The Long Car Ride On An Autumn's Night: Sleep Story

Your feet step down from the concrete curb outside of a regional airport,

Feeling the blacktop below.

You look to the sky above,

Where the cold black silhouette of mountains juts against a fiery sky as the magenta orb of a sun burns brightly above.

And as you have traveled so long and so far to get here,

You inhale the crisp autumn air that purifies you with each inhalation.

The slightest nip in the breeze makes the tip of your nose cool as beloved family members or friends meet you with a loving embrace.

Whoever you would most like to spend this time with is here,

Ready and waiting.

And you are ready to embark on a long car ride into the night.

Welcome to Michelle's Sanctuary.

You are listening to the long car ride in autumn,

A guided sleep meditation and talk down where you may journey from the comfortable back seat of a car and route to a vacation cabin that awaits you and has been your place for respite since childhood.

And just like when you were a small child,

Surrendering to whatever the elders in your life decided,

You will now be able to let go once again as you go for this long,

Hypnotic ride.

Find a safe place where you may fall asleep and cast aside any remaining residue of your day.

If solely for your own enjoyment and mental vacation,

You have earned this time to enjoy being you.

To go deep within the imaginative chambers of your mind,

Allowing my voice to soothe and guide you to places that conjure feelings of home and love.

To an experience that inspires a softness in your body as your muscles melt like wax and your body becomes as heavy as lead.

Allowing your tired eyelids to close and serve as movie screens that take you back to the visualization of a small regional airport that is tucked in a valley near a sparsely populated city.

A few passersby roll their luggage as they meet friends and loved ones as well,

Some returning home while others are arriving for a special escape from their normal lives.

The winding down that comes with fall may be felt in the air as people have now returned to their routines fresh off the carefree tempo of summer.

It feels inspiring to know that this is now your time to explore and relax as you embark on a getaway from all that requires concentration and thought.

Like the jewel toned changing leaves of the autumn trees surrounding the tarmac and airport,

You feel yourself being molded by this experience.

As if an autumnal hued kaleidoscope of warm light pours through you and inspires you to be present,

To feel the bliss in being alive in this moment,

Right now.

When you flow through space,

As if your feet float just above the earth,

So at ease.

This new environment deactivates the control center in your brain and allows it to go into a hibernation mode,

Inhaling deeply before sighing out the cool autumn air.

And there is a slight mist in the air and you can feel the metallic droplets meet your lips with another deep inhale before you sigh it out.

And the loved ones who have met you at the airport,

Now assist with loading your heavy bags into the trunk of the car as you allow yourself to board the back of the car.

And this car is perfect for a passenger,

Set to specifications that allow you to have enough space to lie down if you so desire,

While also feeling cozy as if you are within a safe pod surrounded by windows and a skylight that look out upon fall in all its beautiful glory.

Feeling how tired you are,

After such a long journey,

Your loved ones understand that you need some time to rest before arriving at the cabin.

And so there is a pillow and soft microplush blanket that is freshly laundered and your favorite color,

As if they knew this would make you feel more at ease.

Your eyes are slightly bleary,

Your body very heavy,

And your breathing is so relaxed.

And you feel safe.

As the car pulls out of the airport lot,

You realize that it feels nice to surrender and trust that you are being taken care of.

Reminding you of a time you felt safe when you were young,

When you felt nourished and all your needs were met.

And this knowing just came as a sensation,

As kind and delicate as warm late summer waves on a lake flowing over your body as you bask in the sun,

Feeling connected,

Feeling content.

And the gentle vibration of the tires against the open road gives you this feeling of freedom and a soothing sensation,

Offering a similar vibration and sound to that of a kitten purring.

The gentle acceleration of the vehicle allows your body to propel forward and back in a rocking motion as a floating atop the incoming tide of the lake.

And you take this moment to realize how good you feel.

And a soft murmuring between your loved ones in the front seats of the automobile is like a musical soundtrack and you pick up on the energy of their routine and love and playfulness that has existed between them for a long time and comes through in their gentle patter.

It is so nice to be surrounded by the familiar and to have nothing expected of you.

Feeling love for these navigators,

Whoever they may be,

Whoever it is you want them to be,

Is all up to you right now.

You look out the window and press your cheek against the cool glass,

Cracking the window just a bit so you may take in the fresh air and smells of a wood stove burning in the distance.

The gentle breeze blows wisps of hair from your face as you inhale and exhale,

Even yawning a bit.

Your loved ones meet your gaze in the rear view mirror and knowingly give an exchange of understanding of how tired you must be and gratitude that you are on this journey with them.

Still so nice to be welcome and to be appreciated for being your authentic self in this moment.

The winding road curves around autumn blaze maple trees with their leaves of vibrant red popping out among trees decked in leaves of topaz and deep amethyst and banana yellow.

When the beauty overwhelms you,

Taking your breath away,

To the point you cannot imagine the world could even be more beautiful,

The car rounds a bend in the road and a shower of golden sunlight pours upon the pavement and car and jewel toned trees like a shower of honey.

And you come upon a red barn and farmhouse that is surrounded by a golden stream running around the property in a series of S shapes.

The pumpkins are nestled around a mailbox that is designed to mimic the architecture of the barn behind it and a large furry pup runs across the rolling green fields until she comes upon an apple orchard.

You can even smell the marriage of decaying leaves and the rich earth with the redolence of crisp apples.

This beauty is like a postcard come to life,

Inspiring memories of soft sweaters and nights by a fire.

You see children running alongside bales of hay,

Lapping up the last of the golden rays of sun now that nightfall arrives so much sooner.

One of the children pretends his jacket is a cape as he leaps from a bale of hay as if in flight.

And you remember what it felt like to have that youthful zest and confidence brought by a prop as simple as a makeshift cape.

To that child,

Anything is possible.

And to you,

If you only just give yourself a moment to believe and feel it,

Anything is possible for you as well.

And how you wish you could solidify this golden moment into a locket that you could wear upon your heart to always remind yourself of this feeling of warmth and comfort and promise.

The last rays of the setting sun shower upon the entrance to the highway and you listen as the blinker clicks and the car merges with a light trickle of traffic that ventures northward.

The sun is now disappearing behind the mountain,

Colorfully speckled by the fall foliage as the car accelerates and drives into the night.

The radio murmurs at a volume nearly inaudible to you,

But you make out enough to understand that there is an announcement calling for rain.

You look to the skylight above and see the dark clouds overhead,

Peering out the front window to see the storm in the distance.

With at least another hour to go,

You find yourself feeling ready to take a little nap.

The first pelt of water hits the windshield and then a few more large drops hang upon the roof of the car.

You wrap yourself in the plush blanket,

Resting your head upon the pillow and nestling deep into the car's backseat as you feel the tires transitioning from a dry paved road to the slick rain spritzed pavement.

Feeling the gentle hum of the car and continued vibration against the highway that gently massages your body as you allow your heavy lids to fall.

Thinking in this feeling of comfort and ease and love,

The soft murmurs of conversation in the front seat continues as the soft rain increases upon the roof and windows of the carefully controlled vehicle.

You feel the deep trust that you will arrive at your destination safely.

And so too may you arrive at the milestones and dreams you have yet to realize.

It is all in the journey and you may allow yourself to soak in all the sensory elements.

The rhythmic flow of the windshield wipers on the downbeat supports the rhythm of the staccato rain.

The smells of burning wood and fresh cool rain permeate the car and remind you of the cabin that waits for you.

And the gentle strobing of headlights flicker and create shadows that move through the windows like dancing gingerbread men.

In your imaginative mind,

Let's whatever lights and shadows that penetrate through your eyelids to take on forms and shapes that both entertain and comfort you.

Wherever those images may be.

And for now,

You are content to drift in and out of consciousness in the back seat of this car that continues onward into the night beneath the plumes of charcoal clouds that now blend with the dark night's sky.

And the further north you go,

The more that evergreens appear and replace the deciduous trees along the highway.

The smell of pine and balsam fir now fragrance the night air.

As the car's blinker comes on and you are in a state just below total consciousness.

Lucidly dreaming you are in a car and also at home in bed.

These images blending in a feeling of contentment as the car exits the highway and comes upon a country road.

You feel each bend and wind of the road as the car gently glides along the slick pavements as if it is on rails.

As if it intuitively anticipates every wind and bend because your beloved driver is practiced and familiar with a hamlet where the vacation cabin resides.

How nice it is to have a place you return to just enough from such an early time in your life that it feels interwoven with the transitions in your personal history.

And like an old friend,

It welcomes you and allows you to pick up just where things were last left.

As if no time has been lost.

You feel each groove of the road as the car continues until it comes upon the gravel of a long driveway illuminated by solar lanterns stagnated upon the grassy edge.

The trees rustling in the breeze as leaves blow across the lawn and the car comes to a stop.

The doors unlock and you open the passenger door as you ease your way out.

Remembering times as a child when you pretended to still be asleep so you would be carried to your bed.

How lovely it felt to be nurtured and tended to in this way that it was worth your childlike theatrics.

And feeling kind towards those memories,

You find yourself awake enough to exit the car and take your bags,

Following your dear loved ones to the front door of a log cabin nestled within the woods.

Feeling as if you are in a dreamlike state,

Half sleepwalking and half awake.

And this trance state feels enchanting.

Moving onto the porch and out of the rain,

The door opens as familiar smells waft towards you.

Smells of your childhood,

Of pine walls and of the slightest musty odor that reminds you of late night swims in the lake that exists just behind the cabin.

The hallway lights are dimmed and you are embraced gently,

One last time by your loved ones.

Who you will adventure on with come morning.

But for now,

Just rest,

Just peace and stillness.

You continue down the hallway to the cavernous room that was always yours.

The smell of old books and balsam fur greet you from the wall of books that is a cross from a plush bed adorned in a hand sewn quilt.

The quilt is made of fabrics from your childhood clothes and just reminds you of being young and being so safe in this vacation retreat.

You pull out your bed clothes from your backpack and quickly undress and change into a flannel set of pajamas.

Feeling so toasty against the damp night's air,

You climb beneath the cool fabric of the downy quilt and your head falls upon the feathered pillows that wrap around your neck with perfect support.

And as you are nestled in this place of many dreams and brilliant vacation memories of years gone by,

You are free to drift down,

Down,

Down.

Remembering the mornings that used to come with the aromas of fresh coffee and pancakes drizzled in syrup,

Or the late nights spent playing games around the fire.

And all those beautiful sensations are with you now,

Waiting for you in a new day and kept within the treasure chest of your most sacred memories.

You are now here,

In this special place for respite,

For dreaming.

Having safely arrived,

It is now time to fall asleep.

Going further and further away from my voice.

Going deeper and deeper down.

Letting go.

Inhaling and exhaling in a relaxed manner.

The feeling as you no longer hold any tension in your body,

In your jaw,

In your lungs.

You are going deeper and deeper down.

And beneath the weight of the quilt.

The protection from fabrics that sheltered you before.

And like the young child with a makeshift cape,

This quilt serves as more than just a blanket.

It is a gateway to security and peace.

And I am going to count you down.

As the rain continues to fall upon the roof,

And you are ready to let go.

To fall asleep.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Finding respite.

Finding peace.

Finding stillness.

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.