The Library By The Sea: A Guided Sleep Story

Fall into a deep sleep tonight with a hypnotic bedtime story and guided meditation.

Autumn has arrived.

The crisp air carrying upon it a briny fragrant marriage with the smoke of a wood fire and the rich damp earth as jewel toned leaves gracefully float upon a grassy hill where they form a scattered pile.

Welcome to Michelle's Sanctuary.

You are listening to The Library,

A guided sleep meditation and story set in a coastal town on a stormy autumn night.

In this journey,

You may find yourself seeking refuge in the dark cozy nook of a library where you may encounter the fictional characters and authors of your favorite literary masterpieces by the fireside as a storm brews outside.

To find a safe place where you may release all your tensions from the day and curl up and unwind before drifting into a deep and healing sleep.

My name is Michelle and you may allow yourself to follow my voice as if it is the voice of a dear friend whose sole intention is to help you feel welcome and worthy of being catered to right now.

As you let your body get heavy and sink further down,

Down,

Down.

All that has come before this moment and all that will proceed are of no concern.

And if your thoughts drift as they are known to do,

You may just imagine each thought is like a weathered maple leaf in autumn,

Sailing upon a crisp breeze before landing.

Thoughts like sailing leaves may become light and no longer attached to anything as they are free to drift far,

Far away.

And you may take in a deep breath as your belly rises and your chest expands before blowing out the air through your lips as if blowing through a straw.

And as you exhale,

You visualize your exhalation leaving your lips in the misty air of a seaside town,

Allowing you to see your own breath.

Breathing again when you are ready,

Tasting the salty mist as the cool air hits your parted lips before you exhale again.

Watching your feet,

Adorned in broken-in leather boots,

Crunch upon the damp,

Richly colored leaves that have fallen on the earth.

There's a nip in the breeze,

Meeting your face with the warning that winter will soon be on its way.

But in this transitional period,

You are enjoying the softness of your oversized sweater that fits like a worn glove as your hair dances in the breeze.

Snowflakes are falling around you with a gentle grace like snowflakes that fall within a snow globe.

Dark purple-bellied storm clouds are above and cast the main street of the town with a soft metallic hue that reflects off the slick village sidewalks upon which the heels of your boots create a pattern.

And in this port town,

Main Street is elevated above the local rocky beach and gives views of the rugged peninsula of a town that juts out in the ocean with a series of wooden bungalows and historic homes.

Below the main street,

Dashed with small shops and a diner and a post office and bank,

The incoming tide pounds against the rocky shore.

You are the sole navigator downtown on the stormy day as you approach a looming grassy hill where Main Street comes to a dead end.

Up this hill is the local library which occupies a historic three-story stone home with vistas that look out upon the white caps of the steel blue-gray sea.

The wind whips around the hill as rain begins to fall and you carefully balance as you ascend the slick weather-worn granite steps that lead to the front door of the library.

Just before the clouds open up,

You make it to the top of the hill and the stairs of the library,

Finding shelter on the wraparound porch.

You approach the front door,

Feeling the cool rustic cast iron handle in the palm of your hand as you open the door to a magical escape from the cruel autumn day.

And as the door clicks open,

You feel as if a warm wave of intoxicating light wafts from the foyer of the library,

Making you instantly comfortable and welcome.

The sweet smell of old books is carried on the warm wave that feels like a gentle hug,

As if fingers wrap around your back and guide you into the refuge of this historic and magical place.

And the door instantly closes behind you,

And you are alone in the foyer and standing atop a worn oriental rug in shades of sapphire blue and gold,

Reminiscent of the sea on a vibrant summer's day.

The room is lit by colorful stained glass lamps that are atop bookshelves and floor lamps with long brass chains that dangle beneath the rich jewel-toned hues of the satiny lampshades.

From the distance you hear the crackling of a fire,

And you hear the soft footsteps of the librarian as she comes to the entryway and greets you with a warm,

Maternal smile.

You know her kind face so well you could draw it with your eyes closed.

She has been a local town hero to you since your childhood.

She lovingly opened your eyes to the world of magic that exists between the fragile pages of leather-bound books.

She instilled a gift that through your lifetime has allowed you to fearlessly take on challenges and adventures through time and space without leaving the safe confines of this historic library.

A sanctuary open to all who dare to explore.

And through her love of books,

She imprinted the same connection with the written word within you that has allowed you to develop deep empathy and understanding and a worldliness.

She encourages you to explore and enjoy your afternoon at the library,

Noting how happy she is to see your face again,

And how much you have grown,

And how wonderful you look.

And you welcome this maternal love.

And when your eyes meet hers,

You impart the deep-seated gratitude you feel for this comely woman and this magical place.

As she steps aside,

You close your eyes for a moment and take in the warmth of the library as the wind whips around the stone building and the ocean crashes below.

The rain is now falling at a steady pace as you inhale the enrapturing perfume of literary masterpieces with pages that have been thumbed through and have transported hundreds of readers out of the confines of the small coastal village to the limitless destinations of the written word and your imagination.

Then you exhale and inhale the lovely smell of books and wood burning in the fireplace.

Opening your eyes,

You head to the back room,

Which contains all the greatest works in literature and fiction.

Looking through the rows of books,

You gently brush your fingers along their spines.

The books line the ceiling-high mahogany wood shelves and gently smiling,

You pick up a random book or two as you go,

Hugging them tightly against your chest.

Feeling the same excitement and bliss you felt as a small child when you first learned that every book was available and just waiting for you to dive in and take a new journey.

And with all that these literary works have offered you and how rich your life has become because of the written word,

These books have never asked for anything from you in return.

You once again feel a deep gratitude as you pull another book or two from the shelves until you have a stack that you balance against your body,

Running from your navel to beneath your chin.

Your arms are strong as you balance with this familiar embrace with the written works that have had the biggest influence on your life.

You walk to the back of the room towards the marble fireplace that roars with a fire.

Before the fire is a plush rug upon which the library's cat is curled up in a ball and sweetly purring in contentment.

This cat is from a lineage of cats that have protected and resided in the library since even before you were born.

You place the books gently on an antique hand-carved table that has occupied the library since it was first erected over a century ago.

Then you take a seat in the deep,

Plush,

Velvety,

Wine-colored armchair and allow your head to rest upon the back of the chair as you cross your legs and take the first book from the pile.

Perhaps these are even books you have read again and again.

And whatever this book is,

You pick it up and place it in your lap and open the book to reveal a Manila library card pocket glued to the front page.

Like a relic,

You finger the enclosed library card and see your own name signed it out many years ago.

And you feel a fondness that this library continues to use traditional library cards,

Even while the rest of the libraries of the world gravitated towards a digital system.

Just as this book left a mark on you,

You can now see your own name on the card,

The mark that you reading it has left on this book.

You turn the page and as you start to read the words on the worn pages where the edges have been softened by loving readers,

You see the flames in the fire that continue to flicker before you in your peripheral vision.

The words on the page and the shadows formed from the dancing flames are hypnotic and captivating.

And as you feel your heart rate slowing and your body relaxing,

You go into a trance state and suddenly your favorite character from the novel appears before you.

And this character sits in the opposing velvet chair across from you.

And you feel serene and so content.

This opportunity is one you had always dreamed would happen and here,

Right before you,

You have the character's full attention and you listen,

Taking in whatever messages you need to hear,

Whatever inspiration this character provided to you,

You are now directly connected to one another in real time.

And the energy is so empowering,

It's as if a light has come to life upon a plug connecting with an outlet.

And you have a great conversation,

Letting the conversation flow.

And you take this time to thank this character for shaping your life,

For giving you the courage or insight or whatever it is that you gleaned and that allowed you to become a more complex person with a rich inner life.

And with that,

The character vanishes into thin air and you reach for another favorite book.

And perhaps this time,

It is the author who comes to meet you.

Or perhaps it is another character.

It is your choice and your special time in this enchanted library.

Because the right now,

You choose who to see.

And you begin a new conversation that allows you to feel listened to.

That your own thoughts and interpretations have merit,

That how you feel in what you say truly matters.

And it is such a wonderful,

Welcoming feeling.

You feel so relaxed,

So open to whatever wisdom may come your way right now.

Listening,

Asking,

Engaging,

How rich and wonderful this life can be.

As you once again take a deep breath in and are reminded of the soft smell of books and dusty antiques.

And this visitor before you invites you to close your eyes and get relaxed as he or she begins to read a passage from the book to you.

Reminding you of what it was like to be read stories before you fell asleep as a child.

And what a dream experience.

Going beyond even your wildest of fantasies to now be with your favorite character or author.

In this intimate cozy setting,

As the words upon the page are shared with you.

And these words come to life.

As if being typed upon the air in long ribbons that wrap around you like yarn.

Until all these words form a blanket of safety and comfort around you.

As you nestle in and go deeper and deeper down.

As the voice of the reader and even as my voice begin to fade away.

When you delve into the dark sanctity of your own mind and imagination.

Making the words your own.

Riding the cascade of emotions and sentiments that come up with a special interaction.

Drifting further and further away.

Where you may cross the bridge from your waking life to your sleeping life.

Where you may cross the bridge from your reading life to your dreaming life.

Allowing all the characters and stories and themes of your favorite books to come together in a cinematic marathon of dreams to come.

Feeling the gratitude for the safety of the library and this comfortable chair near the roaring fire and purring library cat.

As the rain pelts against the historic building.

And you are taken deeper and deeper down.

The gray skies outside make it hard to have any indication of time.

But you feel it is the perfect time for a nap.

And so you let yourself go.

As if flying through the night upon a magic carpet that is comprised of pages from the books you most love.

And with this visual of you riding through the night's sky.

Soaring to the greatest of heights where there are no bounds.

And like falling autumn leaves,

You too are now completely untethered and free to drift wherever you desire to go.

And I am going to count you down to a deep and healing sleep.

Saving go.

Surrendering.

Finding peace.

Finding stillness.

Finding your own sanctuary.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

One.

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.

Oh,

Wonderful.

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