind,

Completely convinced that you are actually flying,

You are high in the endless summer sky,

Above wisps of cotton candy clouds,

And the world yours to explore,

Wide open,

Everything exciting and new,

And filled with boundless possibilities,

And possibilities,

Stay with this memory and allow it to unfold as you breathe slowly and deeply,

What message is this memory bringing to you?

A reminder to not take yourself so seriously,

Or a reminder to laugh and play,

Then send gratitude to this tree for this memory before continuing along on the path,

A thick milky mist settles all around,

A colorless veil wrapping the trees in an air of mystery,

Distant trees seem to vanish,

Keeping us present with the nearby trees,

And the atmosphere holds a sense of nostalgia,

Like pages of an old book left out in the rain,

Through the haze you see another tree glowing,

An ethereal soft light,

This tree is different,

It carries the weight of transition,

It holds a more complex memory,

Feel it rising to the surface,

Possibly a time of upheaval or great change,

Begin to notice the unsettled energy that sometimes comes with transition,

A chapter in your life when you experienced a feeling of being unsettled,

A move,

A new school or job,

Or something that arrived before you were ready,

Maybe it's a memory of a final goodbye,

The ache of release,

Or the uncomfortable silence of disagreement,

Wherever your mind lands is where you need to explore,

Stay with the first impression that rises up,

No need to force anything at all,

It feels as if the forest itself is holding its breath,

Waiting for the sun to break through the silvery silence,

Loss leads into possibility,

This memory is stuck,

Resisting resolution,

Allow it to shift like the mist,

Moving,

Flowing,

Slinking beyond the oblique,

There is wisdom here,

Make a commitment to no longer feeling stuck,

As you observe the space where you are not yet ready to move on,

Watch this memory unfold in a whole new way,

A delicate lotus flower unfolding for the very first time,

A dramatic spectacle,

As a slow motion explosion of color,

Scent and form blossoms,

A divine beauty rising above the darkness and the muck,

Opening up to a new possibility,

A new way that you are just now beginning to understand,

And rewrite your story to heal the past and let it go,

And then become curious,

What is the message that this memory of change is bringing into your awareness,

And how does it affect you?

Continue walking past the many trees,

Each one holding a memory of a different time from your life,

Until another tree catches your attention,

And this one seems to glow with a beautiful soft pink hue,

A memory of your first passion,

A recognition of your purpose,

Or your first love,

Maybe you land on the moment where you finally felt seen and accepted just as you were,

Feel the warmth of that moment,

Explore the sense of discovery and excitement,

Relive that spark within your heart,

A sense of naivete and pure untainted affection,

Remember that pleasant feeling of butterflies in your stomach as your heart raced,

Palms sweating as that all-consuming fire burned deeply within,

A magical transformation unfolds as love radiates brightly,

Like sunshine lighting your darkest days,

A beacon of hope guiding you through all of life's challenges,

What message is this memory of love bringing?

To your awareness,

Continue exploring with curiosity,

Notice another tree nearby glowing in a deep rich blue glowing light,

And this represents a time in your life when you felt all alone,

Feeling like no one understood you,

When you sat in your pain and felt like all you had was yourself,

Witness this time without running away from the feeling of isolation,

Acknowledge there was an amazing strength in how you move through life's challenges,

You not only endure but thrived,

Remember how you learned to hold yourself when no one else could,

Embrace the truth that you are so much stronger than you realize or give yourself credit for,

Another tree just off the path glows with an amber light,

A happy energy of laughter radiating from its bark,

Possibly a moment of joy with a loved one who is no longer with you,

They may be gone but their love and laughter remains forever memorialized here in this magical forest of transformation,

Allow yourself to be wrapped in their love once more,

The echo of their laughter and presence carried within your heart,

They will forever be a part of you,

Separation is simply an illusion,

You are deeply connected,

Further along the path,

A tall stately tree holds an air of clarity,

The memory of a choice that shaped the entire trajectory of your life,

Maybe a leap of faith,

A turning point,

Or a quiet moment of truth,

Remember that important junction,

The weight of the moment,

The fork in the road,

Your feet hovered over the fractured pavement,

Hesitating between the well-lit smooth road on the left,

And the narrow uneven shadowed path to the right,

The well-worn path on the left echoed the dull hum of safe traffic and ease,

The shadowed path to the right brought on a sudden hammering of heart,

Trepidation of the unknown,

But as you stepped questioningly into the shadowed path,

A quiet calm immediately settled over you,

A deep knowing of where you were meant to be,

Every moment afterwards unfolded with ease,

A testament to the fact that you chose your own uncertain path,

With full trust that this is where you belonged,

Faith rewarded,

And honor the courage it took for you to move forward,

No guarantees on the outcome,

Remember the deep connection to your intuition,

As you continue along the path,

There is a grouping of trees up ahead,

They radiate a sense of belonging,

Supporting one another as they blossom and grow together,

Reminding you of a time where you felt seen,

Heard,

And able to sit with others in quiet harmony,

Talking and laughing together,

Dancing and playing with total abandon,

A valuable part of the team,

Your unique strengths celebrated,

The entire forest is alive with all of the different chapters of your life,

Honoring your past,

All of the challenges you faced,

Helped you to build resilience and strength,

All of your joyful moments are the memories to revisit when you are feeling low,

Some trees shimmer with joy,

A moment of connection,

A comforting voice,

Others seem quieter and heavier,

Moments of challenges or loss,

You find a clearing up ahead,

In that clearing is a magnificent tree,

Standing all alone,

This tree seems regal,

Dignified,

And touched by the wisdom of years of experience,

You have a deep knowing that you are in the presence of something extraordinary,

You find a comfortable place to sit beneath the tree,

Rest your back into its powerful trunk,

Gazing up through her canopy,

The sky is alive with golden starbursts,

Little pinpoints of possibilities,

Sparkling in the distance,

The rings of time carved into its trunk,

This tree holds a clue of something you have forgotten,

She has watched over this memory for you,

Standing in quiet honor of something deeply woven into who you are,

She whispers to your heart whenever you are ready,

Helping you to uncover what has been buried,

Forgotten,

And pushed down,

But this sacred memory has been protected,

Waiting for the moment you were ready to remember,

There is no hurry here,

This tree will remain,

Holding space,

Bearing silent witness,

Experiencing a profound connection to nature,

A reminder to savor life's simple pleasures,

And the joy that blossoms and blooms all around us when the eyes of our heart are open,

Feeling humbled and grateful,

A deep appreciation as you contemplate your place in this vast universe,

Let go of the past,

Forget about the future,

You are here now,

Held in stillness,

As you breathe in a sense of calm,

As clarity spreads like water across your mind and body,

Honoring the path you walked,

Honoring the wisdom you gained,

Embracing all of your journey,

The roller coaster of life,

The highs were euphoric,

Feeling on top of the world,

Moments of pure bliss,

The lows were defined by tragedy,

Failure and sadness,

But to be human is to experience it all,

Our lows help to make our highs even sweeter and more fulfilling,

And they help us to appreciate all of our many blessings,

The path winds back to where we began,

The sky has transformed into a velvety blackness,

The last light of day extinguished,

Replaced by a comforting blanket of darkness,

The crisp cool air carries dreams of apple cider,

Warming chilled hands,

A luminous pearl hung high above the trees,

In her eternal stoic grace,

Her brilliant white light illuminating your way home,

A lightness to your step,

The weight of the past released,

With gratitude for all of its many lessons,

The magical forest alive in your heart,

A place you can return to time and time again,

To celebrate and honor the many chapters of your life,

Carrying all of the wisdom with you,

As you once again feel the weight of your body supported by your bed,

Soak in the security and comfort of your room,

Wrapped around you like a soothing blanket,

As you drift off into peaceful sleep,

Hold the memory of the magical forest within your heart,

A place of understanding,

Knowledge,

And wisdom tucked safely into your heart center,

Thank you so very much for taking this journey with me to the forest of transformation,

Thank you for trusting me to be your guide,

Together we build our community and strength,

Like the network of roots intertwined,

A place of silent communication,

Support,

And understanding,

Deeply connected,

Inspiring one another,

As we take turns reaching out to help or receive help in equal measures,

Sleep well my friends.