Sleep story · rain, green
Sleep story: a garden in the rain, when you are somewhere noisy — for a racing mind
Steady rain on leaves, and a chair under an awning that stays dry.
Lights off. Press begin and let the story read itself to you, at the pace of sleep.
Screen on or off — we suggest dimming it, or simply closing your eyes after the first paragraph.
The story, in full
The rain on the roof of the awning is a lower sound than the rain on the leaves. Somewhere in the hedge, a bird is sitting it out. A snail is making its way along the bottom of the wall, going nowhere in particular.
Under the awning it is dry, and the sound is a steady, unhurried patter. The leaves in the border are dark and glossy and moving slightly. There is nothing to do about any of it, which is the good part.
Your fingers can stop doing anything at all. Let the back of your neck lengthen out.
Feel your wrists loosen. Let your forehead go cool and smooth.
The watering can by the tap is full and nobody needs it. The earth smells the way it does after a long dry spell.
Your chest can be still now. Let your feet get heavy first. Heavier than they need to be.
Feel one shoulder go heavy, then the other. Feel your cheeks let go.
The path has gone darker where it is wet, and there are two small puddles near the step. Water runs off the gutter in a thin, continuous line.
Notice if you've been frowning at your own thoughts. Your mind will leave about a hundred times. Come back about a hundred times.
Let your toes stop holding on to anything. Let your hands be completely still.
Let the breath be the only thing you are doing. Softer.
Nothing needs deciding tonight. You do not have to count them. Let the room get slightly further away.
Noise is fine. You are not trying to hear anything subtle.
There is nothing more to follow. Let the rest happen on its own.
14 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for rain, green.
If this story does not settle you, try A boat at anchor, when you need something unremarkable — for jet lag, Sleep story: a library at closing time, when you are at home and cannot settle — for winding down or Sleep story: a library at closing time, when you only have a few minutes — for jet lag.