Latest / Abide Meditation App / A Relaxing Sleepy Story _ An Evening of Self-Care

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A Relaxing Sleepy Story _ An Evening of Self-Care · Abide Meditation App

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, the podcast where we listen, we relax,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and we get sleepy. My name's Tom and I'm your host.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Thank you for tuning in. Tonight's story will be read
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: by Nikki and we'll join a young woman named Julia
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: as she relaxes in her apartment. After a self-care routine
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: of yoga and a bubble bath, she settles down for
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: a peaceful night's sleep. Seeing as tonight's story is all
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: about self-care, just gently remind yourself that rest and relaxation
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: is very much a part of your own self-care. Good
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: sleep is something we all deserve on a nightly basis.
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: So I want you to grant yourself permission to let
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: go of any thoughts that are trying to engage your
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: attention and to just ease into the tranquility of rest.
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: I know it can be easier said than done to
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: quieten your mind at night I for one could write
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: a whole encyclopedia on niggling thoughts that stop me sleeping.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: But this really is the time where you're completely entitled
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: to afford yourself a break from problem solving and activity.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: So get yourself nice and cozy under your duvet nestling
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: into the restful sanctuary that is your bed. Take a
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: few deep breaths, drawing the air in slowly and smoothly,
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: then releasing it gently, letting your shoulders relax. Any troubles
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: and any tension can melt away with the exhale. Softening
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: your body and your mind. And as you make your
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: way along this calming path towards sleep. Allow an image
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: to form in your mind. A young woman with long,
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: dark hair. She's standing outside the front door of her apartment,
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: just about to enter. The woman smiles to herself, happy
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: to be home, and looking forward to the relaxing evening
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: ahead of her. This is where our story begins.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: Julia takes out her keys from her purse. The metal
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: keychain makes a light clinking sound as she opens the
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: door and steps into the hallway. Her apartment is silent
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: and the lights are off as there's no one else here.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: It feels so good to return to this peaceful place,
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: breathing in the familiar, comforting sense of home She closes
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: the door behind her, locking it with a click of
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: the latch. She's happy to be back in the peace
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: and quiet of her own apartment as she's tired after
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: a long day at work. Julia sighs in contentment, relieved
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: that her busy day is finally over. She puts down
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: her heavy bag takes off her jacket and slips off
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: her shoes before turning on the light. The warm bulbs
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: cast a golden hue to remind her of a tranquil sunset.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Walking barefoot across the carpet, she makes her way to
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: the kitchen. She's hungry and she wants to cook something
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: that's quick and easy. Opening the fridge door, she pauses
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: and runs through a list of all her options for
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: simple worknight recipes. Perhaps she'll make something healthy like salmon
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: with vegetables, or prepare a quick salad with leftover chicken. Then,
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: an idea pops into her head. Pasta with tomato sauce.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: It's a dish she's been craving for a while, and
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: she's in the mood for something hot and comforting. Julia
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: takes out some pots and pans, as well as all
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: the ingredients she needs, until everything is arranged neatly on
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: the stove and counter. First, she fills the big pot
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: with water and turns on the heat. While she waits
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: for the water to boil, she heats up a pan
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: with some olive oil and garlic. Then she adds tomato
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: paste and a pinch of salt and leaves it to simmer.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: Once the pot of water is bubbling, she sprinkles in
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: some salt and then pours in the pasta. It's farfalle.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: which is shaped like little butterflies or bows. She waits
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: for the pasta to cook, stirring the sauce occasionally. Then,
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: having checked the noodles to make sure they're tender, she
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: drains the pots over the sink. After mixing the pasta
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: with the sauce, Julia moves it to the plate. Her
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: dinner is almost ready, but she wants to add a
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: couple of finishing touches, some extra flavors and color. She
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: takes some basil from the plant on her windowsill and
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: washes a couple of leaves, which she then adds to
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: the dish. Finally, she grates some cheese over the pasta.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: until the red tomato sauce is covered with white flakes.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Julia then sits down at the kitchen table to enjoy
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: her dinner. The pasta is steaming hot and full of flavor.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: She loves the tang of tomato and garlic mixed together,
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: along with the delicious salty flakes of cheese. As she eats,
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: she can feel the warmth from the hot meal spreading
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: through her. After soaking up the remains of the sauce
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: with a piece of bread, Julia sits and relaxes in silence.
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: She feels content and full. A glance at the clock
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: tells her that it's still early, so she cleans up
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: then heads to her bedroom. In the corner of her room,
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: she notices a rolled up yoga mat. It's been weeks
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: since she practiced yoga. As Julia changes out of her
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: work clothes, she becomes aware of some slight tension in
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: the base of her neck. For a moment, she thinks
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: about checking her work schedule and materials for the next day.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: Then she yawns. and realizes just how tired she is.
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: After a hot dinner, she's feeling sleepy and almost ready
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: to go to bed. But it's a little too early
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: for that, so she decides to do something relaxing first.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: Julia changes into soft workout clothes and her favorite yoga sweater,
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: Then unrolls the mat on the bedroom floor. She lights
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: a lavender candle on the desk, which gives off a sweet,
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: calming aroma that will eventually... fill the room, now she's
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: ready to begin, she steps onto the mat firmly planting
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: her feet on the textured surface and closes her eyes,
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: after inhaling she she exhales deeply. As she takes another
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: deep breath in, she bends over into a forward fold,
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: allowing her body to hang. With the exhale, the pressure
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: on her lower back is released. Her body swings gently
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: from side to side as she stretches her torso. For
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: a moment, Julia hangs in this position, continuing to take
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: deep breaths in and out. When she notices any tightness
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: in her body, she gently brings her awareness to these
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: areas until the tension vanishes. This stretch always feels wonderful
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: at the end of the day. Taking her time, Julia
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: bends upwards, allowing her back to slowly uncurl. She rolls
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: her shoulders softly. Then she gradually moves her head in
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: a clockwise direction. To finish the exercise, she then moves
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: her head counterclockwise. The sweet aroma of the lavender candle
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: wafts towards her as she breathes in. This calming fragrance
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: makes her feel sleepy and relaxed. Julia sighs softly and kneels,
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: placing her hands on the mat in front of her,
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: so her back becomes straight like a tabletop. Then she
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: begins to slowly curl and uncurl her back up and down.
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: As she exhales, she notices how her breaths are becoming lighter.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: She can also feel the tension in her neck fading away.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: Her lower back stretches gently and then relaxes with every
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: slow movement. Next, she begins to shift into the downward
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: facing dog position. Her hips move upwards and her spine elongates.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: By the time she's reached the position, her arms are
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: fully straight on the mat. Julia breathes out deeply, allowing
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: all the air to leave her chest. With her feet
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: and hands firmly planted on the ground, Julia feels a
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: sense of total stillness. This is her favorite yoga position.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: In this moment, she's focused on nothing but her breathing
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: and the sweet, fragrant air. Her eyes are still closed,
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: and her body is free from tension. She continues to
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: take deep breaths in and out, while savoring this peaceful stillness.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: Julia then begins to slowly lift and then lower her heels,
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: flexing her feet and calves. Then she bends her elbows
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: and gently sinks down into the mat. When her torso
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: is completely flat on the ground, she lifts the top
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: of her body. With her arms out in front of her,
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: Julia reaches the next pose. She lifts her chest as
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: high as she can. feeling her spine elongating. This is
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: the first time today that she's completely stretched her body,
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: allowing the tension to be fully released. It feels good
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: after a day of sitting at a desk. She continues
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: to stretch, moving slowly from one position to another. And
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: to finish off her yoga practice, she does one of
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: the easier poses, gradually lifting herself off the mat until
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: her body curves into the shape of an arch. Finally,
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: Julia ends up in a fully reclined position on the mat.
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: She's lying on her back, as though she's preparing for sleep.
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: Her arms are at her sides, Her feet are relaxed
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  Speaker 2: and her eyes are closed. As she breathes slowly in
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: and out, it feels as though her body is sinking
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: further and further into the floor. Everything is quiet. Her
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: mind is calm. The soft aroma of lavender fills the room.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: She could almost fall asleep right here, right now. When
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: she opens her eyes once again, she feels completely relaxed.
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: Sitting up slowly, Julia glances at the clock on her
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: bedside table. There's still an hour to go before her
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: usual bedtime, but she's already feeling sleepy. She's also a
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: little thirsty, so she heads to the kitchen and pours
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: herself a glass of water from the tap. The water
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: is cool and wonderfully refreshing. After yoga practice, she's in
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: the mood for a relaxing bath. So she walks down
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: the hallway and opens the bathroom door. This room is
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: one of the reasons she chose this apartment in the
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: first place. There's a large, gleaming white bath and beautiful
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: tiling on the walls and floor. And perhaps most importantly,
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: There are plenty of shelves and cabinets to store all
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: her bath products. The counter next to the sink is
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: lined with skincare and hair products, as well as various
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: other toiletries. Julia's sure she has some luxurious soap or
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: bath foam somewhere. She crouches down and looks in the
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: cabinet next to the sink. There are all kinds of
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: creams and lotions. And right at the back is the
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: product she's looking for. It's a cherry blossom bath foam
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: she bought a while ago. When she unscrews the cap,
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: she breathes in deeply, inhaling the sweet, crisp floral scent.
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: As the final part of her evening of self-care, Julia
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: runs a hot bath. She brings the water to the
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: perfect temperature and then leaves the bathtub to fill. While
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: she waits, she lines up all the products she intends
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: to use, arranging them side by side on the edge
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: of the tub. As the water flows from the tap,
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: Julia pours in the products one by one. First, she
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: sprinkles in some bath salts. The small granules fall into
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: the water, only to dissolve after a moment. Next, she
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: pours a stream of bath foam under the running water.
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: The sweet blossom fragrance fills the air as small mounds
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: of soap suds begin to form. these mounds gradually become bigger.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: as they spread out, creating a soft pinkish foam that
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: covers the entire surface of the water. When Julia places
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: the bottle of bath foam back in her cabinet, she
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: sees another product she'd like to use. she pulls out
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: an unopened bath bomb, which she had completely forgotten about.
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: Now she remembers it was a gift from a friend
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: last holiday season. She unwraps the bath bomb, releasing its
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: eucalyptus fragrance. It has a fresh, minty scent, which she
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: sure will blend beautifully with the cherry blossom foam. Julia
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: drops the bath bomb into the water. It makes soft
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: fizzing sounds, its creamy color dispersing amongst the bubbles. Combined
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: with the cherry scent of the foam, the bath bomb
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: creates a gorgeous new fragrance, sweet and spicy. When she
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: breathes in the aromatic steam, Julia instantly feels at ease
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: To keep her long hair out of the water, Julia
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: ties it back with a dry towel twisted around her head.
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: It feels as though she's wearing a soft textile crown.
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: She's almost ready to get into the tub now, but
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: first she wants to take care of her skin and
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: brush her teeth. Using a few drops of her favourite cleanser,
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: Julia creates a lather in the warm water of the sink.
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: She massages the gel in her palms, then presses it
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: to her face, moving her fingers in small circles. Once
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: her skin is covered, she turns on the faucet and
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: carefully washes her face, splashing it with warm water. After
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: patting her skin dry with a washcloth, Julia spreads some
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: minty paste on the bristles of her toothbrush. As she
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: brushes her teeth, she notices the refreshing flavor and scent.
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: It's another lovely fragrance, blending with the aroma of the
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: bath water and the floral scent of the cleanser. Once
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: she's brushed her teeth, Julia is ready for her bath.
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: The tub is almost full now, so she turns off
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: the tap. Steam rises from the water. Before getting in,
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: Julia takes her favorite cooling face mask and jade roller
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: and places them on the edge of the tub. This way,
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: she can combine her bath with a relaxing skincare routine.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: she dips her toe into the tub, then lowers her
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: foot into the warm, sudsy water. She can feel goosebumps
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: rise on the rest of her body, reacting to this
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: delicate change in temperature. Then she steps into the tub
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: and eases herself down into the water until she is
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: enveloped in a wave of warm Resting her head against
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: the edge of the tub, she feels weightless. Her body
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: is submerged in the scented water, and she can feel
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: herself getting drowsier in its warmth. She closes her eyes
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: and takes a deep breath in, then out. With the exhale,
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: any remaining stress or worry from the day disappears. The
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: bathroom is still and silent. All she can hear is
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: her own quiet breathing and the faint sounds of the
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: bubbles floating across the surface of the water. Julia swishes
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: her hands through the bath, wiggling her fingers as she
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: gently pushes the suds across the surface. When she cups
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: a handful of the foam, it feels lighter than air.
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: She holds the foam in her hand for a moment,
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: then blows, scattering the bubbles into the air. Now feeling
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: deeply relaxed, she decides it's time to use her face
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: mask and removes the folded up sheet from the package.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: The cold, damp mask is shiny in her hands. She
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: unfolds it and places it carefully on her face so
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: her nose, eyes and mouth remain uncovered. The cold sheet
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: mask contrasts with the warm water of the bath. It
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: sends a light tingle up her spine. When the sensation passes,
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: she becomes even more aware of the blissful temperature of
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: the water. She lies in the tub in peaceful silence,
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: not moving or even thinking. The only thing she is
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: focusing on in this moment is her breath. Remembering the
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: instructions from her yoga class, Julia takes a long, deep
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: breath in and then holds it for several seconds. She
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: exhales slowly and then Julia picks up the jade roller.
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: It's a smooth piece of cool stone used for facial massage.
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: With her eyes closed, she begins to slowly roll the
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: stone over her face mask. The sensation of light pressure
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: over the cooling mask feels wonderful. she moves it all
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: over her face, under her eyes, over her brow bones
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: and down her nose. The massage continues across her cheeks
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: and chin. When she's finished with the facial massage, Julia
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: stays in the bath for several minutes or maybe Even
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: an hour. Time doesn't seem to matter right now. It's
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: as if she's completely wrapped up in this sensation of comfort.
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: The only thing that breaks the silence is the occasional
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: soft splash as she wiggles her toes in the water.
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: After a while, Julia opens her eyes. They feel so
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: heavy and sleepy now. She yawns as she glances around
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: the bathroom. Soft suds float on top of the water.
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: Steam rises from the tub, creating dancing patterns in the
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: air above. Julia sits up, causing water and soap suds
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: to cascade from her body. Peeling off the face mask,
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: she notices that her skin now feels soft and refreshed.
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: She balls up the sheet and rubs it gently all
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: over her face, then uses the jade roller one more time.
• 29:08
  Speaker 2: This is the final step in her skincare routine for
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: the night. At last, Julia gets out of the tub.
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: As she pulls out the plug and the water rushes
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: down the drain, the cherry fragrance gradually becomes fainter. After
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: taking down her thick bath towel from the rack She
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: slowly dries herself.
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: Off.
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: Then she untwists the towel from her head and combs
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: her hair. After applying her favorite body lotion and nighttime moisturizer,
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: she's ready for bed. In her bedroom, Julia slips on
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: some fresh, clean pyjamas, including her favorite t-shirt. This oversized
• 30:12
  Speaker 2: shirt is a little worn, but it's so soft and comfortable.
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: She folds the bedsheets over the top of her quilt
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: and blankets, and then gets into bed. snuggling down beneath
• 30:32
  Speaker 2: the covers, as she lays there, she savors this moment
• 30:40
  Speaker 2: of silence, and breathes in the scent of her freshly
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: changed sheets, she's feeling pleasantly drowsy, and this time, she
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: gives in to the need for rest, Julia switches off
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: the light, then lets her head sink into her soft pillow.
• 31:13
  Speaker 2: She smiles, reflecting on her evening of self-care. She should
• 31:22
  Speaker 2: do this more often. Then, she closes her eyes. and
• 31:31
  Speaker 2: drifts off to sleep.
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you. Thank you.
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 35:02
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you.
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you.
• 37:37
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.