← Listen To Sleep - Quiet Bedtime Stories & Meditations
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- [00:01]
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Hey, it's Eric. Before we begin tonight's episode, just a quick reminder. You're about to hear a few ads that help to support Listen to Sleep. If you'd rather drift off without them, you can join Listen to Sleep plus and get every episode ad free plus bonus stories and meditations. Just go to ListenToSleep.com and click on Support to learn more.
- [00:30]
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Fresh, sweet and bursting with flavor, it's Summer Fruit Fest now at Whole Foods Market. Look for juicy sales on organic yellow peaches, blueberries and red cherries. You'll also find savings on no antibiotics ever meats and sustainable wild caught seafood. Heading to a picnic? Grab prepared sandwiches, sushi and strawberry quinoa mint salad. Celebrate Summer Fruit Fest at Whole Foods Market, in store and online.
- [00:56]
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I can't tell you how often I hear oh, I'm a little ocd. I like things neat. That's not ocd. I'm Howie Mandel and I know this because I have ocd. Actual OCD causes relentless, unwanted thoughts. What if I did something terrible and forgot? What if I'm a bad person? Why am I thinking this terrible thing? It makes you question absolutely everything and you'll do anything to feel better. OCD is debilitating, but it's also highly treatable with the right kind of therapy. Regular talk therapy doesn't cut it. OCD needs specialized therapy. That's why I want to tell you about NO cd. NOCD is the world's largest virtual therapy provider for ocd. Their licensed therapists provide specialized therapy virtually and it's covered by insurance for over 155 million Americans. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, visit nocd.com to schedule a free 15 minute call and learn more. That's nocd.com did you know that over.
- [01:56]
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9% of Americans will have an eating disorder at some point in their Life? That's almost one out of every 10 people, meaning that you almost certainly know someone with an eating disorder or maybe you're struggling yourself. If you're concerned about your eating habits or are worried about a loved one, I want to introduce you to Equip. Equip is a fully virtual evidence based eating disorder treatment program that helps patients achieve lasting recovery at home. Equip treats patients of all ages and all eating disorder diagnoses is covered by insurance and there's no wait list. If you think that you or a loved one could be struggling with an eating disorder, don't wait to get help. Visit Equip Health to learn more. That's EQUIP Health.
- [02:36]
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Hey friends, it's Eric. One of my favorite things about summer here on the mountain is spending afternoons by the swimming hole with Bode and Joey. There's this wide sandy bank along the creek behind the cabin, and sitting down there in the shade with the dogs laying beside me, well, it feels like the whole world slows down. It's simple, quiet and sweet. The kind of moment where nothing much is happening but everything just feels right. Well, that feeling is what inspired tonight's story. It's about a young woman named Taylor and her three cats who make their way to a peaceful island and spend the day exploring its quiet magic. There's a sandcastle with a secret door, a mango grove with a question on the wind, and a night garden full of stars and flowers. It's a soft, dreamy story that's kind of perfect for letting go of the day and drifting off to sleep. And if you're a swifty like me, you may even recognize some of the characters in tonight's fan fiction bedtime story. Let's take a deep breath in and out. Just letting go of the day, feeling the weight of gravity pulling you deep down into the mattress. Another deep breath in and out. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to be. This is your time. Quiet time. One more deep breath in with me and out. If you get tired while I'm reading to you, that's okay. Just let yourself drift off. Taylor and the island of Gentle Things Taylor awoke to the soft lapping of waves against the hull of her little boat. The light was just beginning to shift, warm and sleepy, casting honey colored ribbons across the sky. Everything was quiet in that special way that morning can be still but not empty. The kind of stillness that makes you want to stay quiet too, so as not to disturb it. She lay back in her bunk for a moment longer, blinking slowly, letting the moment arrive without a rush. Her arms were tucked under her head and the rhythm of the sea rocked beneath her like the slow breath of something ancient and kind. Three cats lay around her, each one nestled into their own chosen spot. Olivia, the oldest, with her elegant posture and discerning gaze, was curled like a comma at Taylor's side. Meredith was near the foot of the bunk, half under the blanket, paws up in the air, perfectly content in her upside down. Napoleon and Benjamin Button, youngest and boldest, was sitting upright near the bow, ears flicking in the breeze, whiskers twitching at the scent of something new. Taylor smiled. She hadn't really planned this trip. It had simply happened. One morning she packed A few things into the small wooden boat that lived under the willow near the cottage, called for the cats and set off with the tide. She had no map, no destination, just a feeling that somewhere out there the world had saved a quiet corner just for them. A place with no headlines or timelines, just soft light, warm sand, and room to breathe. And now, as the mist began to lift and the horizon came into view, she saw it. The island. It wasn't large, but it looked exactly as it should, lush green and gently cradled by a crescent of golden sand. Palm trees leaned slightly toward the sea, as if they might be listening for something. Bright flowers speckled the green hills like stars on velvet. The waves rolled calmly in and out. Taylor sat up slowly, stretching her arms over her head. The boat rocked gently beneath her, welcoming her back into the day. She looked at Olivia, who blinked as if to say, finally. All right, taylor whispered. Let's go have a look around. The boat slid onto the sand with a quiet, welcoming sigh. Benjamin leapt out first, landing on the shore with a happy little chirp. He trotted a few feet and turned around, eyes bright. Meredith stretched luxuriously, took her time stepping off the boat, then promptly flopped down in a sunny patch and began to clean her paws. Olivia, naturally, waited to be lifted. Taylor scooped her up, holding her close for a moment before setting her carefully on the sand. Olivia gave her a dignified glance and began to walk, tail high, as if she had arranged the whole thing herself. They walked slowly along the beach. The sand was warm beneath their feet and paws. It was soft and welcoming. Sea glass glinted in the sun, half buried in little pockets of shells and seaweed. A few palm trees formed a gentle grove just ahead, their fronds whispering to each other in the breeze. Taylor let herself breathe it all in. There was no plan, no arrival time, no phone buzzing in her pocket. Just this. This rhythm. The rise and fall of her breath, the hush of the waves, the occasional mew or chirp from her furry companions. They found a nice spot just under the biggest tree where the sand dipped into a little bowl of shade. Taylor laid down the old patchwork blanket from the boat. It smelled like sun and salt and looked a bit like something from a dream. The cats settled in, curling into their preferred corners, eyes blinking slowly, tails twitching in contentment. Taylor lay down on her back and watched the clouds drift by. A thought floated up, then another, but she didn't follow them. She let them just pass, by the way waves pass the piers of a dock. Without needing to stop, her breath slowed. Her body softened There was nowhere to be, nothing to do, just a soft breeze, three sleepy cats, and an island that felt like it had been waiting for them to arrive. The sun had climbed a little higher by the time Taylor stirred again. The sand beneath her was warm, the kind of warmth that seemed to reach all the way into her bones. Around her, the cats were in varying stages of sun soaked contentment. Benjamin was chasing shadows, pouncing lightly at leaves that danced in the breeze. Meredith had stretched herself into a long, languid loaf and was watching him with one eye open, mildly amused. Olivia remained nestled in a patch of filtered sunlight, eyes closed, paws crossed just so. Taylor sat up slowly, brushing grains of sand from her dress. The island hummed around her, soft wind in the palms, the faint click of distant insects, the rhythm of the waves gently breaking on the beach and then pulling back into the sea. It all moved together like a single quiet thought. The tide had gone out a bit, revealing fresh ribbons of wet sand and small pools shimmering with sunlight. Shall we explore a little? She asked. Benjamin meowed and darted toward the shoreline as if he'd been waiting for the invitation. Taylor followed her footprints soft behind her. The sand was cool beneath the surface, smooth and patterned with tiny ridges from the waves. She walked slowly, letting the wind move through her hair, listening to the moment unfolding around her. That's when she saw it. A pile of sand, larger than the others, slightly rounded and with smooth edges that seemed to have been shaped by careful hands. At first it looked like an ordinary mound, maybe something left behind by the tide. But as she approached, she saw the faint suggestion of a doorway carved into the base, not tall enough to walk through, just big enough to notice, framed with little stones and topped with a scallop shell. Meredith wandered up beside her and sat with a soft thump, tail curled neatly around her feet. Taylor crouched down and brushed away some of the loose sand. The door shimmered faintly in the sun, like something that had only maybe just decided to be visible. She leaned in behind. The little doorway was hollow, no more than a hand span, deep, but inside it felt bigger, cooler. A breeze seemed to rise from it, tinged with the scent of cedar and something like lavender. There were tiny stairs carved into the sand itself, leading downward just far enough to disappear into shadow. Benjamin darted over, sniffed the edge of the hollow, then gave a chirping meow and trotted in a wide circle around the sandcastle. Olivia arrived last, of course, tail swishing once before. She sat delicately beside Taylor and blinked with regal calm. What a strange sandcastle, taylor said aloud, though the Word didn't feel quite right. Or maybe it's something else. She placed a hand on the cool sand beside the doorway. The island seemed to sigh beneath her palm. Not loudly, just enough to feel. There was no map, no instructions, but she didn't need any. She stood and gathered a few smooth stones from the tideline. With care, she placed them around the base of the structure, tracing a wide circle. Then she gathered a few seaweed strands and twisted them into little arches over the top, like decorations for a party no one had mentioned, but everyone was welcome to attend. The cats watched quietly, heads tilted. When it felt finished, Taylor stepped back. The stones and seaweed gleamed in the sunlight. Then she lay down beside it. The sand cradled her, firm but yielding. She closed her eyes. The breeze danced across her skin. The sound of the waves came and went like breath. Somewhere behind her, Benjamin was chasing a crab, and Meredith was mewing gently at a driftwood log she had decided was suspicious. Taylor smiled. There were stories here, tucked into the folds of the land. Some might never be told. Some might only exist in the space between naps and waves and cat paw prints. But she didn't need to chase those stories. She would let them come in their own time, softly like the tide. And in the meantime she rested beside the sand castle with the secret door, content just to be. The afternoon light filtered through the palms, dappled and golden, shifting with each change in the breeze. Taylor had dozed a little after decorating the sand castle, her body curled in the warm sand, one arm draped lazily across Olivia, who had chosen her chest as a throne. Now the sun had slipped past its highest point and something in the air had changed. It wasn't colder, but it was inviting, like the island was breathing in, preparing to show them something. Taylor stood slowly, brushing sand off her arm, and stretched her fingers to the sky. Olivia gave a tiny meow of protest as she slid off Taylor's shoulder and onto the sand. With a dignified drama. Meredith had already begun to wander inland, her tail disappearing behind a tuft of long grass. Benjamin was sitting by a tide pool, batting gently at a pebble. Let's see what else is here, taylor said, speaking more to the breeze than to anyone in particular. The four of them began to walk, the cats ranging around Taylor in lazy spirals. The path curved through a grove of ferns and low shrubs, humming with bees and dappled sunlight. Every now and then a butterfly crossed their path as if leading the way. Soon they came to a small rise, and just beyond it the trees parted into something unexpected A grove of mango trees. There must have been a hundred of them, their branches heavy with ripe fruit. Some had already fallen and nestled into the grass like small suns. Others still hung above, swaying gently in the breeze. Taylor stepped into the grove. The air here smelled warm and golden, with a sweetness that made her slow down without even thinking about it. She reached up and gently twisted a mango from a low hanging branch. It came away easily. The cats padded softly among the roots, weaving through the trees. Meredith stopped beside a cluster of fallen fruit and nudged one with her nose before settling in the shade. Benjamin climbed halfway up a trunk and perched on a branch like a watchful explorer. Olivia found a patch of filtered light and lay down, tail flicking once before going still. Taylor sat cross legged in the grass and peeled the mango with her fingers. Juice ran down her palm, sticky and sweet. She took a bite and closed her eyes. The taste was everything she didn't know she needed sunlight, softness, and a kind of joy without edges. As she finished the mango, a wind began to stir through the grove. Not a strong wind, not urgent, just enough to lift the leaves and keep them whispering. Taylor tilted her head and listened. At first it was only the rustle of branches. Then something else. A feeling not quite words moving through the trees, like a thought that hadn't formed yet. She put the mango peel aside, rinsed her hands in a nearby stream, and then lay back in a patch of grass, the sky flickering through the canopy above her. The breeze moved across her face, warm and steady, like someone reaching out just to remind you that they're near. And with it came a question. It wasn't spoken, it didn't need to be. But Taylor felt it settle in her chest, light and curious. What are you still carrying that you no longer need? She didn't answer right away. Instead, she breathed one long inhale, one longer exhale. The cats were nearby, dozing and watching and being exactly who they were. The island said nothing more. Taylor placed her hand on her heart, worry rushing, trying so hard to hold it all together. That's what she felt there. She exhaled again and let it go just a little, into the grass, into the earth, into the space between the mango trees. The island seemed to receive it the way the sea receives the rain. Without judgment, without hurry. After a while, she sat back up and reached for another mango. Just because it felt good to take the time to savor something sweet. The wind quieted, the leaves grew still again, and Taylor looked at her companions. Meredith was snoring softly. Olivia was curled in a perfect circle. Benjamin had dozed off in the crook of a branch, one paw dangling like a leaf. This was enough, this quiet moment, this gentle question, this soft place to rest. The light had begun to lean sideways by the time Taylor and the cats made their way back toward the beach. The air had that golden quality that only comes late in the day. The sand, still warm beneath their feet and paws, sparkled in places where the sea had recently been. Taylor walked slowly along the beach. Olivia strolled beside, her tail swaying in time with Taylor's steps. Meredith was ahead, already, scouting for a new lounging spot, and Benjamin lagged behind, distracted by a crab who clearly wanted nothing to do with him. They wandered toward a rocky outcropping at the far edge of the beach, an area they hadn't explored yet. Small pools glimmered there between the stones, remnants of the tide's recent visit. Each one reflected the sky above with slight ripples, like little mirrors. Half asleep, Taylor crouched beside the largest of the tide pools. It was oval shaped, its edge ringed with smooth pebbles and tufts of green seaweed. Inside, the water was still and clear. Tiny shells lay nestled at the bottom, and darting beneath the surface were creatures she couldn't quite make out, half fish, half shimmer. The sky was reflected perfectly in the water, although for some reason the clouds seemed to move more slowly there, like they were drifting through honey. Taylor leaned in and looked at herself. Her face stared back, calm, curious, her cheeks a little sun kissed, but as she kept watching, the reflection began to shift just slightly. Her hair seemed longer, braided with silver threads that caught the light. Her dress shimmered like starlight on velvet. She looked the same and yet not quite. Not older, not younger, just more herself. She blinked and the image settled back to normal. Just her, just the pool. Just the sky. Olivia stepped delicately beside her and stared into the pool, too. Taylor smiled and said, see anything? Olivia blinked once, then sat down and began to wash her paw with exaggerated care, as if to say, obviously. Meredith was stretched across a nearby rock, watching the light move across her fur. Benjamin had found another pool and was carefully tapping the water with his paw, delighted with the tiny splashes he could make. Taylor turned her attention back to the reflection. The surface rippled just a little and a new image appeared, not of her this time, but of the sandcastle. Its tiny door was open now, and inside the hollow a soft light glowed like fireflies just waking up. There was movement, shapes, shadows, laughter too quiet to hear. Taylor didn't feel surprised, only still. The image faded as the wind stirred, and just like that, the pool was Just a pool again. She sat back on her heels, hands resting in the sand behind her. Her heart felt tender, open, like something important had happened, even if she couldn't explain it. The sun was lowering now, stretching across the sea in ribbons of gold and rose. The tide began its slow return, creeping toward the pools and smoothing the edges of everything. Taylor called softly to the cats, and one by one they came. They found their way back to their shady tree near the beach, now touched with long shadows and golden light. Taylor unfolded the blanket again, shook it free of sand, and laid it gently down. The cats curled close, Olivia at her shoulder, Meredith at her feet, Benjamin eventually on her stomach, purring like a little engine winding down. Taylor looked up at the sky. No one had asked anything of her today. The world had been kind, spacious, quiet in the way that allows your own thoughts to breathe. She took a slow, deep breath, inhaling warm air, mango sweetness and ocean salt, exhaling softness, slowness, and release. The island had shown them so many gentle things. A breeze that asked nothing. A doorway tucked into sand, a grove of mangoes with a question on the wind, a tide pool that seemed to to remember more than reflect. And now all that remained was rest. She closed her eyes, the last sun warm on her face, and the world around her felt perfectly still. The sky had turned the color of lavender tea by the time Taylor opened her eyes again. The sun had tucked itself beneath the edge of the sea, and the clouds glowed with the memory of it, soft, pink, and quiet. The air had begun to cool slightly. It wasn't cold, just enough to make her draw the blanket a little closer around her shoulders. Benjamin was still purring, though slower now, like a lullaby winding down. Meredith had tucked herself into a circle by Taylor's feet, her breathing deep and even. Olivia sat upright, gazing out at the ocean as if keeping watch over the last light of day. Everything around them seemed to have softened. The tide had risen a little more, smoothing the beach, erasing their footprints with tender waves. The breeze had calmed into a steady hush, like the island was breathing deeply in its sleep. Taylor sat up and looked inland. The grove was now filled with nothing but the dark silhouettes of the mango trees. But just beyond it, something new caught her eye. Tiny points of light flickering, floating like lanterns or stars that had decided to come closer to the earth. Holding Benjamin, she stood slowly and looked down at her other two companions. Shall we see what it is? Benjamin stirred and leapt to the ground with his usual enthusiasm. Meredith followed with a slow stretch. Olivia blinked once, then rose gracefully and began walking ahead as though she had known about this all along. They followed the lights through the trees, past the little stream, now full of stars reflected from above. The lights moved slowly, patiently, always just close enough ahead to guide them, and soon the trees opened into a small clearing. Then there it was. A garden at the center of the island. It hadn't been there earlier, or maybe it had just waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. Soft grass stretched underfoot, cool and springy. Clusters of night blooming flowers glowed faintly. Moonflowers, jasmine, pale petaled blossoms that opened only when the stars came out. The tiny floating lights hovered above them, drifting lazily like fireflies who had forgotten they were supposed to blink. The air smelled like lavender, salt, and something sweet she couldn't name. Taylor stood still. The cats wandered among the flowers. Meredith rolled in the grass and sneezed. Once, Benjamin chased one of the lights with such dedication that he almost knocked over a tiny stone lantern. Olivia sat beside a blooming vine and closed her eyes, purring softly, as if listening to music only she could hear. Taylor stepped into the middle of the garden and knelt down, placing her hands gently on the earth. It was warm, alive, steady. She didn't say anything aloud, but she didn't need to. The island seemed to know. It had held her all day, given her breath when she hadn't realized she'd been holding it, given her questions when she needed to feel something stir, given her sweetness, stillness. And now this. A place to rest beneath the stars. She lay down in the grass, her arms stretched wide, her heart quiet. The cats came and curled against her, warm and familiar. The sky above sparkled with a thousand tiny lights, and below, the garden glowed with its own soft light. There was nothing left to do, no journey left to take. Just the night, the earth, the purring of cats, and the rhythm of a day that had unfolded exactly as it needed to. Taylor closed her eyes. Somewhere far away, the world still turned. The tide still moved. But here, in the middle of a quiet island, wrapped in flowers and moonlight, everything had come to rest. And in that rest, there was peace. Just her and her cats. Just the sea and the stars. Just the slow exhale of a day well lived. The lights continued to drift gently overhead. And then sleep arrived, like a tide coming home. Good night.