Ancient Autumn Forest: Let Go, Find Balance & Sleep

Unlock deep restorative sleep and lasting inner peace with tonight's guided sleep meditation,

The Ancient Autumn Forest.

Find balance on an enchanting autumn journey through the woodlands as you identify what to surrender and what to hold on to.

Navigate the rich serene beauty of peak fall foliage as the otherworldly golden daylight fades into a velvety sapphire sky.

The forest offers lessons in transformation and surrender.

Bear witness to leaves dancing on the crisp air and forest creatures preparing for a long slumber.

Each step brings you closer to an imagined haven,

A cozy cabin by a stream where the soothing sounds and picturesque setting help quiet your thoughts and ease your stress.

Equanimity arrives as you connect with memories that are part of your essence and as you let go of unwanted beliefs that disrupt the peace you deserve.

The person you are today and the journey you wish to see unfold.

So cuddle up and prepare for all the coziness of this vibrant season of change.

It's time to dream away.

Welcome to Michelle's Meditation Sanctuary.

I am Michelle and I hope you think of me as a gentle guide and a trusted friend,

Reminding you of the most tranquil,

Loving,

And nurturing parts of yourself.

My role is to help you focus on kindness and hope,

Silencing any thoughts that might keep you from experiencing nighttime bliss.

This kind of healing comes from authentically connecting with yourself as you unburden yourself from things you no longer need to carry.

Especially during this magical season of slowing down,

Letting go,

And resting.

Your breath and your intention unite to illuminate the night,

Much like the final warm rays of the autumn sun and the rich,

Opulent,

Silvery light of a harvest moon.

Whenever anything comes along to try and disturb your peace,

Send these thoughts off into the night with your breath,

Like autumn leaves sailing on the evening breeze.

Imagine yourself in a quiet,

Protective hollow.

A serene space within the forest,

Where the wind sighs softly through the trees.

A place of peace that forms as you become fully immersed in your inner sanctuary.

This hollow allows you to get through the night with ease,

With a sense of awareness,

Never ignoring your feelings or thoughts,

But simply choosing which ones you allow to stay in this protected space.

Sense how empowering it is to be the only one who decides what comes in and what stays out.

The more you practice this,

The easier you may find it is in your waking life to prioritize your calm,

To protect your peace.

Tonight,

Our journey begins with the wisdom of the changing season.

The writer Emily Bronte wrote,

Every leaf speaks bliss to me,

Fluttering from the autumn tree.

In the quiet,

Changing forest,

We will discover that some things are meant to be deeply held.

Our roots,

Our core memories,

And our strengths.

But other things,

Like the leaves,

Are meant to be released.

A beautiful act of surrender that allows us to find deep peace and thrive.

So let's begin to prepare your mind and body for this peaceful journey with a few deep cleansing breaths.

I invite you to take a slow,

Full breath in now.

And as you do,

Imagine drawing in the crisp,

Cool air of the autumn forest.

Infuse this air with your most beloved scents of the season.

The resinous smell of freshly cut logs.

The invigorating,

Cleansing scent of pine.

And the soft hint of wood smoke on the breeze.

Fill your lungs completely,

And when you feel full,

Exhale with a sigh as you let it all go.

Breathe at the pace that feels right for you.

As again,

Take another slow,

Deliberate breath in,

Yawning slightly at the top of your breath.

This time,

As the air fills you,

Notice the scent of a spring-fed stream in the mountains,

And the delicate,

Sweet aroma of leaves settling on its surface.

And as you exhale,

Release a thought that has been on your mind.

Watch it drift away like the deep,

Purple leaves of a dogwood tree,

Carried by the breeze over a landscape of golden rolling hills and forests in peak fall splendor.

One more time,

A deep inhale.

Draw in the peace of this autumn air.

And with a long sigh,

Release another thought or two that you no longer need.

Watch them join the others.

A simple,

Beautiful act of letting go.

Now,

Continue to breathe in a way that feels natural for you.

With each inhalation,

Feel lighter.

And with each exhalation,

More grounded.

Let your breath become a gentle rhythm,

Guiding you deeper into this peaceful state.

As you continue to breathe with ease,

I invite you to bring your awareness to the top of your head.

And envision a beautiful,

Euphoric,

Deep golden light arriving.

This is a healing salve,

An ethereal essence of autumn's brilliance.

And as it gets cooler and the seasons change,

The light only becomes richer.

Watch as it slowly,

Like warm honey,

Begins to cover you.

It moves with infinite grace and care.

Flowing down over your scalp,

Your forehead,

And your temples.

Feel it coat your eyelids,

Your cheeks,

And your jaw.

Softening any tension it finds.

This golden light continues to lovingly descend down your neck and across your shoulders,

Bringing with it a message of comfort.

It moves down your arms to your fingertips,

Ensuring no cell goes unnoticed.

Every part of you is receiving the delightful message that it's okay to stand down and go on a holiday.

All work is done.

Allow this healing light to flow into your chest,

Through your heart,

And into your belly.

Calming and quieting everything in its path.

It moves down your hips,

Into your legs,

All the way to your toes.

You are completely covered,

From head to toe,

In this warm,

Healing light.

Completely at peace and free.

And in this state of ease,

Let us journey to the ancient autumn forest.

The forest is in the near distance,

As your soft,

Soled shoes land on the earth.

There's a lightness when your feet come mid-air,

A floating sensation that brings a sense of playfulness and fun.

Yet,

When they land on the damp earth,

Impressions are made,

And you feel suddenly grounded by gravity.

It's a balance that's not lost on you.

As you walk closer to the forest,

You revel in the contrast of colors,

As the vibrant plumes of orange,

Gold,

Crimson,

And cabernet-hued leaves burst from the ancient forest,

Luring you onto a winding path into its sacred heart.

The sun is a mere hour or so from setting.

It's light-rich,

All-encompassing,

With a sparkly orange gold.

It illuminates a gossamer mist that rises from the earth,

Which would be invisible were it not for the prismatic rays stubbornly pushing through the sorcerating canopy overhead.

Each step brings a deeper sense of resilience and peace within you.

A gradual abandonment of all the noise of modern life in what feels like a true homecoming.

A coming back to yourself as you approach the soft edges of the forest,

Where golden hills meet its autumnal hues.

The air becomes cooler in the shade,

Dappled with sunlight that spills through the saturated kaleidoscope of reds,

Oranges,

Purples,

And golds.

The forest stirs with the energy of its creatures,

Some burrowing and traipsing through crunchy dry leaves that litter the floor.

The sweet smell of these crisp leaves is pleasing,

And you take a slow and deep,

Deliberate breath to enjoy the crispness of the mountain air.

The ancient forest carries the scent of all that has lived and grown,

Now peacefully returning to the soil.

It welcomes you as you enter a world of deep wisdom and quiet magic.

As you slip beneath the canopy,

The forest comes to life around you,

Unhurried,

Yet with a serene sense of purpose.

A black squirrel scurries up a gnarled oak tree,

Its tail a fluffy pume as it tucks away more acorns than seems possible for one squirrel to carry.

It chitters with a sense of purpose.

A cute brown rabbit darts across the path,

Disappearing into a thicket,

A quiet forest,

Secure in its cozy burrow as the sun lowers toward the mountains.

Above you,

A flock of birds soars in a beautiful V formation.

Their calls a gentle farewell as they begin their long journey south.

The forest floor rustles softly with the quiet preparations of its inhabitants.

You notice a fat little chipmunk,

Its cheeks bulging with treasures,

And a graceful doe with watchful eyes,

Her two fawns close behind.

They pause just long enough to acknowledge her presence before moving silently into the deepening shadows.

Even the monarch butterflies,

With their delicate orange wings like stained glass,

Linger in the ancient forest,

Gathering strength before their great migration.

As your feet lead you to the center of the forest,

You feel a part of their community,

A natural rhythm,

A silent observer in their purposeful preparations.

You are home here,

A welcome and peaceful guest.

Look up now,

Into the canopy overhead.

The leaves of ancient trees are a breathtaking mosaic of orange and yellow gold.

Scarlet and cinnamon,

Plum and burgundy.

As you continue to walk,

The leaves begin to rain down upon you in a soft,

Papery whisper.

They fall in a graceful descent,

Some swaying back and forth with feathery ease,

Others captured by a breeze that spins them in pirouettes and colorful swirls.

Some leaves dance with one another,

Or in a community,

While others take off on solo paths through the fading sunlight.

The vibrant yellows and oranges glow like jewels,

Radiating with the lightness of letting go.

This is a quiet,

Hopeful shower of leaves.

With each leaf that drifts down,

Gently falling in your extended hands,

Landing on your shoulders,

Or dusting you with a tender touch.

You find they become more than leaves.

With a gentle shift in focus,

You see things that need to be released,

Appearing on each one.

A worry you've been carrying,

A doubt that has clung to your mind,

A need for control you no longer want to bear.

Watch as each leaf,

With beautiful simplicity,

Carries that thought or feeling away.

Swirling it down and through the forest,

Taking off and leaving its familiar world behind.

With each observation,

You are light,

You are free.

You are ready to surrender.

You know yourself better than anyone else.

And the forest gives you the confidence to honor this.

As the sun disappears,

The forest's soundtrack of rustling,

Feathery conifers and drifting leaves adds the hoot of an owl,

The trills of a raccoon,

And the quiet settling of the earth.

The sky bursts into color as luminous gold fades into a soft,

Glowing orange marmalade,

With bands of fuchsia,

Lavender,

And amethyst.

These colors slowly deepens into a rich merlot and a vibrant crimson,

Painting the horizon with a final,

Magnificent farewell.

The ethereal glow gives way to the tranquil tones of the blue hour.

A hush falls over the forest,

The last rays of light fade,

And the first stars appear in a silver dusting of glitter against the inky indigo canvas.

More and more stars begin to bloom as the moon rises,

Full and luminous,

Casting a pearly silver glow on the trees.

You come to a stop and look down.

The ground is a carpet of fallen leaves,

Arranged in a mesmerizing pattern.

In the moonlight,

Some seem to radiate with a silent inner light,

A soft,

Cooler,

Soothing,

And quite different than the leaves from before.

These leaves are still and grounded,

Harmonious with the forest,

A vital part of it.

These are the leaves that depict your core memories,

The parts of you that you mean to hold onto.

As you gently pick one up,

It feels soothing and cool in your hand.

This leaf might represent a moment you felt loved,

A memory of pure happiness,

Or a time you discovered a profound inner strength.

These are your roots,

Your essence.

This is the wisdom of who you are.

As you collect these leaves,

Picking and choosing what memories or reflections resonate best,

They come easily,

Filling you with warmth,

Reminding you that no matter what you release,

The truest,

Most essential parts of you remain whole and strong.

Like the ancient roots and trunks of the trees of the forest,

You connect with your resilient,

Enduring spirit.

You continue to walk,

Connected with your roots that are now felt.

As your heart feels lighter,

You come upon a magnificent elm tree.

It stands tall and unbothered,

Its smooth trunk a pillar of strength.

You lean against it,

To feeling a profound trust radiates from the tree,

Through your back and deep into your very core.

The bark is cool to the touch,

And you can feel its ancient roots holding the ground,

Diving deep into the forest floor.

A silent promise of endurance.

In this moment,

You feel as sturdy as the tree.

You have your own roots,

A powerful inner core of peace and balance that goes bone deep.

There is nothing to prove,

Nothing to fix,

You are simply here in the ancient forest,

Leaning on your own strength,

Perfectly safe and at peace.

And with this,

You find balance.

The ancient forest brings you to this point of a clear mind,

A grounded sense of being,

A warm,

Open heart.

And an unflappable sense of knowing yourself.

You feel trust.

In this time of trust and understanding,

A cabin appears before you.

Not one you had seen before.

It glows from within,

Spilling soft golden light onto the carpet of moonlit leaves and the clear,

Sparkling stream that winds around it.

It's not a place you have to find or search for,

But a discovery that has always existed within you.

It is a home that meets your every need.

A quiet haven that belongs solely to you.

This is the place you carry with you always.

A sanctuary that goes wherever you go.

Appearing the moment your heart and mind are ready to receive it.

It is the equanimity you have cultivated,

The peace you have allowed to grow.

You step inside,

And the warmth of the fire is already glowing in the hearth,

Casting dancing amber light across the stone and aged wood floors.

The air smells of cedar and sweet wood smoke,

A comforting ancient perfume.

The cabin feels simple and pure,

And burdened by anything you don't need.

It's familiar comforts feel as though they were chosen just for you.

A soft breeze from the ancient forest circulates gently through the cabin.

As you find a cozy nook where a bed awaits,

Abundant with blankets and a quilt,

You wrap yourself in their comforting weight.

You feel the profound tranquility of the space you have created.

It's a place where all work is truly done.

Your eyelids feel so heavy,

And you close them like soft shutters on the night.

The memories of the leaves,

Those you released and those you held on to,

Begin to dance behind your eyes.

The leaves of letting go,

Swirl and tumble in their jewel-toned palette.

Taking with them any final worries or thoughts.

The leaves of your core essence remain,

Radiating a soft,

Gentle light.

A comforting reminder of your strength.

They are a quiet,

Memorable dance.

A peaceful ballet that guides you into a deep and restorative sleep.

Each swirl and turn is a dreamy vision.

A welcome tonic that guides you deeper and deeper down.

Until you approach the ancient bridge to sleep.

You drift across it with a newfound sense of balance and lightness.

You mirror the tranquility of the ancient forest as you welcome slumber.

Finding peace.

Finding resilience.

Finding equanimity.

Finding home.

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.