Mindset Matters: A Gentle Sleep Story Drift With The Clouds with Carol Clegg

Welcome And Settle In

Welcome to Mindset Matters. Tonight I am bringing you another story for unwinding. A gentle story before sleep. And tonight we are going to drift quietly with the clouds. I am Carol Clegg, your host of Connect Inspire Create, and I am so glad that you are joining me for our story time tonight. These gentle evening moments are an invitation for you to pause, reflect back on your day with kindness, and notice the small moments worth celebrating. Allowing yourself to rest as you get ready to unwind or perhaps you have woken in the middle of the night. Right now there is nowhere to be, there is nothing to solve, and nothing is expected of you right now. It's just us in this moment. So let's begin. The place where the day comes to rest. Take a moment just to slow down and be with yourself.

Breathing And Body Relaxation

If you would like, you could start with taking in a nice slow deep breath, breathing in and then letting it leave your body nice and slowly, breathing in and breathing out for a little longer than the in breath. Feel the muscles in your face. Focus on relaxing your face. Soften your mouth. Let your tongue rest. Feel yourself being held and soften down into your body. Release the tension from your shoulders, and then just taking your fingers, your thumb and your index finger so that you can feel the imprint of your fingerprint. And gently just rub your fingers together, starting with the index finger, moving across your own hand and just making gentle circles, allowing yourself to feel your breathing and allowing yourself this touch sensation to just allow you to relax a little more. And as you gently close your eyes and say whatever this day has held for me, it is now time to allow myself to simply rest. Allow yourself to surrender to this moment right now. Relax and be kind to yourself. And tonight we are going to drift quietly with the clouds.

Guided Cloud Drift Visualization

Imagine that as you become lighter with each breath, the ground beneath you gently fades away, and you rise up and find yourself resting on the softest cloud. Ah, take a moment to feel so comfortable, to rest, to snuggle, to be felt that you are floating and held, and it's warm and this cloud is just so soft. It's magical. And above you you look up and there are thousands of stars sparkling quietly. Some are brighter than others. You stop for a moment just to gaze into this beauty of the night sky. Clouds drift past you, some cover the moon, and then they move on. The air is still and the world below has become so quiet. There's no rush, there is just space. And so you drift effortlessly in the sky, watching the moon play hide and seek. Everything is moving so slowly. You slow your breath down a little more, you soften your body and sink deeper into the warmth and softness wrapping around you like a mist of caring and kindness.

Letting Thoughts Pass Like Clouds

And as you float, you notice that thoughts still appear, perhaps a conversation from today. Maybe it's a concern for tomorrow or something you didn't get finished. But I invite you instead of following that thought just to simply notice it. You could quietly whisper to yourself thinking and allow it to drift past like any other cloud moving across the sky and continue back to your breath. And perhaps another thought arrives, and you notice that one and go mmm that's planning. But I will leave that for tomorrow and I will let it float away. Remembering that thoughts are always changing and can drift away like the clouds. Some might want to stay a little longer, but this is not the time for that. And you don't have to stop your thoughts. They could drift in, you can notice them, and let them continue on their journey and wait until you are ready for them, which will be tomorrow. As you drift closer to the glorious moon and the thousands of stars are just twinkling, kindness, you rest and you go back to your breathing, back to the feeling of being gently carried and held by the quiet of the night.

Recall One Gentle Moment

And you notice a gentle moment from your day, a moment that brought peace, brought joy. Perhaps it was just a smile, and perhaps it was really small. But allow yourself now to smile gently and to reflect on that gentle moment. Take a moment to feel that ripple through your body just like the soft breeze of the night. And whatever you notice is enough, and it's just simply a quiet knowing that you do have gentle moments in your day.

Nighttime Affirmations And Breath Counting

And as your cloud slowly drifts on and the stars become softer and the moon becomes more distant, and your body is feeling wonderfully heavy, and everything that still needs your attention can wait until tomorrow. Thank yourself for all the ways you showed up today, for the things that you did finish and for the things that can wait. And whisper quietly to yourself I am safe tonight. I have done enough for today. Tomorrow will arrive in its own time. Tonight I choose to rest, to restore my body, and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I will go back to counting my breath, and when a thought comes up, I can note it as a thought and come back to counting. I can start on ten on the rising in breath, and nine on the out breath till I get to one and then I can start over again. May you sleep peacefully tonight. Good night.