Latest / Abide Meditation App / Relaxing Sleepy Story _ Night of Music in the Library

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Relaxing Sleepy Story _ Night of Music in the Library · Abide Meditation App

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome to get sleepy where we listen we relax and
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: we get sleepy my name's thomas thank you so much
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: for tuning in i haven't mentioned it for a little
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: while here but don't forget you can find us on
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: all your favorite social media platforms just search get sleepy
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: pod all as one word on facebook instagram twitter YouTube,
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  Speaker 1: and even TikTok. It's always lovely to build more of
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: a connection and community with you all, so hopefully I'll
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: see you over on one of our social channels very soon.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: As for tonight's story, you'll explore an old library, which
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  Speaker 1: is the venue for a relaxing evening of piano music.
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  Speaker 1: As you settle and listen, feel free to drift off
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  Speaker 1: at any moment. So, before we explore the grand old
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  Speaker 1: library in our story tonight and enjoy a relaxing musical performance,
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  Speaker 1: let's ease into bed with some relaxing and nourishing breaths.
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  Speaker 1: So allow yourself to become fully conscious of your breathing.
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  Speaker 1: Feeling every drop of air that flows in through your
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  Speaker 1: nostrils all the way to your lungs as your chest
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  Speaker 1: and stomach rise. And then gently follow it back out
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  Speaker 1: as your diaphragm lowers and the air flows out of
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  Speaker 1: your body. By becoming more deeply focused on your breathing,
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  Speaker 1: you'll naturally bring your mind to the present moment. And
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  Speaker 1: that's the only moment that matters, the here and now.
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  Speaker 1: When our minds focus too much on the past or
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  Speaker 1: the future, it's easy to fall into a sense of
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  Speaker 1: trepidation or unease. But by practicing being present, focusing on
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  Speaker 1: the steady flow of your breathing, you'll generally find there's
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  Speaker 1: nothing you need to worry about in the here and now. So,
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  Speaker 1: continue to breathe slowly and calmly, And I'll just give
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  Speaker 1: you a moment of peace and quiet to enjoy that
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  Speaker 1: tranquil presence for yourself. Now you're hopefully nice and relaxed.
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  Speaker 1: It's time to enter the beautiful building where the piano
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  Speaker 1: recital will take place. You push open a heavy wooden
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  Speaker 1: door and walk into the entrance hall of this grand place.
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  Speaker 1: The floor and walls are made of marble and the
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  Speaker 1: air feels refreshingly cool. You've been invited to a special
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  Speaker 1: piano recital in the library of this old building. Although
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  Speaker 1: you're not sure exactly where the library is, your instinct
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  Speaker 1: guides you towards the central staircase. As you've arrived early,
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  Speaker 1: you have time to explore before the concert begins. As
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  Speaker 1: you walk slowly up the stairs, you admire the elegance
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  Speaker 1: and grandeur of the building. Everything seems to be made
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  Speaker 1: from creamy shades of marble, shining like mother of pearl
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  Speaker 1: in the lamplight. The decoration is simple and minimalistic, but
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  Speaker 1: every detail perfect there are alcoves in the wall at
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  Speaker 1: regular intervals each one containing either an ornate silver candlestick
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  Speaker 1: or a marble bust these sculptures are portraits of various
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  Speaker 1: men and women and seem to have been created many
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  Speaker 1: centuries ago They look like artworks from ancient Rome or Greece.
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  Speaker 1: In fact, everything around you seems old. As you continue
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  Speaker 1: to walk up, you notice that the stairs are slightly uneven,
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  Speaker 1: worn away by countless footsteps over the years. The staircase
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  Speaker 1: seems to go on forever. You're surprised by how long
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  Speaker 1: it takes to reach the next floor as you go
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  Speaker 1: up and up, your footsteps echoing through the hall. But
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  Speaker 1: at last, you get there. When you reach the landing,
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  Speaker 1: You find an open doorway. This is the entrance to
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  Speaker 1: the library. For a moment, you linger in the doorway,
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  Speaker 1: almost hesitant to enter. The library looks so old and
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  Speaker 1: so grand, you can hardly believe it's open to the public.
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  Speaker 1: It reminds you of pictures you've seen of old university libraries.
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  Speaker 1: Or it could be the setting for a scene in
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  Speaker 1: a film, a period drama perhaps, with an element of magic.
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  Speaker 1: Just then, you catch sight of a woman standing near
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  Speaker 1: a bookcase in the back of the room. she comes
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  Speaker 1: to greet you with a smile. The piano recital will
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  Speaker 1: be starting a little later, she explains. While they wait
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  Speaker 1: for the other guests to arrive, you're welcome to explore
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  Speaker 1: the library, or sit down and make yourself comfortable. You're
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  Speaker 1: keen to see more of this extraordinary room. so you
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  Speaker 1: step inside and begin to look around. The walls of
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  Speaker 1: the library are lined with tall, dark wooden bookshelves that
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  Speaker 1: reach the ceiling. In between the bookcases are works of art,
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  Speaker 1: small paintings, black and white etchings, and marble busts. Unlike
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  Speaker 1: the statues you saw in the staircase, these ones can't
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  Speaker 1: be too ancient. You recognize some of them as portraits
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  Speaker 1: of famous writers like Shakespeare and Dante. In other parts
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  Speaker 1: of the room, writers' names are painted on the wall
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  Speaker 1: in elaborate, cursive letters. Shelley, Byron. Then, looking closer at
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  Speaker 1: the books, you realize that the placement of the artworks
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  Speaker 1: and the writing is intentional. They're like guides helping the
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  Speaker 1: reader to find the books they're looking for. The names
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  Speaker 1: on the spines match the writing on the walls. Standing
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  Speaker 1: next to one of the bookcases, you breathe in deeply.
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  Speaker 1: The smell of old books is wonderful. But there's something else.
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  Speaker 1: It's also the musty scent of the wood and the
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  Speaker 1: atmosphere of the room. It's as though you're breathing in
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  Speaker 1: the history of this special place. As you inhale deeply
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  Speaker 1: once more, you notice something unusual about the air. The
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  Speaker 1: smell almost reminds you of a river in summer, an evocative,
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  Speaker 1: natural scent. You walk towards a nearby window. It's been
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  Speaker 1: left open, letting the cool breeze of early evening flow
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  Speaker 1: through the room. Gazing out of the window, you find
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  Speaker 1: the source of the scent. To your surprise, the library
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  Speaker 1: overlooks not a street, but a canal. The green-blue water
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  Speaker 1: below the window laps softly against the stone walls, creating
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  Speaker 1: a soothing rhythm. Knowing that the library is near water
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  Speaker 1: makes it feel even more magical. For a brief moment,
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  Speaker 1: you close your eyes and imagine the whole building floating,
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  Speaker 1: like an island in the middle of the city. You
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  Speaker 1: stand by the window for a while, enjoying the breeze
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  Speaker 1: on this warm evening. Then, you become aware of footsteps
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  Speaker 1: and voices somewhere behind you. Perhaps you should go and
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  Speaker 1: explore the other part of the library, and see where
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  Speaker 1: the recital will take place. After wandering down a narrow
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  Speaker 1: hallway lined with bookshelves, you reach another area. This section
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  Speaker 1: of the library looks just like the room where you entered.
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  Speaker 1: There are artworks displayed among the countless shelves. and two
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  Speaker 1: tall windows overlooking the canal. But in the middle of
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  Speaker 1: the room, instead of shelves, there are rows of antique
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  Speaker 1: chairs upholstered in velvet, and at the far end is
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  Speaker 1: a magnificent grand piano. There's no sign of the pianist
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  Speaker 1: yet but some of the guests are talking among themselves
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  Speaker 1: as they take their seats. Before finding your place you
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  Speaker 1: decide to cross the room to have a look at
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  Speaker 1: the piano. With its glossy black surface illuminated by a
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  Speaker 1: spotlight it looks like a work of art. You're also
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  Speaker 1: struck by just how large the piano is. Its presence
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  Speaker 1: dominates the room, and it almost seems to have a
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  Speaker 1: character of its own. Standing beside the piano, you gaze
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  Speaker 1: at the shiny black and white keys. It's amazing to
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  Speaker 1: think that these rectangles produce such a range of melodies.
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  Speaker 1: But then, you turn your attention to the interior of
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  Speaker 1: the piano, visible beneath the open lid. The instrument is
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  Speaker 1: not as simple as it looks. The meticulous arrangement of
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  Speaker 1: golden strings and hammers is so complex It suggests endless possibilities.
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  Speaker 1: There are infinite combinations of notes. Composers can create music
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  Speaker 1: for every kind of mood and atmosphere. As you're peering
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  Speaker 1: under the piano lid, you become aware of a presence
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  Speaker 1: behind you. Turning around you see a smartly dressed man.
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  Speaker 1: It must be the pianist, ready to start the recital.
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  Speaker 1: You should find a seat, you think, and let him prepare.
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  Speaker 1: But he smiles at you and seems to be happy
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  Speaker 1: that you're taking an interest in his beloved instrument. and
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  Speaker 1: it's as though he's reading your thoughts. It's an incredible design,
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  Speaker 1: says the pianist. Although there are 88 keys, there are
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  Speaker 1: usually around 230 strings. And in total, a grand piano
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  Speaker 1: like this consists of 7,000 individual parts. the pianist gently
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  Speaker 1: taps a key with one finger and gestures to the
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  Speaker 1: piano interior with the other hand, showing you what happens.
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  Speaker 1: When he presses the key, one of the hammers touches
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  Speaker 1: the strings, which are made of steel. This movement makes
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  Speaker 1: the strings vibrate. They're connected to the soundboard through strips
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  Speaker 1: of wood called bridges. Through this connection, the wooden soundboard
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  Speaker 1: also vibrates, producing the sound we hear as music. The
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  Speaker 1: pianist says that the people who make the instruments deserve
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  Speaker 1: as much recognition as the musicians. It's a true talent
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  Speaker 1: and a feat of engineering, creating such a vast instrument
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  Speaker 1: by hand. You nod in agreement, but it also takes
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  Speaker 1: a remarkable talent to play certain pieces of music. A
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  Speaker 1: pianist has to press complex combinations of keys with speed precision,
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  Speaker 1: and feeling. As you reflect on this, you ask him
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  Speaker 1: how it feels to play the most challenging pieces. It depends,
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  Speaker 1: he says, on his mood and the nature of the
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  Speaker 1: piece he's playing. Sometimes it feels intense and sometimes it's
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  Speaker 1: so relaxing that it's almost effortless. There are moments when
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  Speaker 1: he enters a trance-like state, and the piano feels like
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  Speaker 1: an extension of his own body. And when the music
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  Speaker 1: is particularly fast or dramatic, he gets an ecstatic rush
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  Speaker 1: of emotion that flows right through him. He can feel
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  Speaker 1: it in his heart, in his breathing. That's how it
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  Speaker 1: feels to play Beethoven sometimes and works by other great composers.
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  Speaker 1: You thank the pianist and then leave him to get ready.
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  Speaker 1: Even an experienced professional musician needs a few moments to
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  Speaker 1: themselves before a performance. The seats in the front rows
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  Speaker 1: have already been taken, but perhaps it's just as well.
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  Speaker 1: If you're close enough to have a view of the keys,
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  Speaker 1: you'll probably find yourself mesmerized by the rapid movement of
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  Speaker 1: the pianist's hands. You'd rather sit a little further back,
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  Speaker 1: instead of watching the pianist. you want to focus purely
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  Speaker 1: on the music itself. You find a seat near the
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  Speaker 1: back of the room, next to a bookcase and one
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  Speaker 1: of the windows. This is the perfect position, you think.
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  Speaker 1: From here, you'll still have a good view of the
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  Speaker 1: pianist and the piano, and you can enjoy the cool
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  Speaker 1: night air that wafts through the window, carrying the pleasant
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  Speaker 1: scent of the canal. Your chair is so comfortable, with
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  Speaker 1: its plush velvet seat and armrests It feels more like
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  Speaker 1: a throne. Looking around, you notice that the other people
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  Speaker 1: in the audience also appear relaxed and at ease in
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  Speaker 1: their seats. Some of them are having whispered conversations, while
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  Speaker 1: others glance in the direction of the piano in excited anticipation.
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  Speaker 1: Just moments later, a hush spreads through the audience. The
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  Speaker 1: pianist has taken his position and is about to begin.
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  Speaker 1: As he glances down at the keys, he smiles to
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  Speaker 1: himself and takes a deep breath. It looks like a
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  Speaker 1: brief moment of meditation. as he prepares to enter another state,
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  Speaker 1: losing himself in the music. The pianist plays the first
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  Speaker 1: few notes, his fingers gliding across the keys. You're impressed
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  Speaker 1: by the graceful beauty of his playing, His hands move
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  Speaker 1: so swiftly and fluidly, but nothing is rushed. He makes
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  Speaker 1: the music sound natural, almost effortless, as though it were
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  Speaker 1: his native language. Every now and then, you catch glimpses
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  Speaker 1: of his face, He mostly looks calm and serious, deep
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  Speaker 1: in concentration. But there are brief moments when he seems
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  Speaker 1: to be smiling, as though he's thrilled by the music,
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  Speaker 1: or even taking pleasure in his own talent. Some maneuvers
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  Speaker 1: are particularly impressive, His left hand leaps from one end
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  Speaker 1: of the keyboard to the other in a split second,
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  Speaker 1: making the perfect, triumphant landing on a complex arrangement of notes.
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  Speaker 1: As the jubilant chord resounds through the room, the pianist
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  Speaker 1: looks delighted and completely in sync with the music. You
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  Speaker 1: wonder if you are the only one in the room
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  Speaker 1: to catch this brief expression of joy. Looking around you,
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  Speaker 1: you notice that the other members of the audience don't
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  Speaker 1: seem to be watching the pianist. Many of them are
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  Speaker 1: staring into space as they listen in a peaceful trance
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  Speaker 1: while others have closed their eyes. Although it's a pleasure
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  Speaker 1: to watch him play, you decide to let your gaze
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  Speaker 1: wander for a while, not looking at anything in particular.
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  Speaker 1: You want to be able to lose yourself in the
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  Speaker 1: music too, just like the pianist. The melody is so beautiful. Rising,
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  Speaker 1: and swelling, then softening into long notes of pure peace.
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  Speaker 1: You've never heard this music before, but you're captivated by
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  Speaker 1: its warmth. It seems to cover the whole range of
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  Speaker 1: human emotion and experience, and things you can't even put
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  Speaker 1: into words. It communicates more than any language ever could.
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  Speaker 1: After a while, you also enter a kind of relaxed trance.
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  Speaker 1: The thoughts in your head are like slow clouds drifting
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  Speaker 1: further and further apart. The empty space left behind is
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  Speaker 1: filled with the beautiful music, each golden note echoing softly
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: through your mind. As you listen, you gradually become more
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  Speaker 1: aware of your breathing. The music is so calming that
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  Speaker 1: your breaths have instinctively become slower and deeper, in and out.
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  Speaker 1: This rhythm of breathing feels familiar and almost comforting. Then
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  Speaker 1: you realize why. This is how you breathe when you're
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  Speaker 1: relaxing in bed at night. just about to drift off
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: you've gone beyond conscious thought and are about to enter
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  Speaker 1: another realm you could almost fall asleep right here it
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  Speaker 1: feels as if you're lingering at the edge of consciousness
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  Speaker 1: drifting in and out of slumber It's a light, easy sensation,
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  Speaker 1: similar to floating in water. Breathing in, you remember the
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  Speaker 1: canal beyond the window. In this moment, it feels like
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  Speaker 1: you and the entire room are somehow floating on the water,
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  Speaker 1: or even on the music itself. The melody is becoming
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  Speaker 1: lighter and lighter, softly fading. The piece gradually comes to
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  Speaker 1: an end. The pianist plays another and then another. As
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  Speaker 1: you listen and relax, sinking deeper into your chair, you
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  Speaker 1: wonder how much time has passed. It feels as though
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  Speaker 1: the recital will never end, and yet you don't want
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  Speaker 1: it to. You could happily sit here, for the rest
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  Speaker 1: of the evening, listening to the piano until you fall asleep.
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  Speaker 1: A little while later, after another piece comes to an end,
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  Speaker 1: the pianist speaks to the audience for the first time.
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  Speaker 1: His voice is soft and low, as though he doesn't
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  Speaker 1: want to break the spell of the music. And though
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  Speaker 1: he speaks quietly, in the hushed stillness of the library,
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  Speaker 1: his voice reaches the back of the room. The pianist
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  Speaker 1: explains that the final piece of the evening is by
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  Speaker 1: an anonymous, composer. Some say the piece was written as
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  Speaker 1: a lullaby for the composer's young child. It certainly feels
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  Speaker 1: like a lullaby, says the pianist. He wouldn't be surprised
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  Speaker 1: if the audience drifted off while listening. And it's no
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  Speaker 1: problem at all, he adds. If anyone falls asleep, he'll
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  Speaker 1: take it as a compliment. It will be a sign
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  Speaker 1: that he's performed the perfect rendition of this piece, capturing
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  Speaker 1: the sleepy atmosphere. The piece doesn't have an official title,
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  Speaker 1: but it's often referred to as a lullaby in E-flat major.
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  Speaker 1: With a smile, the pianist says goodnight to the audience.
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  Speaker 1: Then he turns back to the piano, takes a deep breath,
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  Speaker 1: and begins to play. From the very first notes, you
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  Speaker 1: can feel the music working its magic. It's so gentle
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  Speaker 1: and soothing, with a lilting melody that lulls you into
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  Speaker 1: a state of deep relaxation. As you listen, you close
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  Speaker 1: your eyes and daydream, letting the peaceful images drift through
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  Speaker 1: your mind. The slow pace of the music makes you
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  Speaker 1: think of a swan gliding across a lake. or silvery
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  Speaker 1: clouds passing across the surface of the moon. And then
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  Speaker 1: the images fade as you find yourself being transported by
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  Speaker 1: the melody, drifting towards Your mind is clear, and your
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  Speaker 1: breathing is slow and steady. Soon, you're fast asleep, deep
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  Speaker 1: in golden dreams. And in the background of your dreams,
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  Speaker 1: the beautiful music goes on and on. So, you you
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  Speaker 1: you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.