The Day Trip Back In Time: A Sleep Story & Guided Meditation

Relax and fall asleep in the sleep story that will take you back in time or life was simpler.

You may find yourself going back in history and taking a day trip to the countryside in summer or you may fall asleep in a clearing next to a stream.

Welcome to Michelle Sanctuary.

You are listening to Day Tripping Back in Time.

I am Michelle and as you are listening you may think of my voice as that of a dear friend who is here to help you open up your imagination and connect you to sense memories that feel good and help you relax before falling asleep.

So take this time to get cozy and feel safe in a place where you are free to be uninhibited and just let go.

A place without judgment or concern.

A place where you are in control of your own thoughts and your destiny.

And at any time in listening you may let go of my voice and cross the glorious bridge between your waking and sleeping life.

For now as you lie down you may begin to recognize how your body is feeling.

Accepting all that is right now.

As you take in a deep breath and then sigh it out.

Then inhaling,

Visualizing the oxygen as it travels through your lungs and your belly rises before letting it out and sighing it all away.

And with the next breath you can let your inhalation turn into a great big yawn.

It's okay to yawn without judgment or any guilt before you just sigh it away.

Because right now yawning just feels good and right before you transition into sleep.

Finding stillness you may use your closed eyelids as movie screens.

And in this movie you are the star just like in your waking life.

You are the star of your own film.

You are the hero in your story.

And you may visualize your feet are walking upon the pavement of a main street in a town that is bustling with townspeople who are on their lunch break.

You have traveled somewhere back in time when main streets were the hubs and local businesses were run by families and friends for generations.

A local diner is filled with patrons seated at the counter on swiveling chrome stools adorned in poodle skirts and plaid suits.

They enjoy milkshakes and egg creams sipped through straws.

And the feeling overall is jubilant and kind.

Many other folks are running errands,

Frantically trying to squeeze in activities and the hustle and bustle sensation is frenetic and high paced.

And in this earlier time everyone is dressed with care,

Well groomed and stylish for the times.

You walk towards the grassy town square as the sun is high in the sky and illuminates the clock tower that stands upon a gazebo in the heart of the village.

Walking along the perimeter of the square you come upon your parked car.

It is a thunderbird convertible with a top already down.

It's painted in a vibrant turquoise hue with chrome fixtures.

Recently waxed the car vividly reflects sunlight and it feels as if you are in a technicolor film.

On the back seat of the car is a wicker picnic basket and folded gingham blanket prepared kindly by someone who cares about you and wanted you to be well prepared for this mini getaway.

You open the car door and take a seat,

Putting the key in the ignition and ready to take off with the luxury and freedom that having a car brings.

And for a moment you reflect on how amazing it must have been when the automobile was first invented and suddenly people had the ability to take off to new destinations with a sense of unbridled freedom.

You relish this experience as the engine hums and you continue down Main Street waving to friendly pedestrians who nod and smile in your direction.

The warm summer's breeze hits your face cooling you from the rays of sun that bask upon you.

You reach for the radio dial and put on a favorite song that transports you to pleasant memories of being a child where you would dance without any concern beyond how good it felt to move to the music.

The buildings become more sparse,

Slowly replaced with trees in vivid green splendor.

As Main Street turns into a highway,

You begin to accelerate,

Feeling as the wind picks up and your hair blows behind you as your face and scalp feel massaged.

A tingling sensation covers your body.

In this moment you feel so alive and so content.

The shoulder of the highway covered with tall grass and wildflowers that blow in the breeze and you hear the melody of summer insects singing out praises for the day.

The gentle vibration of the car against the asphalt soothes you as you steer the car around the roads that snake through the trees like gray waves throughout an otherwise lush green forest.

The sky above is bright blue with a few puffy clouds that are as carefree in the sky as you are on this highway.

It's as if all concerns were left in the bustling village and you are now only connected to this present moment and to feeling good.

The sky above is bright blue with a few puffy clouds that are as carefree in the sky as you are on this highway.

It's as if all concerns were left in the bustling village and you are now only connected to this present moment and to feeling good.

You trust your intuition to guide you.

No road map or cell phone is needed on this adventure.

Passing by a few mailboxes along the highway,

These are the only indicators of civilization in this natural setting.

Up ahead you see a dirt road to the right and turn on your directional and slow down the convertible.

You turn upon the road,

Instantly feeling the change of the road as it is bumpy and a soft cloud of golden brown dust forms behind the car.

You inhale the fragrance of the pine trees that now mingle with the deciduous trees and it lends such a freshness to the air that each breath seems to purify you.

In the distance you hear a stream softly running and flowing.

The dirt road winds and curves with various inlets for parking,

But today you are the only adventurous soul to find this special spot.

You come upon one of the inlets that is lined with a fence made of weathered logs.

You decide to park the car and as you exit,

You grab the picnic basket and blanket.

You follow a path lined with mulch,

Each step met with softness.

You look above and see the rays of sunlight that filter through the trees in streams of golden light,

Hypnotic and enchanting at the same time.

The birds gleefully sing out on this perfect summer's day and you watch them playfully fly between the branches of the trees.

You come upon a clearing in the woods where daisies are in full bloom and flow in the gentle summer's breeze.

Many metallic rocks line a stream that flows seamlessly as rainbow prisms form from the golden sunlight that beams through the cool mist.

You find shade beneath a pine tree just along the water's edge and you set down the picnic basket in the tall blades of emerald green grass.

You remove your shoes and feel the cool feathery grass between your toes,

Feeling grounded and present to this moment.

When you inhale the clean fresh air,

Smelling the minerality of the stream that meets the fragrance of wildflowers and pine sap carried on the warm summer's breeze,

You open up the picnic blanket and extend it into the air,

Watching the colorful pattern billow out like a parachute before softly landing in the shaded grass.

Every moment feels magical and distilled in a way that it will imprint your memory for some time with this positive feeling of being connected and one with nature.

You walk towards the stream for a moment,

Watching the gentle flow of the current over the rocks,

Seeing little minnows swimming like delicate flashes of silver.

Step into the stream and its icy chill is refreshing to your feet as you find balance upon a smooth rock and you feel steady and strong,

Alive and present.

The water flows like a gentle massage as your feet relax and you close your eyes and breathe in.

You tilt your head towards the sun and feel the warm rays of light upon them,

Luxuriating in this wonderful contrast of the cool water flowing over your feet and the warm sunlight basking upon you.

You flutter your eyes open and rise to step onto the grass,

Walking towards the picnic that awaits.

You sit upon the soft blanket and stretch your arms overhead,

Feeling relaxation take over your body and your breath.

The weight of stress that once sat upon your chest has gone far,

Far away to the place all things may go when they are no longer needed,

Somewhere out in the infinite space of the universe.

And here,

In this special getaway,

Your lungs have the relaxed feeling that comes from a vigorous swim or an afternoon spent with loved ones,

Laughing with reckless abandon.

This contentment causes you to just sigh and smile at the life around you.

A white-tailed rabbit hops along the edge of the clearing and meets your gaze before dashing deeper into the woods.

You turn your attention to the picnic basket and open it up to find a note that is written to you from someone who cares for you very much.

It reads,

You deserve some time away.

I am thinking of you and hope you have a beautiful day.

Beneath the note is an assortment of your favorite foods and a thermos containing your favorite beverage.

You open the thermos and remove the cap that serves as a cup and pour the beverage.

As you take a sip of this calming elixir,

You feel the cool liquid travel down your throat and savor each moment.

A monarch butterfly flutters in front of you,

Just above the grass,

And its majestic grace captures your attention.

There is beauty all around you.

The soothing sound of the flowing stream is hypnotic and calming.

You take out a sandwich and begin to enjoy it as a sparrow lands on the edge of the blanket and chirps at you.

Your eyes meet and there is a feeling of trust as you tear off a piece from the bread and break it into tiny crumbs that you place in your hand.

She exuberantly pecks at them,

Tickling the palm of your hand with her tiny beak before chirping again and taking off into the sky.

You watch as she ascends to the tops of the trees and for a moment imagine what it must be like to have the freedom of flight.

And you feel your own freedom right now to do whatever you so desire.

You finish your sandwich and indulge with a sweet confection as the sun begins to beam in its mid afternoon glory.

It is the height of the day and you feel yourself becoming quite sleepy.

What a luxury it is to yawn in the daytime without the judgment of others,

Allowing your mouth to fully open and release before audibly sighing out all your air.

Your eyes become a little teary and you surrender to this feeling of peace.

You tidy up and put the remnants of lunch back into the picnic basket,

Feeling the smooth wooden top as it closes.

You lie down on your back and draw your arms overhead,

Clasping your hands behind your head.

Your heart points to the sky,

Open and free as your chest rises in an inhale and then lowers in an exhale.

You watch a flock of birds fly across the clearing,

Set like silhouettes against the cerulean blue sky overhead,

Puffy clouds above waft slowly and you begin to see them come to life as if your imagination is activated in the same way it was when you were a child.

A series of clouds moves in a formation that reminds you of a fluffy white dog and you think about the unconditional love that comes from a dog and the amount of loyalty that they give freely and this tunes you into your own unconditional love that you may feel for yourself going through your life without self judgment or self persecution.

You are free to love yourself right now in this moment under the seemingly endless cerulean sky and the sound of the leaves rustling in the light breeze is lulling you into a trance state.

Your eyes are becoming heavy like the stones within the stream and you just allow your lids to close,

Finding this to be the perfect time for a nap.

And you know when you dream this feeling of simplicity and beauty will weave its way into your sleep.

You will remember what it felt like to be part of a time of honesty and ease where the world was a quieter place and you may let yourself fall asleep as you let go,

As you surrender to this blissful moment.

As the stream continues to flow,

Lulling you deeper and deeper down as you feel as if you are floating down the stream as well,

Drifting further and further to sleep.

And I am going to count you down as you are ready to walk across that beautiful bridge between your waking and sleeping life,

Letting go of my voice.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Finding bliss.

Finding escape.

Finding relief.

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.

Good night.