← Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
January at the Mountain Cabin
00:47:45
Narrated by Thomas. Sara spends a winter’s day ice skating on a frozen pond with her new friend Julie, before returning to the mountain cabin to relax.
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- [00:01]
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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Every January brings you 365 blank pages waiting to be filled. Life isn't about resolutions that fade by February. It's about picking up the pen and becoming the author of your own life. In fact, you can think of therapy as your editorial partner, helping you write new chapters and create the meaningful story you want and deserve to live. Therapy isn't only for when things are feeling difficult. It's also a great tool to help us maximize all the good stuff we have going on too. And BetterHelp is a great place to start. It's fully online and serving over 5 million people worldwide, with thousands of therapists specializing in all areas. So write your story with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com getsleepy to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp H-E-P.com getsleepy.
- [01:13]
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In case you didn't know, our company Slumber Studios also has a sleep app called Slumber. With well over a thousand episodes, it has every type of sleep inducing content you could possibly want, from stories, meditations, audiobooks and history to soundscapes and music. New episodes are added each week and you can even search by narrator and listen exclusively to episodes narrated by me or by any of my wonderful fellow storytellers. Somber has other unique features too, like the ability to add and adjust background sounds to create your own perfect mix. So I highly recommend you give Slumber a try. It's available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play and as a Get Sleepy listener, you can unlock all of the content in the app free for one month. Just go to Slumber FM GetSleepy to get instant access to all of the content in Slumber free for one month. That's Slumber FM Get Sleepy. Did you know that before Slumber Studios produced podcasts, we made apps?
- [02:34]
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We have one app that is the.
- [02:35]
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Perfect companion to get sleepy. It's called White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds. We developed this app in house at Slumber Studios to deliver the highest quality sleep sounds. It can help you fall asleep fast, wake up less often, improve focus, reduce anxiety, relieve tinnitus and calm babies. With over 300 sounds and a new sound released every week, you're sure to find one that suits your tastes, including a variety of fan sounds, white, brown, pink, green and other color noises, professionally recorded nature sounds, as well as a broad range of music like classical, ambient sleep music and lo fi. As a listener of Get Sleepy, we have an exclusive offer for you. Download the White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds app Now and get 30 days free access to all of the premium content. Just go to deepsleepsounds.com getsleepy that's deepsleepsounds.com getssleepy.
- [03:53]
A
Welcome to get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas and it's my honor to be your host. I'm sure many of you will remember our previous stories at Sarah's charming cabin in the mountains. It's a series that ticks all the boxes for a perfect bedtime accompaniment, conveying feelings of warmth, coziness, familiarity, and a lovely camaraderie between neighbors. Tonight we'll return to the mountain cabin where Sarah's enjoying a tranquil winter's day at home. We'll join her as she works on her New Year's resolutions and goes ice skating with a new friend who recently moved to the mountains. It was written by Krista and I'm delighted to be reading it for you. So settle yourself into bed comfortably, resting your body in whichever position feels best, and allow your breathing to steady and so enjoying the calming sensation of the exhale as it releases tension in your muscles and your mind. We've come to learn quite a lot about the protagonist of tonight's story, Sarah, her character and her way of life. She lives a gentle and fairly minimalist existence, finding joy and contentment from the small, everyday things that I think often get lost in the shuffle during our busy, hectic lives. And I'd also suggest that from what we know of Sarah, she stays true to herself and makes her choices and decisions based on what feels right for her. She followed her heart in deciding to move to the mountains, for example. There's a real abundance of noise of different voices and opinions that we're bombarded with every day. Especially in this digital age we live in, it's very difficult to avoid it or to shut off from it altogether, even if we want to. So as you lie in bed and reflect on your day, I want you to remind yourself that ultimately you have the intuition and wisdom within yourself to understand what it is that you truly believe in and what genuinely warms your heart and brings you contentment. Don't feel pressured to fit into a certain mold or to appease other people based on how they think you ought to behave. Try to live authentically, taking the time to step away from the noise and to simply listen to your deepest, truest self. Connect with your heart and find your sense of self from there. Of course, like everything, it's easier said than done, and it might take some practice, but your intuition and inner wisdom is your compass to guide you to peace, love, and contentment, and to better understand those around you as well. So, my friends, close your eyes now if you haven't already, and turn your thoughts to Sarah's cabin, a cosy little haven tucked away in the mountains where wildflowers bloom in summer and snow falls in winter. It's a quiet January day and Sarah is relaxing by the fireplace. This is where our story begins. Sarah is sitting in her living room, warmed by the crackling fire and the delicious herbal tea she's sipping. It is a quiet January afternoon. The thrill of the holidays has settled into the gentle rhythm of of the New year. Her body presses into the soft cushions of her sofa and a hand knitted blanket sits across her lap. Sarah's legs are pulled up and on her thighs rests a journal. With all the busyness of the festive season, Sarah never had a chance to write out her New Year's resolutions. For Sarah, these resolutions offer a time for reflection on the past year. These reflections will help her access her goals, aspirations, and intentions for the New Year. As she writes, many thoughts begin to rush through her head. Her plans for her garden come spring and summer. New knitting projects she can take on ways she can get more involved in the community, spend time with her local friends, and better keep in touch with people she cares about who live far away. Sarah has always loved the idea of writing letters to her friends and family and sending them photos of her life here in the mountain cabin and beyond. She jots down these thoughts and then smooths them out into an achievable New Year's resolution. Write two letters a month to important people in her life. After she writes down this resolution, she leans over to take a big sip of her tea. She brings the mug to her mouth and feels the warmth of the steam on her nose. Sarah then stands up to stretch. She doesn't like to stay in one position for too long. As she stretches her legs and leans her body to either side, she notices the soft snowflakes falling outside her frosted window. It is always a majestic view. Sarah thinks her living room window is picture perfect. It showcases the path that leads through the meadow into the evergreen forest. Sarah loves the contrast of the dark green trees and the bright white snow. Just as she's about to sit back down to continue writing her New Year's resolutions, Sarah hears the chime of her phone. She walks across the wooden floor and grabs her phone off the credenza in the hall. She sees the name of a neighbourhood friend, Julie flash up on the screen. Sarah slides her finger across the screen to answer the call. They talk for a few minutes. As it turns out, Julie is heading out to ice skate on the pond nestled between their houses. She has called to invite Sarah to join her. It's a wonderful coincidence. Sarah has just been journaling about wanting to spend more time with friends and now Julie has called to invite her out. Of course Sarah agrees. Julie is one of her newer friends here in the mountains and it's a friendship Sarah has been wanting to nurture. Julie only moved here in early October and they haven't had much of an opportunity to get to know each other. One to one. Ice skating seems like the perfect chance. Sarah thinks they plan to meet at the fork in the road in a little while. This is where their two driveways divide and it's the start of the path to the pond. Sarah has plenty of time to heat up her favourite hot cider before she goes. Luckily she has two thermoses and can bring some along for Julie too. After Sarah hangs up the call, she places her phone back on the credenza and makes her way to the end of the hall and into the kitchen. She flicks on the lamp, which casts a warm glow into the room. The bright white falling snow visible through the window above the sink makes the space extra cozy on this January afternoon. Yesterday, Sarah made a fresh pot of hot cider. It's a combination of of apple, cinnamon, orange and honey. She takes it out of the fridge and pours it into a metal pot. Sarah uses a gas stove in her home, so she turns the dial until she hears the clicking sound and then uses a lighter to make a flame. From there, she moves the pot to the heating surface. There are fresh cinnamon sticks in the spice rack to her left. She takes one, brings it up to her nose to smell its delightful scent and then drops it into the cider. Now the brew can heat again. Sarah walks back down the hallway, her socked feet gliding across the smooth wooden floorboards. Instead of returning to the living room, which is on the left at the end of the hall, she turns right to go into her bedroom. From there she can reach her bathroom. Since she has lounged most of the day, Sarah needs a few minutes to get ready. She pulls open a drawer and takes out a hairbrush. She carefully runs the brush through her hair section by section. Afterwards, the brush is placed back in its original spot and she takes out a small jar of face lotion. When Sarah goes out on winter days, like today, she always applies a layer of moisturiser. This helps create a barrier between her skin and the cold wind. Plus, it feels amazing, Sarah thinks as she gently massages the cream into her skin. She does this in soft circular motions until it has all been absorbed. Now Sarah is nearly ready. She just needs to change into something appropriate for ice skating. So she pulls open her wooden wardrobe and flicks through the hangers, grabbing essentials like a wool sweater, thick tights and water resistant trousers. After changing, Sarah lays her lounge clothes on the bed. She'll return to this outfit later this evening. The aroma of cinnamon and apples catches her attention as she turns to exit her bedroom. But she knows the cider still needs a little while longer to be hot enough to properly enjoy. She walks back into the living room. Glancing through the glass, she sees how the window showcases the gently falling snow. The snowflakes are thick and fluffy, Sarah's favourite. They fall gently atop the layer of white left by the last storm, which settled on the older snow and so on. Layers of winter's magic just outside her door. Before she leaves the cabin, she needs to make sure the fire in the hearth is out. She walks over to the fireplace and bends down, carefully picking up the iron poker, which clinks as it's removed from its metal holder. Sarah begins to gently spread the remaining logs to allow the flames to dwindle. Then she shovels some ash over the embers, watching as the glowing light slowly fades away into a calming darkness. Finally, Sarah replaces the poker and rubs her hands together to remove any ash. She stands back up and is ready to fill the thermoses and meet Julie outside. So she retreats to the back of the cabin where the kitchen is. There are wooden cabinets above the countertops. Sarah opens one and sifts through her small collection of mugs and cups until she spots the two thermos bottles. She turns off the gas stove and watches as steam rises from the pot of hot cider. Sarah fills up both thermoses, the delightful aroma permeating the air as she pours. Now all Sarah needs to do is put on her puffer coat, a pair of woolly gloves, a beanie hat she knitted herself, and her snow boots. Of course, Sarah will need to bring a sturdy tote to carry the bottles and her ice skates. Her hallway is like her mudroom, a place where she can remove and store all of her outdoor essentials. Sarah has all the needed items hanging on the coat rack or resting under her bench. That's where she finds her shoes. Her ice skates and her house slippers. She places the thermoses on the bench and gets dressed with all the extra layers required for today's chilly adventure. As she slips on the second glove, Sarah thinks about how it all feels so warm and cosy against her skin. She then grabs a tote bag from the coat rack and places the thermos, bottles and skates inside. She quickly remembers to bring her compact camera. Those handwritten letters she plans to write will need some photos to go along with them. The camera conveniently fits into her coat pocket, so she slips it inside. As she goes to open the front door, she notices a gentle light filtering through its stained glass window. The sun has crept out. It appears. Sarah loves the combination of a snowy landscape and a bright sun. She turns the doorknob and feels the cold weather on her cheeks as she shuts the door behind her. The snow is just barely coming down now. There are still clouds in the sky, but the sunshine makes the ground sparkle. The view brings a smile to Sarah's face as she walks down the porch steps. The temperature might be very low today, but the sun on her face feels wonderful, she thinks. Sarah makes her way to the left. This leads to her drive and the fork in the road where she will soon meet Julie. With each step, the snow crunches beneath her feet. The sound of it relaxes her. Besides, she does love a wintry stroll on a beautiful afternoon like this. The echo of her footsteps forms a rhythm. Step, crunch, step, crunch. She looks back for just a moment to admire the path she has created. She thinks about how happy she is to be meeting Julie today. Her life in the mountains is so fulfilling, but she does miss the ease of meeting new people that the city provides. Nonetheless, Sarah is excited to put her New Year's resolutions into motion, and so quickly too. Sarah has an eye on the fork in the road. An evergreen tree stands tall between the two drives, and just on the opposite side, Sarah can see the blonde haired woman with her back facing the road. Julie wears a long pale blue puffer coat and a white beanie that covers her ears. Her long hair goes down to the middle of her back. The crunch of Sarah's footsteps in the snow carries through the air and Julie turns to see who is arriving. She smiles and waves. Sarah waves back in delight. Julie begins to step forward and the two meet beneath the evergreen tree. They exchange hugs and simple greetings, their friendship still in its early stages. Sarah usually shares banter when she sees her friends, but this one is still so new and she doesn't yet know Julie's personality. But then Julie begins to open up, giggling as she tells Sarah that she slid down the hill on her way here. Julie jokes that's why she got here so early. And soon they find themselves relaxing into easy conversation. Remembering she brought two thermoses of cider, Sarah digs out the bottles. As she continues to talk, she hands one of them to Julie. Her new friend is delighted to try her homemade hot cider. They both pop open the lids of their thermoses and take a sip. Sarah feels the warmth of it travel down to her stomach. Julie tells her it's delicious, perhaps one of the best ciders she has ever had. Sarah jokes that she is just flattering her, but can still sense her honesty nonetheless. Soon Julie points towards the pathway, the one that leads to the pond. There is a little wooden arrow shaped sign that spells out the name of the path. The pair walk past the sign and into the wintry forest. Before long they are delighted to see a few deer run across their path. There are winter berries in this part of the forest and Sarah knows that the deer and rabbits come searching for them. They continue to converse slowly, getting to know each other by asking questions about where they are from and why they moved to the mountains. But their conversation doesn't feel like small talk. Each question branches out into new topics and ideas. There is hardly a moment of silence until they reach the pond. Julie gasps in amazement as they take in the view. It's her first time visiting this spot, she tells Sarah, but everyone she met said she had to make sure to visit. In winter, the pond is frozen solid in a stunning shade of greenish blue. The trees around it are all evergreen. The dark green of the pines mixed with the bold hue of the water and the iridescence of the gleaming snow creates a magical scene. Julie says she wishes she was a painter because it's the type of scenery that you might see in an art museum. Sarah agrees and says she's also not a painter, but she did bring her camera. She slides it out of her pocket and turns it on before lifting the lens up to her eye and snapping a few photos. Julie jumps out in front of the camera for one of them, making a silly expression. Sarah turns the camera to Julie, showing her the last photo taken and they begin to laugh at how perfect it is. Then they see a tree stump and Sarah suggests they place their bags and shoes there while they ice skate. They step through the snow and upon reaching the stump, Julie brushes off the thick layer of white on top. Sarah sits down. And they take turns changing out of their boots and into their ice skates. Not wanting to stay in their socks for too long. Sarah reaches out her hand to help Julie get up from the tree stump. And Julie wobbles as she adjusts to the feeling of the skates beneath her feet. They giggle arm in arm as they make their way to the edge of the pond. Luckily, there is a tree near the edge of the frozen water, providing something to cling on to. It's the ideal spot for getting on and off the ice. Julie steps out first, followed by Sarah. Her gloved hand feels the rough texture of tree bark as she releases herself from the tree and onto the sick, icy pond. The pond is large, providing enough space for both Sarah and Julie to comfortably skate around. The air is crisp and the snow falls gently, just a few delicate flakes at a time. Now Sarah brings her hands up to her face as she glides across the ice. She allows the warmth of her wall covered hands to warm her rosy cheeks. They skate side by side, not uncomfortable in the silence. Instead, they both appear to be listening to the sounds around them. There is the swish of their skates against the ice, the whistle of the breeze through the forest, the occasional hop of a bunny rabbit and the hooting of an owl nearby. Even the fabric of their coats can be heard as they move their arms to glide across the pond. Once it feels natural, they ease back into conversation. They discuss wildlife, their home gardens and plans for spring, as well as other snowy activities they can enjoy together. They even make plans for a movie night, which they'll invite others from the community too. Sarah feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. The mountain cabin feels more like home than ever. And she isn't even there at present. Perhaps it's not the mountain cabin, but this place, this mountain itself and the people who come to live here. Sarah thinks. She is elated to see that the new year is starting out so wonderfully. Her resolutions are unfolding before her eyes and things feel fresh. With a new friendship to grow and seeds to sow in more ways than one. For the rest of the day, the pair will continue to spend time together. They will ice skate until sunset, which is still quite early in January. Then they'll retreat to the mountain cabin to warm up over more hot cider and a home cooked dinner. Sarah will use her canned tomatoes from summer to prepare a thoughtful veggie sauce for pasta. Julie will help set the the table and chop some greens to make a salad. It pleases Sarah to see how well they have connected already. She looks forward to watching this friendship blossom as the year progresses. But for now, she will savour this new connection and enjoy a wonderful day of life in the mountains.