Imagine you're on a sleepy train descending a snow-covered mountaintop into a lush evergreen forest. You're so cozy, all bundled up in your own private car, enjoying the sights and sounds of a tranquil journey planned just for you. Your destination, a long, soothing sleep. Hello dreamers. My name is Vanessa, and I see you found your way to soothing Sleep, an open mind original podcast, powered by Pave Studios. I'll be your guide throughout the series, with new episodes airing every Tuesday. Each of our sleep stories takes you on a journey full of deep visualization to ease you out of your head and into your dream. Dreams. And unique to soothing sleep, we'll be incorporating breathing and relaxation techniques, backed by leading experts that ensure tonight's slumber tops all the rest. Today, we'll be taking a trip on the Soothing Sleep Express, leaving a snowy mountaintop and headed into a majestic National Park. Plus, we'll be incorporating a breathing technique designed to improve the mechanics of our nervous system, lower our blood pressure and create a relaxing response that will help us fall asleep faster. As we begin our journey, I want to get you acclimated with today's breathing exercise.

This way, when you hear this sound prompt, you We'll know exactly what to do. Today's technique is called box breathing, a simple technique that combines visualization with breathing breathing to reduce stress and anxiety. First, we're just going to imagine the shape of a square in front of us. Now, take a deep inhale with your nose. As you do, just imagine you're tracing a line across the top of the square while counting, one, two, three, Then we hold that breath for four as we continue tracing down the side of the square for one, two, three, four. Exhale as you trace along the bottom for one, two, three, four. Hold your breath again as we trace up for one, two, three, four. That's it. Four steps, four sides of the box. The first side, you inhale. The second, you hold. Third, you exhale. Fourth, you hold. Then start over. We'll have several opportunities to practice box breathing throughout our journey today. But for now, we should grab our bags, seeing as we've arrived at our station. And soon, it'll be time for our sleep story to begin coming up. Now, all that I ask is you slow down, soften, and surrender to the gift of rejuvenating rest.

It's early. The sun is only now starting to rise. A faint orange glow is peaking out over the horizon, but a soft, powdery snow is also starting to fall all around you. It drifts from the heavens, sparkling off the glimmer of morning sun. Every other flake lands on your eyelash or your cheek. You open your mouth and tilt your head to the sky. The small crystals turn to water the second they hit your warm tongue. You begin to ascend the stairs of the station, taking in the simplicity of the building's architecture. An old brick structure, well and welcoming on this winter morning that offers shelter from the cold. You can smell the coffee and croissants wafting from the small bakery inside. But today, you choose to wait for the train on the outdoor platform where you can enjoy the sound of the breeze shaking the pines on the other side of the tracks. You find a seat on a wooden bench which creaks softly as you apply your weight. Looking around the station, you notice there are only a few people waiting for the train's arrival. The other passengers seem relaxed, patient, serene, reading books or listening to their headphones, each with a soft, content smile across their face.

You feel at ease here, welcomed by their warmth and positivity. You find yourself matching their care-free demeanor. Without the morning's light beaming down on you, a chill sweeps across your exposed skin. But your coat, so warm and so incredibly soft, feels like being at home. Like being asleep in your own very comfortable bed. In fact, it makes the cold temperature all the more enjoyable. To to be all bundled up and snuggled tight like a newborn child with nowhere to rush to, no worries to cloud your mind. You sigh out a moment of gratitude. A long week away to visit an old friend is exactly what you need, and it's completely stress-free, knowing that everything back home is taken care of. Everything is in order. You are grounded. You are centered. You are stable. The universe has your back. For this journey, all you have to do is relax and enjoy an overwhelming sense of safety and security. A feeling of peace and quiet washes over you as you read the sign overhead. It says platform one and tells you your train is due to arrive in just a few short minutes, which gives us a moment to enjoy some box breathing.

As you breathe in, you might notice the smell of that freshly baked bread wafting from the station's small bakery. Hold it in and enjoy. As you breathe out, your warm breath escapes into the chilly air, creating a small burst of fog before you. You hold as you watch it ascend into the atmosphere. The next time you inhale, a chill runs through your nostrils, a hint of the pine wafting from the trees around the station. As you exhale, you find the sun is now peaking through the clouds overhead. You continue to take in the winter wonderland that surrounds you, and that's when you notice a group of children have climbed to the top of a hill just beyond the tracks. They're bundled up, positioning their sleds just right, giggling as they race one another the shallow slopes. The sound of their slays, softly gliding over the freshly fallen snow, reminds you of your days as a child, care-free, without responsibility, without any worries about what tomorrow may bring. Exactly how you feel at this very moment. And that's when you hear it. An old locomotive is whistling as it comes inching towards the station. The black and red paint of the glossy exterior cuts through the frosty white palate surrounding it.

The smell of coal and steam tingle your nostrils. A warm breeze glides past your face as the train comes to a stop. Before you. A porter in his red buttoned-down suit and cap smiles as he steps off the train and onto the platform. He stretches out a hand offering to take your bag aboard for you. You rise from your seat, step towards the train, and accept his gentle offer. Your feet leave the cement platform, making contact with the metal steps as you hear his final call. An affectionate and welcoming all aboard. As you step through the magical dreamy portal of the Soothing Sleep Express. Inside, you find that the heat in this cozy car is a stark contrast from the great outdoors, but it sooths you. It envelops you like the sun on a warm summer's day. It's enough to make you hand your coat over to the porter as he gestures you forward, showing you the way. The train starts moving slowly away from the station as you begin down the narrow walkway of the train. Thanks to the comforting smell of bacon and maple Syrup, you realize you are entering the dining car.

It's opulent with red and gold trim lining the walls. The antique China reminds you of your grandmother's own collection, decorated the tables like a fine collection of art. As you pass, a few diners look up and smile at you, warmed by your soothing energy, your tranquil presence, almost as if they're celebrating you, appreciating the kindness and love you emit, even with just your passing glance and a friendly nod. Some stir their teacups and return to their books. Others go back to their soft conversations with their travel partners. Meanwhile, the smell of a freshly cooked breakfast makes stomach growl. It reminds you of a time you felt nourished, complete, fulfilled in your stomach, heart and soul. But for now, you could use a bit of time to just relax. The porter continues He continues leading the way to another section of the train. He turns to you and says your private cabin should be ready. You follow groggy through the aisles as he shows you to your own private compartment. He presses a button and opens the door for you. The smell of freshly cleaned linens makes its way up your nostrils and into a special part of your brain, triggering memories of serenity, of safety, and of ultimate comfort.

You see that your caught is made and your things unpacked. All you need to do is settle in. A warm breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, and toast waits by your bedside. But for now, you are eager to crawl under the covers and watch the world pass you by from the giant circular window, a portal to the majestic scenes the great outdoors has to offer. You take off your warm sweater and put on a cozy pair of socks. You pull the fresh linens over your body, catching the faint smell of Jasmine, a reminder of spring back home. You place an extra pillow under your head and position yourself towards the window, seeing that the landscape has already changed. The train has begun its descent further down the mountain, out of the frosty chill of winter and through a majestic forest. Forest. By now, the snow has transformed into heavy rain. You watch the beads of water accumulation simulate across your window. It acts only as a foreground to the spectacular landscapes unfolding beyond the tracks. Here, Here, lush green furs stand guard around centuries-old redwoods, towering like giants, their heads piercing the sky. Calming creeks, streams, and the occasional river catch your eye.

At one point, you notice a pair of fawns and their mother have stopped for a drink. Their innocence is something you harness in this moment as you watch their world with a child like wonder. You think to yourself, the greenery is so vibrant, so abundant, that it almost feels like you've transported back through time to an era where technology, trains, even humans were a distant thought, a time when peace and tranquility worked symbiotically with nature. You think back to a moment when you also felt like one with nature. You recall a memory, one that includes the friend you're headed to see. A moment outdoors when you both were young and felt like you could conquer the world. It was a summer's night. Lightning bugs the fields. You ran around with a small wooden box, trying to collect them all one by one. You remember thinking you wanted to keep their lights on forever. You wonder to yourself, where do these perfect creatures disappear to when the sun rises. Perhaps if you can keep them with you, you'll learn their mysteries and be one step closer to unlocking the mysteries of nature as a whole. It's a memory you hope to recreate one day, a yearning for your childhood rising up inside of you.

But your inner child is always there, available to come out and play. All you have to do is give it permission. You think this will be the trip. Tomorrow will be the day I let go of any worries the world has given me. Tomorrow, I will let the inner child in me out to explore and stay for as long as they desire. Watching the great outdoors speed by, you let this be a constant reminder, a promise to yourself that you only get one life, you might as well relax, enjoy, and indulge in some of nature's greatest offerings, including the gift of restful sleep. Inhaling, you see the rain has started to soften, the sunlight now peaking through the treetops of the forest. You hold in a feeling of gratitude, appreciating nature's way of knowing exactly how and when to take care of itself. You breathe out a sigh of relief, knowing that you have this incredible planet to call home and hold feeling an excitement well up inside of you. Soon you will be outdoors, your feet in the dirt and sand becoming one with it all. As the train picks up speed, you see you're entering a whole other world.

You're now gliding through a magnificent glacial valley. Colossal granite mountains jut from the soil high into the sky. Their silver peaks are a stark contrast from the vibrant blues of the sky above, and the lush yellows and greens of the foliage below. The mountains put life into perspective. These elements are a window to hundreds of millions of years in the past. They've weathered so much time, so much change, so much life. Yet they stand as proud and ethereal as ever before. Like Greek gods, watching down on us from the heavens, wearing their scars like badges of honor. You notice the calming rattle of the train has returned now that the pounding rain can no longer hide it. It sooths you, knowing you're marching further towards your destination. But the life outside of your window keeps calling to you, inspiring you, soothing you as you wait the of your journey. A towering waterfall cascading from the side of one of those metallic bluffs flows like poetry in to the river below. It leaves a soft plume of mist where one ends and the other begins. The light sparkles just right off of the moist droplets of water, and you can see a vibrant rainbow reflecting from the condensation.

Such Suddenly you notice the landscape isn't passing you as quickly as it was before. The train has begun to slow, signaling the end of your journey is coming near. But this allows you to take in the finer details of this National Park, brightly hikers, peppering the grassy trails are distant but now recognizable. Cutting through a meadow is a mother bear and her three cubs, diligently following one another in a row, the smallest one trying to keep up with the others. A man dressed in fishing waders stands in a stream retracting his line. While you can't see his expression, you imagine it's one of pride, considering the plump salmon he's now prying from his hook. Seeing these people connect with nature reminds you not to take the little things for granted. It encourages you to slow down and enjoy the tranquility of your surroundings. Giving us time to breathe for a few final moments as our train rolls slowly into the station. Well, dreamers, we've reached our destination. As you peer out the window, you see the porter has your bags already waiting for you on the platform. Next to them is your old friend smiling warmly.

You look forward to the long, soft embrace of their familiar hug. You know a hot home-cooked meal awaits you soon. A week of swimming in the river, laying on the dock with your skin exposed to the warm sun, reading a book while sipping lemonade. It's exactly what the doctor ordered. As you step off the train, the smell of wild flowers and fresh air pacify you. You turn back taking in the beautiful craftsmanship of this locomotive one last time. You think back on the comforts of the journey, which, while quick, were also incredibly memorable. But for now, you're exhausted. You've woken up so very early to be here, and the day has been so long. You've traveled hundreds of miles and taken in so much. Just the thought of it makes you want to sleep for days. Now it's time to get to your friend's home, crawl under the soft covers of their luxurious king-sized bed, and reap the rewards of a restful and lengthy slumber. With that, I thank you, dreamers, for allowing me to accompany you along this peaceful journey aboard the Soothing Sleep Express. I hope you will join me and Soothing Sleep again for another night of rejuvenating slumber.

At Open Mind, we value your support, which drives our impactful discussions growth. Share your thoughts on social media, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Soothing Sleep wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback is essential to our evolution at Open Mind. Next time, we'll be bringing you a brand new story with a different relaxation text technique, one that you can take with you under the covers or into your waking everyday life. In the meantime, good Good night, dreamers. Sleep well. Soothing Sleep, an open mind original podcast powered by Pave Studios, is executive Produced by Max Cutler. This episode of Soothing Sleep was sound designed by Ron Shapiro, written by Lori Marinelli, edited by Ali Wicker, and included production assistance from Kristen Acevedo and Sara Carroll. Soothing Sleep is hosted by Vanessa Richardson. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. This podcast is provided on the understanding that it does not constitute medical or other professional advice or services. If you're looking for help in your sleep journey, please seek out a qualified medical professional.