Co-host or Narrator (3:27)

Is the ocean with its vast expanse.

Jessica Porter (3:32)

Glittering waves, pristine beaches, and boulders so big in the water, it's like they.

Co-host or Narrator (3:39)

Were dropped by giants.

Jessica Porter (3:43)

So tonight we're going to Big Sur and then we'll check into a tiny little inn nestled in a redwood forest in the mountains. And it really exists. Before we begin, our only ad break which makes this magic possible to listen ad free, Follow the link in the show notes Something I've learned both personally and through conversations with listeners is that taking care of your mental health doesn't always fit neatly into the rhythm of everyday life. Sometimes you just don't have time to research the best therapists or sit on long waiting lists. You just need help that feels personal, affordable and easy to begin. That's why I'm so glad there are options like Rula. They partner with over a hundred insurance plans, so therapy can cost as little as $15 a session or even zero depending on your coverage. And Rula can connect you as soon as tomorrow with a licensed therapist who's aligned with what you need, not just whoever happens to be available. And because they stay involved in your journey, you'll always have the support you need right when you need it. Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high quality therapy that's.

Co-host or Narrator (5:08)

Actually covered by Insurance.

Jessica Porter (5:10)

Visit rula.com sleepmagic to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support our show and let them.

Co-host or Narrator (5:20)

Know we sent you.

Jessica Porter (5:22)

That's r u l a.com sleepmagic. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget.

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Co-host or Narrator (6:32)

Now get yourself into.

Jessica Porter (6:34)

A safe and comfortable position and let's begin.

Co-host or Narrator (6:44)

Allow your eyes to close easily and gently as you come back to your.

Jessica Porter (6:54)

Breath.

Co-host or Narrator (6:56)

Coming back to your body. I'd like you to check in just for a moment. With some moment in your day today that felt good. Whether that meant you felt peaceful or contented or just noticed something beautiful or connected with someone. Just allow your whole focus to go back to that moment and feel good about it. Great. I'd like you to bring your awareness up into your eyelids and imagine that your eyelids are feeling heavy and relaxed.

Jessica Porter (8:04)

And imagine that they're so relaxed now.

Co-host or Narrator (8:07)

As you invite this heaviness into your eyelids that they cannot open. Now, of course they can open if.

Jessica Porter (8:15)

You want to open them, but I'm.

Co-host or Narrator (8:17)

Asking you to pretend. Pretend that they're so heavy that you can't open them. And this pretending is very powerful. So we're gonna go with it.

Jessica Porter (8:30)

Now I want you to test your eyes to make sure you can't open them. And you're just playing here. You're tricking yourself.

Co-host or Narrator (8:38)

Wiggle your eyebrows as your eyes remain shut, as if you're trying to open them, but you can't. Good.

Jessica Porter (8:49)

And now we're more in the imagination.

Co-host or Narrator (8:52)

As you imagine, this relaxation around your eyes is moving back into your head. And your head is becoming very heavy. Heavy like a bowling ball on the pillow. Your head has worked really hard today, so it's nice to let it sink into. Into the pillow as the muscles of your face soften and relax and let go. There's no one to please right now, no one to perform for, no reaction you need to have. So your face is on vacation. As this relaxation moves into your brain deep inside your head, imagine a warm mist of relaxation taking over every single cell of your brain. So your brain is soaking in this lovely, warm, warm, peaceful feeling. Good. As you allow this warm relaxation to move down now into your neck. And the muscles of your neck are softening and letting go. Your neck doesn't have to work that hard when you're horizontal. Just nice. So you allow it to relax as you go deeper and deeper. And this lovely heaviness that began in your eyelids is moving down into your arms now. Your shoulders releasing your arms are becoming nice and heavy. Just feel that heaviness moving all the way down into your hands, to your fingers. And your arms are so heavy now, it feels like they're made of marble. And that's good. It's okay to let go. It's okay to feel so relaxed that everything feels heavy. Good. As that mist of relaxation moves down inside of you into your chest, imagine it's spiraling inside your chest, warm and soft, opening your chest cavity, surrounding and supporting your Heart surrounding and supporting your lungs, like your whole inner world is softening and opening. You may not have paid too much attention today to your inner world, but now, as your focus slows down, comes home. You now move inside yourself, listening to your heart checking in with your inner world. And any stress that may have built up inside of you today is evaporating as the relaxation moves down deeper in your torso, deep down into your belly. And you find your belly is softening, your breath is deepening. And any muscles you may hold unconsciously during the day are letting go as your belly relaxes. And your pelvis is feeling heavy, heavy, heavy on the bed. And now it feels so easy and natural to allow this heaviness to just continue down into your legs, as your legs feeling heavy on the mattress, heavy and relaxed, this wonderful feeling moving all the way down into your feet and your toes. Good. And now that your body is really relaxing, your mind is relaxing. And as your mind is relaxing, your body is relaxing, going deeper and deeper. And any sounds that you may be hearing going on around you in your environment, or even the sound of my voice or this music, it's all taking you deeper and even deeper.

Jessica Porter (15:19)

Good.

Co-host or Narrator (15:26)

Imagine you're driving south along the California coastline. Your hands rest lightly on the steering wheel. The sunlight glows across your arms, warming your skin. The car is moving at a leisurely pace, and you are completely safe. The road curves and winds above the Pacific Ocean. The water is stretching endlessly to the horizon, its surface glimmering in the late afternoon sun. You feel the gentle pull of each turn and hear the tires humming softly against the pavement. You roll your window down and smell the salty air tinged with eucalyptus. You hear the sound of the waves from below. They offer their slow, steady, ancient rhythm, like a calm heartbeat, the heartbeat of the planet. You come to a pullout and stop the car. You get out of the car and stand facing the water. You take a nice deep breath of sea air, and you take it in. It feels like the whole world is opening up before you, opening wide. And as you relax, going deeper and.

Jessica Porter (17:27)

Deeper.

Co-host or Narrator (17:30)

Your inner being is expanding. Everything is slowing down here. Your thoughts, your heartbeat, your sense of time. You get back in the car and continue to Drive south. Highway 1 unwinds ahead of you, a thin, curving ribbon of asphalt pressed between mountain and ocean. As you look ahead, you see that the cliffs are rising even higher and the coastline is becoming even wilder. For thousands of years, the Esalen tribe lived here in rhythm with the rivers and the canyons. This place was not remote to them, it was the center, a place where the mountains and the sea keep each other company. And although this area was eventually invaded by the Spanish and the tribe was decimated, in recent years more than 1500 acres have been returned to members of the Esalen tribe. The largest land return is in state history. You round another bend and the view opens again. Endless blue ocean, sunlight dappling its surface. Each turn of the road feels like discovery, as though you're seeing the edge of the world for the first time. In the late 1800s, a handful of European families made the journey to Big Sur, hauling their supplies by mule, lighting lanterns against the endless dark. There were only a few of them. The Posts, the Pfeiffers, the Deechyns, who built their homes here from redwood and stone. This place has always been a frontier of the soul, attracting stubborn seekers and dreamers. Cypress trees lean toward the sea. The sound of the surf deepens, crashing softly, endlessly. You drive along the bridge at Bixby Canyon. Its beautiful arch is gleaming in the light, and the view opens wide again, as if the whole Pacific has been waiting for you. As you go deeper and deeper. The photographer Edward Weston captured the stark grace of this landscape, his photos showing the way light and stone interact. Jack Kerouac drove along this very mountain edge, and the author Henry Miller lived in Big Sur for decades. And through it all, the Pacific kept on breathing, steady, endless. The sun is beginning to set, so you pull off the road again and stop. The engine. Quiets. The only sounds now are the ocean, the soft hiss of wind, wind through the grass, and the distant cry of a gull. You step out of the car and the air is cooling down now, but the giant rocks below still hold some heat from the day. You walk toward the edge and see the whole horizon laid out before you. And as the sun drops toward the ocean, sky is becoming a deep gold. And there are tinges of rose, brush strokes of lavender, some indigo. It is a painting being painted as you watch. And the water is catching, all of it rippling in color, reflecting. And your inner being expands as you go deeper and deeper. Your body feels like a part of this landscape. Your lungs are moving like the tide. Your heart is steady like the pulse of the sea. You are connected to the rhythms of nature. And as you watch the sun sink below the horizon, you feel that sweet poignancy that comes from experiencing beauty. And now you feel very calm as the light fades to blue and the first star twinkles above the water. You return to the car and you turn the headlights on. And their beams seem soft and warm against the darkening road. You drive only a minute or so and you see a small wooden sign half hidden among the trees. It says Teachin's Big Sur Inn. You turn in and follow a gravel driveway into a grove of redwoods. The air here feels different, cooler still and fragrant with wood smoke. You park your car and get out one last time. As you feel the gravel crunching under your shoes, you breathe in the woodsy scent, the earthy smell of redwood trees mingled with damp moss. You see a cabin. It was built in the 1930s by hand by Helmut Deechen, an immigrant from Norway. He and his wife, Helen, bought six acres here and opened their barn to travelers, making it one of the earliest inns for visitors to be concerned. The door creaks open as you enter. The walls are made from rough pine and the window panes are wavy with age. It feels like you've stepped back in time. Creaky wood floors, candlelight. And your phone doesn't work here and there's no wifi. You breathe in the scent of the room. It smells of wood, soap and the faintest trace of ocean. There's a low fire in the stone hearth and a wool blanket is folded neatly at the foot of the bed. This is your home for the night. You take off your shoes. The floorboards feel smooth beneath your feet. You wash your hands in a small porcelain sink in the corner. The water feels cool and clean, refreshing, and as you go deeper and deeper, you get into the bed. The sheets are crisp and clean. You pull the blanket over you and it is heavy and comforting. The window in the cabin stays open and you hear the ocean below. It's a deep, slow rhythm, steady as your breath. You hear the wind in the redwoods rustling gently and the faint creak of the old wood as it settles in for the night. You feel the mattress beneath you. It's soft and comforting as the weight of your body sink relax down into it. Your eyelids are growing heavy as each wave that reaches the shore pulls you.

Jessica Porter (36:29)

Further.

Co-host or Narrator (36:33)

Into stillness as you go deeper and even deeper in this old cabin in the woods held by by the rhythm of the sea. As your body rests and your mind quiets sa you drift and float.

Jessica Porter (44:48)

It it it sa it it.

Co-host or Narrator (55:52)

It.

Jessica Porter (56:43)

Sa.