Under The Boardwalk: A Guided Sleep Story

Good evening and welcome to Michelle's Sanctuary.

If you are looking for a night of restorative,

Dream-filled sleep,

This meditation will guide you through the transition from your waking life to the deep stillness within.

You are listening to Under the Boardwalk,

A talk down,

An hypnotic story that will transport you to the briny shores of a popular beach town in summer.

In this mental vacation,

After taking a walk along the hot sand,

You will find reprieve under the cool shade of the boardwalk to settle in for a much needed nap.

Always find a comfortable place where you may lay down without distraction and cuddle up for this special journey,

Letting your body get heavy as it sinks into the bed and release any holding or tension as your muscles become limp,

Letting go,

Your eyelids heavy upon your eyes as if soft beanbags have been placed upon them,

Exhaling,

Even sighing or yawning right now simply because you can.

You have the freedom to do whatever feels good and brings you to a state of contentment.

And if thoughts pop up as they are known to do,

You may visualize each thought as if it is a cumulus cloud in the summer's sky,

Watching as a gentle wind comes along and carries it out to sea.

Take a deep breath in and then exhale audibly,

Noting how the sound of the air escaping your body reminds you of the sound of gentle surf crashing against a golden shore.

As you inhale again and then exhale,

Letting your eyelids become like a movie screen as you find yourself transported to a seaside resort town of a different time.

Breathing as your bare feet step upon the cool,

Wet sand as ivory seafoam from the incoming deep blue-green tide settles on your toes and upon your foot tracks,

A trail behind you.

The sun is high overhead,

The rays of light beaming down intensely on the linen attire that adorns you and billows in the soft ocean breeze.

Your summer loafers dangle on your fingers and a plush beach towel is clutched under your arm as you happily continue on this walk.

In the distance,

You see the gleaming frame of a ferris wheel that circulates upon a pier jutting into the ocean,

The ride reflecting flashes of golden sunlight as passengers allow their legs to dangle from the seats while in motion.

It is surrounded by a carousel and other popular rides as happy amusement park attendees who are dressed with great care are roaming the pier,

Some looking out to sea.

Women are dressed in cabana hats and linen suits while women are styled in fitted dresses watching after their children.

There is a poshness to this time in history and you feel your spirit elevated by this obvious self-care.

Along the beach are young adults in nautical themed beach attire coloring the shore in swatches of red and navy blue stripes.

The waves,

Rhythmic and calming,

Slightly mute the sounds of laughter and the joyous conversations that carry across the hot sand.

And you continue to walk.

Feeling as your toes sink in the cool,

Wet sand as the sunlight falls upon your back in search of a quieter place.

You walk further away from the steel pier as the smell of funnel cakes and cotton candy perfume the briny air with a sweetness that you can almost taste as it mingles with drops of salty water that coat your lips from the ocean's mist.

Inhaling and exhaling,

Taking in the beauty that surrounds you as if you have been transported inside a mid-century postcard from a beachside resort.

Further out at sea is a row of sailboats,

Their vanilla-hued sails fully extended as the passengers bathe in the sun and gently coast southerly with no destination in mind.

A medium-sized dog runs in front of you,

Chasing after a piece of driftwood thrown by his owner as his fur is coated in sea spray and his smile is so big that canine teeth are exposed before he plunges into the water and retrieves the object.

When you feel the infectiousness of bliss that seems to affect all life forms on this perfect day,

Everything feels fun and carefree and existing in this moment to simply offer joy and how elated you feel,

Dedicating this moment to finding levity and happiness and fun.

You continue walking as the vibrant striped beach umbrellas in shades of yellow and orange and evergreen and cherry become more sparse.

The vendors and ice cream shops and novelty stores along the boardwalk become more sparse as well.

As the area becomes more residential and rows of artfully designed Victorian houses line the boardwalk,

Painted in soft pastels like ice cream castles upon the sand,

Towards the end of the row of glorious homes,

You notice a historical lighthouse that looms in the distance,

Brilliantly painted in white and ebony stripes.

It is positioned perfectly at the end of this barrier island and you imagine how this light has shone and guided thousands of souls out at sea before the advent of technology during a much simpler time.

Feeling so warm,

You decide this is the perfect place for a solo swim.

You remove your clothing,

Stripping down to a modest bathing suit in your favorite color.

You feel free and unencumbered as you run into the surf,

The waves pounding against your legs with a soft blast of sand and small seashells.

You make it out past your knees as a cream white surf crashes around you and find the perfect timing to dive into a wave as it begins to crest.

The refreshing water starts at the crown of your head before cascading down your warm face offering instant cooling relief.

You taste the salt water on your lips as you breach the surface of the sea and gracefully twist your body around to float on your back.

Your fingers are fully extended as you feel the water running between them,

Just the same as your toes,

As you bob with each wave in full surrender,

The tendrils of your hair floating gently as you feel a tingling in your scalp from the massaging salt water waves of the incoming tide.

You feel weightless and alive all at once,

Plugged into the now,

Once again letting any thoughts that come up to be carried upon the puffy snow white clouds overhead that drift further out to sea,

Towards the horizon where the sapphire blue ocean meets the aquamarine sky.

You decide to swim a few laps,

Twisting over on your belly with ease as your arms cut through the incoming waves,

As your heart beats within your chest,

Taking this time to recognize the power of your lungs and heart that continue to do their jobs even when their work goes unnoticed.

They have been dutifully providing you with oxygen,

With life from the very beginning,

And here they still are,

And you feel gratitude for this gift of life and endurance,

For feeling so good right now.

Each stroke cuts through the cool water,

Refreshing you and firing up your muscles as you feel each contraction,

Your breath becoming heavier.

As you decide to ride the waves to the shore,

Once again surrendering when dealing with an energy as fierce and powerful as the ocean,

It is easier to surrender,

Allowing the waves to carry you.

And so true may this be in your waking life.

When things are too big to overcome,

It is okay to just surrender and ride the wave of time.

Nothing stays the same forever.

And the key is learning to recognize the times that call for surrender.

Take right now,

And with a wave that rises high above your stature,

You gently jump and float,

And ride it as it guides you to shallow waters.

You stand and let your feet touch the sand,

Walking the rest of the way to the dry shore.

You shake your head as droplets of salt water spray around you,

And find the soft comfort of your plush towel that waits in the hot sand as the sun beams upon you.

Your lungs feel so relaxed,

Having been used to their full potential.

You feel a tiredness and sense of ease deep within.

Droplets of water still form on your eyelashes,

And when you look towards the crystal blue sky,

The sunlight causes golden illuminated rainbow prisms to appear.

It's as if looking through a kaleidoscope for the brief moment before you bury your face into the softness of the towel,

Rubbing away the remaining water.

Wrapping yourself in the towel,

You grab your belongings and walk back towards the busier part of the beach.

The sounds of the enjoyment by others becomes like soft background music.

You find the scorching sun is drying you quickly as you watch seashells coming in with the tide.

You run your fingers across the smooth weathered shells that feel cool to the touch.

And in the assortment of taupe and copper spiraled shells,

And those with ivory and amethyst patches,

You find a shell that is the most beautiful to you and pick it up,

Clutching it in your hand as if it is a lucky token of good things to come.

Seeing how the shell has surrendered to the tide,

And so too may you surrender,

Feeling quite tired,

As if your body is melting like wax after the lapse you have swam.

From the sun that now tires you with its radiating waves of heat,

You decide it is time for a nap.

You walk towards the elevated wooden boardwalk that runs the entire length of this barrier island,

Heading towards the place of solitude,

Located at the dividing line between the seaside vendors and stylish Victorian homes,

A place where you may find respite on the fringe of fun.

And as this is your holiday,

Perhaps there is someone who loves you and you wish to spend time with,

Waiting for you beneath the boardwalk.

Or perhaps,

Blessed solitude awaits,

But whatever unfolds,

This is all your own design,

And you feel your body heavily trudging upon the softer piles of dry sand that blows in the breeze.

The soles of your feet are becoming hot as you approach the shade under the boardwalk and bend slightly down to see a soft blanket in your favorite color scheme and design,

Spread out with a picnic basket,

Stocked with your favorite foods and snacks.

You place your shoes and clothes down before crawling upon the blanket,

Feeling hungry,

You remove food from the basket and begin to eat,

Watching as the tide continues to come in.

Being safe from the tide,

As it will never reach the boardwalk,

And you are free to just relax without any concerns,

Feeling as your belly fills with food and brings contentment.

Overhead you hear the gentle rumbling of bicycles and strollers and the wooden planks of the boardwalk,

As well as the occasional patter of feet upon it.

The sound of the ocean waves meets with these sounds as if a natural band,

Creating an environment that is soothing and perfect for lucid dreaming.

Whether you are alone,

Or whether you are with a loved one,

Or perhaps with someone from the future,

A love you have yet to meet,

Whatever you choose to experience or whoever you choose to invite on this escape under the boardwalk,

The overwhelming feeling is that of love and protection.

You feel unguarded and able to just be you,

Appreciating the totality of you,

The body that has carried you through the day and to this place for perfect slumber.

Appreciation for the power of the imaginative mind and the openness of your heart that welcomes these nurturing feelings.

How much you deserve this holiday.

So you relish in the cool shade under the boardwalk.

Feeling the fragrant smell of pine planks overhead that roast in the sunlight and create a barrier of protection from the late afternoon heat.

And the smell of wood marries with the salty air and fragrance of sweet confections carried on a gentle breeze.

This is the smell of summer.

How powerful and evocative it is.

How it can conjure this sense of fun and enjoyment with each inhalation.

Lay down upon the blanket and if you choose to be embraced by a loved one or if you simply choose to be embraced by energy of the seaside escape,

You allow yourself to feel safe,

To feel gratitude,

To feel the sand that hugs around your body's imprint upon the blanket.

As you close your eyes and feel your chest rise and fall,

Hearing the soft voices of children and families in the distance,

Like a melody that makes lucid dreaming so easy to come by,

So easy to waft in and out of your dreams.

Drifting between one world and the next as they marry together like melting colors of watercolor paint on a canvas.

Inhaling and exhaling right now.

So very tired.

Your muscles now innervated and receiving the rest they deserve.

The ferris wheel continuing to spin on the pier.

It's the same as your heart continues to beat and the waves continue to crash down.

Full movement and motions that continue with or without your attention.

And with heavy eyelids drifting down,

Down,

Down,

Like the shaded stillness beneath the boardwalk,

You find the dark stillness within you.

The sea shall rest beside you.

This token of luck and the symbol of surrender as you too surrender to this moment.

Inhaling,

Exhaling,

Letting go.

Like a sailboat,

Your mind is able to travel from land to sea.

From your waking life to the floating,

Weightless escape to slumber,

To surrender.

And you will fall into a sleep with dreams that are harmonious,

With a natural beauty that surrounds you.

The air offering a freshness that purifies you within.

As you inhale and exhale deeply,

Finding sleep.

And it makes all right now easy to let go,

Because you can relax.

You can drift asleep,

Floating away from my voice like a piece of driftwood in the gentle surf.

You may do all that you need to do to heal and recover from the day,

With a great fortune of a new day to come,

With more adventures of seaside fun waiting for you.

As you let go,

Right now,

Drifting down,

Down,

Down,

Letting your consciousness drift away with the last of the summer winds into the night.

Traveling,

Finding rest and ease,

Finding enchantment.

I am going to count you down to this place of restorative and beautiful dream filled sleep.

Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four Three Two One Finding release,

Finding peace,

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream away.

Good night.