Relish a sweet release before falling deeply asleep in this guided sleep meditation and hypnotic bedtime story.
You are listening to Autumn on Lake Surrender.
In the crisp air of fall,
You embark on a journey to a lake to embrace the art of surrender.
You float across a cornflower blue sky in a hot air balloon above peak fall foliage.
You land in a golden field and follow a path to the lake through the forest of changing leaves.
You paddle a canoe to the heart of Lake Surrender and watch the sunset.
In this dreamy landscape,
You reconnect with yourself and are empowered to trust your inner voice and let go of things that no longer serve you.
You retreat to a lakefront cabin for a night of healing sleep.
So get cozy,
Cuddle up,
And ready for a night of surrender.
It's time to dream away.
I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and I invite you to think of me as your dear friend and ally in your journey to sleep.
I am here for you.
If you have felt overwhelmed lately or discontent,
I am here to remind you that everything is okay.
You have the power to invite change and joy into your life.
At times,
Things may feel out of control,
But even in those trying moments,
There are things within your control.
So take this moment to honor yourself and feel gratitude that you have taken this time out of your day to heal.
You deserve to have these splendorous moments of self-care and self-love before sleep.
This is a sacred time where magical things can happen as you launch into a dreamscape.
At any point you may let go of my voice and drift asleep if you desire.
The story and meditation will be more helpful with repetition.
Feel free to customize this experience to your liking.
For some people,
Breathing exercises are vital,
But should you wish to skip ahead,
Listen to your inner voice and feel free to go directly to the story.
Trust yourself.
Empower yourself to be the most trustworthy person you know.
Becoming still and connecting with your inner voice will help your relationship with yourself to strengthen and thrive.
And what better place to do so than on a glassy,
Amber lake in a season of letting go.
If you need to adjust yourself to feel more comfortable,
Do so now.
Wiggle out any impressions from your day and find stillness.
Sink your head into your pillows as your body becomes heavy in your bed.
It's time to focus on your breath.
Sigh out all your air and then take in a deep breath.
Fill the deepest parts of your belly.
Let your abdomen and rib cage rise with air like a hot air balloon.
The words I AM come to you as the breath rises to your collarbones and you open your mouth into a big yawn.
Your exhale comes with sweet surrender as you think of the words letting go.
I AM letting go.
Continue this two more times at your own pace.
Visualize the words appearing across the backs of your closed eyelids.
They may be spelled out in any color,
Texture,
And style you desire.
The words may glow like neon lights or be like subtle etchings.
I AM letting go.
Each inhalation and exhalation causes your torso to undulate like softly flowing waves on a lake.
I AM letting go.
You return your breath to normal.
Trust that each breath in and out will continue without your full attention.
Trust your body and yourself.
You have made it through many breaths and challenges and here you remain.
As we embark on this story,
Find the moments that offer surrender.
There are many speckled throughout this adventure and you may tune into them to see how they feel.
Imagine a wave of shimmering amber light flowing over you as you rest in the sanctuary of your room.
You are tucked safely into your bed.
The warm light travels over the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
Your body tingles as if you just had a massage.
Everything about this feeling is pleasant and soothing.
You travel on this light to the outskirts of a town known as Sugar Hollow at the peak of autumn.
You find yourself in the woven basket of a hot air balloon floating among the jewel-toned clusters of autumn leaves.
The landscape looks like a patchwork quilt spread across rolling hills with pops of fiery orange,
Sunshine yellow,
Mahogany,
And cherry red leaves.
The crisp air sweeps across your face and hair.
It smells of peppery wood smoke,
Decadently sweet fallen leaves,
And lake surrender.
You wear a warm button-up sweater and soft,
Well-worn jeans.
The music of the whispering fall wind accompanies the rhythmic puffs of flames that send heat into the multi-colored hot air balloon.
A flock of blue jays blends in with the clear blue sky.
The sky is the clearest shade of blue at its banal year.
The birds soar within reach of the balloon,
And you watch them in this act of surrender as they glide on a stream of air.
Blue jays are mysterious to scientists,
As some migrate for the winter while others remain.
Each bird decides between holding on and letting go.
Their white underbellies are like miniature clouds.
These are the blue jays who have decided to let go of their homes and travel to warmer locales until spring returns.
Surrender may not always come with ease.
It takes intention at first.
But that intention leads to a beautiful process of letting go.
Autumn is the season for letting go and surrender.
In the form of earlier nights and cooler air,
Mother Nature delivers a guilt-free pass to draw inward and seek warmth and comfort in cozy dwellings.
You lean against the wicker weaving of the basket.
The interwoven wood is smooth and cold to the touch.
The afternoon sunlight is rose gold and casts the rolling hills in gilded light.
Joel,
A kind man who has navigated hot air balloons since his father taught him as a young boy,
Guides you through the sky.
He makes everything appear seamless and easy.
For him,
Gliding through the air is akin to walking.
He navigates the balloon towards a golden field,
Peppered with magenta,
Marigold,
And tangerine-colored leaves and honey-hued bales of hay.
His graceful moves and gravity bring you down.
And as you drift towards the earth,
You come close to a showy red maple tree.
It is so bright and proud that it is like the peacock of the changing trees that surround you.
You notice a leaf becomes loose from a branch.
This tree is all this leaf has ever known.
It has been a source of growth and life,
Of stability and safety.
And yet it lets go when time necessitates.
And just the same,
The tree lets go of all its leaves.
So the tree may live on and the branches may survive a winter.
So that new leaves may grow in spring and the tree may continue to provide a nesting spot when the birds return.
So that the tree may provide shade from the hot sun when summer returns.
The leaf gives no thought.
It simply follows what is most natural.
It sails on the autumn breeze,
Drifting towards the earth alongside the hot air balloon.
You feel as carefree as this leaf,
Riding the current and gradually drifting down.
You dig in a deep breath and relish the rich sweet aroma of fall.
Joel carefully guides the hot air balloon towards the earth and it lands as easily as a leaf falling upon a lush field.
He helps you disembark and wishes that you enjoy your time,
Unleash surrender.
You walk across the field and discover the red maple leaf that fell alongside the balloon.
You pick it up and trace your finger around the pointed edges.
The waxy leaf is delicate and flexible.
You carry it with you as you walk towards the path in a forest that leads to the lake.
Your shoes crunch on fallen leaves on a mulch path.
The words of Lao Tzu come to you in a whisper to the mind that is still.
The whole universe surrenders.
These words are carried on a breeze that rustles the colorful leaves.
The leaves begin to fall all around you.
They surrender to the breeze.
They surrender to the season.
You look up as they delicately dance around the peaceful forest.
The colorful canopy surrounds you like the glass of a snow globe where the snow has been replaced with a kaleidoscope of leaves.
Everything slows down.
The leaves land in slow motion.
You are overcome by the beauty.
You can feel the gratitude of the trees as they become lighter.
Surrender benefits the trees as much as the leaves.
Surrender benefits you as much as it benefits the forest.
You think of something you have been holding onto and imagine what it would feel like to let it go.
To surrender.
Having all that worry and holding on is a way to feel in control.
Notice how good it feels to not have that need.
You become light.
You become free.
You become open to more possibilities than you are when you hold onto something fiercely.
If you surrender to the wind,
You can ride it.
The soaring burgundy,
Orange,
And yellow leaves show you how easy it is to ride the wind.
You walk further down the path and see the lake peeking through the canopy of leaves.
The sun reflects off the glassy water in a rich shade of tangerine gold.
You step onto the pebble beach with shiny small stones that look like the kernels of glass gem corn.
Raspberry pink,
Golden yellow,
Lavender,
Indigo,
And turquoise pebbles click together beneath your feet.
The mineral smell of the lake rises to meet you,
Carrying the aroma of pine and balsam fur.
There is a scarlet canoe docked on the beach.
You walk towards it and slowly drag it into the water.
You climb into the canoe just as the sun begins to set.
You rest the red maple leaf on your lap as you push off from the shore.
On the lake,
Beauty doubles on the reflective surface.
The tangerine gold sun has a metallic sheen that reflects on lake surrender.
The shadows from the flocks of birds travel across the still water as they soar through the sky.
Bubbles form as you begin to paddle through the tepid water that retains the heat of summer.
The paddle splashes into the water and soft waves lap against the boat,
Soothing you.
Fish begin to feed and breach the surface of the golden lake,
Leaving delicate bubbles and creating gurgling sounds.
They softly splash into the glowing surface of the water.
You paddle to the center of the lake and become still.
You lean back and watch the sunset.
You make note of how wonderful it would be to watch every sunrise and sunset.
Perhaps it has become a rare event in your waking life.
But now you are fully aware.
You rock back and forth in the boat and surrender to the gentle motion.
Transitional times in nature are times of surrender.
The changing of seasons and the changing of day into night and night into day.
And you realize how wonderful it would feel to surrender to the transitional times in your life,
With the same grace and ease as all the other living beings in nature.
They do not ask why.
They do not come with expectations.
They do not question.
They follow the invisible hands of time.
And while asking questions is part of the human experience,
You realize you also have the ability for acceptance.
To accept what is beyond your control.
To ask questions that help you understand what you can control.
Of the last rays of orange-gold sunset cast your body in warmth and a feeling of protection.
You imagine being more flexible in your life.
You imagine floating through situations and the most challenging moments with the delicate fluid motions of the ripples on the lake.
Before the sun sets,
You hold the stem of the red maple leaf.
You position it so that the rays of fiery sunlight shine around the intricate design of the leaf.
The vibrant red leaf is backlit and the light radiates strongly with the promise that it will return.
And just as you trust the sun will rise again,
You may also trust yourself.
You hold the leaf in front of your heart and close your eyes as the sun dips beyond the horizon of fall foliage.
You take in the deepest breath you can and your heart rises towards the sky.
You rest the leaf on your chest as you think of all the things you need to let go of.
What situations do you need to surrender to?
You surrender so you may save your energy to focus on what feeds your soul and gives you joy.
You surrender so that you may find stillness and feel good in your body.
You surrender to become serene and grounded.
You surrender so you may receive guidance and listen to your inner voice.
You surrender because beautiful things will come when you make the space for them and believe you deserve them.
You open your eyes.
A sliver of the sun remains above the horizon.
You take the red maple leaf and look at it and a smile forms on your face.
You place it on the silky water and watch it float away.
And whenever you are in your waking life and feeling tense and out of control,
You will remember this moment.
You will remember how it felt to let go and make surrender.
You will imagine floating atop the lukewarm water at sunset like the leaf that has let go of all it has ever known.
You watch the leaf until it is no longer visible and the darkness of twilight sets in.
The air is much cooler and feels good when it arrives in your lungs.
You paddle beneath the amethyst sky that is ablaze with magenta and orange streaks that glow like the embers of a twinkling fire.
The smell of wood smoke is in the air.
The cottages along the lake are aglow by burning fires in wood stoves and outdoor fire pits.
You paddle towards a narrow inlet.
When you are halfway through the inlet to the dock,
You raise the paddle and let the lapping water deliver you home.
It feels good to surrender.
You dock the canoe and rise out of it.
You find your balance on the dock as it rocks back and forth.
You note how your body responds.
Your attention to the gentle movement inspires you to relax.
Your body is flexible yet strong.
These two things can exist at once and they can exist when you surrender.
You walk in the shadows of the fall canopy of changing leaves.
The silvery peach moon rises over the lake like a half cantaloupe and reflects on the sapphire water.
The sky is velvety and speckled with stars.
The water delicately moves towards the shore and the soft lapping waves make a soothing sound.
You take in a deep breath and feel the cool air travel through your nose and become warm before it binds your lungs.
You exhale in sweet surrender.
This moment will pass as all moments do in the fluidity of time and space.
You may return to it in your mind.
Memory bubbles pop up and they are no longer linear.
They are just a rich collection of golden moments.
You may choose to hold on to those memory bubbles that bring you peace and serenity and to let go of the rest,
To know that even with surrender and even with letting go of things,
You are the mosaic of all the beautiful,
Shiny experiences in your life.
You may sew together the best reflections like colorful patches in a quilt.
You decide what comes along and what you leave behind.
This is where your control lies and you may become more in tune with yourself as you drift into a dreamy sleep.
Your subconscious mind will reveal to you the deepest parts of yourself and you may find answers in your dreams.
You may encounter a road map like a shiny yellow brick road that leads you in the direction you most desire.
You walk up a hill that is coated with pine needles and pine cones and fallen leaves.
You inhale the night air and the fragrant blend of spruce and sweet leaves for the last time on this night.
You come to stairs that lead to the deck of the cabin.
Counting each step as you ascend,
You become more and more tired and find yourself surrendering to this sensation.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 You arrive at the glistening deck,
Coated in droplets from the mist that moves in as the night air takes hold.
Led by moonlight,
You walk through the French doors that lead into the main room of the cabin.
It is lofty yet cozy.
You walk down a long dark hallway to your bedroom that overlooks the starry sky and mist covered lake.
The moon is now a deeper hue of orange,
As saturated in color as the leaves on the trees.
The window is slightly open,
Offering crisp air that will help you sleep soundly.
You walk towards a stone fireplace and light a fire.
The tiny sparks become flames that grow until the fire is warm and bright.
The smell of the crackling wood and the pops of embers ties you to millions of years of tradition by those brave souls who came before you.
It makes you aware of the timeless need to surrender.
The magical flames dance around the black,
Soot-laced stone enclosure of the fireplace.
You change into flannel pajamas and walk towards a four-poster bed.
You peel back the heavy quilt that is made of patches of familiar cloth.
From different moments of your life,
You peel back the heavy quilt that is made of patches from familiar cloths from different moments of your life.
You climb and sink into the bed,
Feeling ready to drift down,
Deeper and deeper down.
You close your eyes,
Feeling so heavy and tired,
And so very relaxed and calm in this time of surrender and transition.
Time comes as a gentle transition to winter,
Allowing leaves to change and fall,
Keeping the trees alive,
Their branches protected.
And just as they shed what will not serve them through the next season,
You shed all that no longer serves you.
Stress and self-doubt,
Worries,
Control,
They melt away and are replaced with the comforting safety that comes with trust.
Your cares go off into the world,
And you relish the quiet of the night.
You travel towards sleep,
Carefree and light.
Your body is your best guide and indicator of what you need.
And now let you know that you are safe and ready to surrender.
You are your greatest advocate.
You are learning as you go.
You may look to each day as an experiment,
Or you may try new things without attachment to the outcome.
Winter works in its own time without rushing a seed to sprout and grow.
You may give yourself the same freedom to grow and adapt without pressure to hurry.
You are on your way.
And growth may not be linear.
It may sometimes spiral around like a staircase,
Rounding your way through life.
You may explore and re-examine from new perspectives and depths.
The fire continues to crackle and burn,
And you feel the magic in the night,
Creating an urge to connect with your higher self and all the energy and spirits around that are here to help you on your journey.
Guiding you to a destiny that you desire,
But are not sure how to achieve.
But for right now you are embodied by love and light.
Your body relaxed by the feelings of warmth and fullness.
So very at ease and content.
And if you are still listening,
You feel the heaviness and tiredness overcoming your body.
And at any time you can release your mind from engaging and cross the bridge to your sleeping life.
Just surrender to this peace and serenity.
Surrender to this moment as you are safe.
You are well.
You are alive.
And with each breath a gentle easing.
Breathing with more ease and more effortlessly than you have all day.
There is nothing for you to do.
You have nothing that needs tending.
It is safe to let go.
As you drift into the sweetest of sleep,
The kindest of dreams.
Your thoughts are as hazy and lucid as a silvery mist on the lake.
And I am going to count you down to sleep.
You feel heavier and go deeper down with each count.
Drifting away and floating to sleep.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Finding peace.
Finding bliss.
Finding surrender.
Finding sleep.
It's time to dream away.
Good night.
