The Wild Garden Retreat | Calming Bedtime Story For Adults

Hello, Jeffrey here, and welcome back to Nightfall. We're joining Holly as she escapes the hustle and bustle of daily life in a rural cabin, with anti-phase dog Luna by her side. Before we begin, here's the quick ad break that keeps this free content possible. To go out free, subscribe via the link in the show notes. For a lot of us, making time to take care of our mental health isn't always straightforward. For me, therapy has been part of that. And one thing I've learned is that even after you decide to ask for help, finding care that's affordable and fit into your life can still be difficult. It can sometimes feel like choosing between getting the right support and being able to afford it, which shouldn't be how mental health care works. That's one of the reasons RULA exists. RULA is a health care company that helps you find in network therapy that fits your budget and works with your insurance. Without the endless searching or confusing fine print, they work with over 100 insurance plans, which means many people pay around $15 a session and depending on your coverage, it could even be zero. And instead of sitting on a wait list for months, you can often find a licensed therapist accepting new clients as soon as tomorrow. What I also appreciate is that RULA doesn't just match you and disappear, they stay involved. Checking in along the way to make sure your care continues to work for you. Thousands of people are already using RULA to get affordable high quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit RULA.com forward slash nightfalls to get started. After you sign up, you'll be asked how you heard about them. Please support our show and let them know we sent you. That's RULA.com slash nightfalls. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget. This is your latest project. It's heavy with information, data, and exactly 36 pages of waffle. But with Acrobat Studio, you can create a PDF space, an AI-powered workspace that turns documents into summaries and insights, and even generates reports or presentations out of it. So you can cut through the waffle, work smarter, and save time. Do that with Acrobat. Learn more and try it out on Adobe.com. Just a quick note before the night settles in. Sleep Awareness Week is almost over, and so is our 30-day free trial of the Sleepiest Network Bundle. If you've been thinking about exploring the full world of nightfalls and everything we create across the network, this is your final opportunity to try it free for a full month. With the bundle, you'll unlock the entire catalogue of nightfalls, sleepwave, and sleep magic, completely ad-free. Giving you stories to escape into, meditations to steady you, and hypnosis to help you switch off. 30 days gives you space to try something different, and find your own rhythm at night. This extended trial ends on March 16th, and it won't be available again for some time. So if this feels like the right moment to take your night seriously, tap Try Free in Apple Podcasts, or use the link in the show notes before the weekend. There's no better week to choose rest. I'll be here when you're ready. Alright, now back to nightfalls. It's been a busy week at the cafe for Holly. Between her regulars and an influx of tourists, fuelling up with tea, coffee, and cake, she's been rushed off her feet. She's at home now, glad to ever reprieve from the wish of steaming milk, the hiss of the espresso machine, and the clatter of coffee cups and saucers. Today marks the beginning of a rare weekend off. As she slips off her shoes, and shrugs off her coat, Holly's mind takes over everything on her to-do list, from the never-ending pile of laundry that needs sorting, to the email she needs to send to her landlord, about the bathroom tap. Her worrying thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the front door, an unusual occurrence. Pulling open the door, Holly is greeted by a radiant smile, and the sweetly spiced aroma of patchouli. It's her anti-faye. Faye scoops Holly into a warm hug, her fluffy, purple coat wrapping around her like a blanket. With her blue eyes twinkling, and moonstone ring glittering as she waves her hands around, and Faye informs Holly that she's just been in town with her friends, and they've all decided to go on a last minute getaway for some much-needed sunshine. So, tomorrow, they will be jetting off to a beautiful Greek island. And Faye smiles her most charming smile, and confesses she has a favor to ask. With Holly mind looking after her beloved Luna, she could come to the cabin and look after the dog there, making herself at home as usual. The only issue, however, the internet's down at the cabin. Holly hesitates and thinks about her to do list for a moment. Then she thinks, why not? Maybe this was a sign. All her boring errands and chores could wait. Looking after Luna in the rural cabin is the ideal invitation to truly switch off. It's the ultimate excuse to slow down and immerse herself in peace and quiet, away from bustling cafes, computer screens, and ticking clocks. And that's just what she needs. She greets to head over to anti-phase cabin the next day, and the pair discusses the logistics before Faye sweeps away, blowing kisses as she leaves. The next afternoon, Holly packs her suitcase and hops on the train to Willowmere. The quaint village her aunt has lived in for as long as she can remember. The journey isn't long, but Holly finds herself drifting into a daydream as she gazes out of the window, watching the scenery shift from city to country. Terrorist houses give way to rolling hills and tree-lined rivers, the changing view accompanied by the rhythmic trundle of the train tracks. After an hour or so, the train slows to a halt, and Holly steps down onto the single platform that welcomes visitors to Willowmere station. The platform is quiet, and Holly can only see one other person on it, a man sitting on a nearby bench, waiting patiently for the next train to arrive. He reads a newspaper and whistles a jolly tune, while a collared dove parched in the rafters above him, let's hide the occasional coup. Looking around at the station's cobbled stones and wood-panelled walls, Holly feels as if she's stabbed back in time to her visits as a kid. There is a sense of nostalgia that continues as she strolls through Willowmere, the wheels of her small suitcase rumbling over the pavement. The winding village lane is lined with thatched cottages, a bright red phone box that has been transformed into a community library, now filled with well-thumbed paper bags, and a table laden with homegrown courjettes, tomatoes and apples free to passers-by. She reaches Auntie Faye's house, cedar cottage, and is struck, as always, by how it seems to have fallen out of a fairy tale. The honey-suckle is in bloom, climbing up around the door and windows, its sweet aroma drifting out across the patio. But this isn't where Holly is staying. Her abode for the weekend is nestled down at the end of the garden. She lifts the latch on the small wooden gate, nudges it open, and steps through, suitcase in hand. Although it started as a bright and fresh day, the autumn sun hasn't yet made its way to this part of the garden, so the grass is still slightly damp from the morning dew. She follows a long path made up of small pavers, hopping from one to the next, as though they are stepping stones. At the far end of the garden, the cabin waits, snug and welcoming against a backdrop of trees that sway slightly, leaves rustling in the breeze, a mixture of emerald green, deep reds, and golden yellows. The cabin itself is small and rectangular, with rustic wooden panels that are slightly crooked, but all the more charming and inviting for it. There is a spacious veranda with a shelter to keep the rain off, and a large rocking chair furnished with a cushion and a hand-crocheted blanket, knitted in anti-phase, favourite colours, purple and pink. To one side of the path, she can wander down towards a pond filled with lily pads. She hopes she might be able to spot her frog or two, relaxing patiently by the water's edge. But for now, she steps out onto the cabin veranda. She can hear Luna waiting inside, her paws tip-tapping eagerly against the wooden floor, and her tail brushing against the plush rug, as she wags it from side to side. Holly takes the key that anti-phase entrusted to her from her dungery pocket and turns it in the lock. A tiny bell jingles as she pushes the door open, and Luna steps out to greet her, wiggling her whole body excitedly. She jumps up, her tiny paws only just reaching above Holly's knees. Holly crutches down to cuddle Luna, embracing her teddy bear-like frame and burying her nose in the soft golden fur on the top of the dog's head. She breathes in the comforting warmth and familiar sand as she strokes her velvety smooth ears. Once inside the cabin, Holly places her bag on the floor by the door. The late afternoon has sat in, and the sky outside has clouded over slightly. It looks like a marbled mixture of white and dark grey. It looks soft, and Holly almost wishes she could reach out and touch it, and run her hands through its pillows. The silvery light makes her feel sleepy and calm. She switches on the standard lamp by the sofa so that it casts a cozy orange glow across the cabin. It is a large lampshade of deep-crushed velvet with a hem of golden fringing, another of anti-phase, handmade creations. Before she unpacks her suitcase, Holly takes a moment to look around the cabin and take it in. She's been here many times before, and always feels a deep sense of calm as soon as she steps over the threshold. The main living area has a well-worn, endlessly comfortable sofa that is perfect for snuggling up with Luna and a good book. In one corner of the room, there is a wood burner and a basket of logs that smell delightfully earthy. It's not quite time to light the wood burner yet, but when winter sat in, it will fill the cabin with warmth and the snag aroma of wood smoke. There is also a kitchenette with a gas stove to cook on, and a fridge that anti-phase is filled with treats and veg from the garden. On the side there is a castle for a comforting cup of tea, and on the table by the door, Holly spots a large cake tin. She lifts the lid to reveal a delicious-looking loaf of banana bread dotted with dark chocolate chips. One piece of chocolate has dropped from the side of the cake and sits at the bottom of the tin, invitingly. She can't resist and plucks the lonely chocolate chip from the tin, popping it into her mouth and enjoying the way it melts on her tongue. She replaces the lid on the cake tin, earmarking it for later. There is a door leading to the bedroom where a spacious bed is nestled below a window. Thucking the curtain aside, Holly looks out of the window where she can see out across the garden. It has a sense of wilderness about it, with patches of wild flowers, the corpse of ash, oak and cedar trees, and areas of long grass where anti-phase has led nature, room free. Perhaps the only traditionally maintained part of the garden is a well-tended vegetable patch framed within a raised bed. It's anti-phase pride and joy. Here, Holly can see the feathery greenery of carrots tops, lined in a neat row alongside courgette plants with yellow flowers peeking out amongst the leaves. There are radishes and cabbages, onions rooted deep below the soil and cloud-like heads of cauliflower. At one end of the raised bed is a carefully constructed pyramid of three bamboo canes, leaning up against one another and tied at the top with twine. Sugar snapies climb their way up the structure, delicately wrapping their fresh green tendrils around the supports. A butterfly hovers above the plants, soon joined by another. The two dance around each other, revealing flashes of brilliant orange as their wings flutter in the breeze. Luna has also made her way out into the garden and is happily strolling through the long grass, taking time to sniff here and there. She finds a spot she likes to look of and pads around in a circle a few times, batting at the ground with her paws and then flopping down onto the soft grass. With puppy-like enthusiasm, she then rolls merrily onto her back, shuffling from side to side and enjoying the cool earth beneath her fur. Holly smiles and steps away from the window, kneeling down beside the bed, she reaches for the drawer underneath. It's perfect for storing her suitcase. She takes out a book, a notebook and a pen from the front pockets of her case, placing them on the bed. She's brought her comfy clothes with her, ready for relaxing and pottering. The dungeries she's wearing at the moment are loose and roaming, with a smattering of pockets that contain bits and bobs that she's picked up through the day. A hair tie and several hair grips that she grabbed on her way out of her house. A pine cone she liked to look of and her walk to the station, and a smooth amethyst crystal given to her by none other than anti-faye. She's also brought her favorite pajamas, which she folds and tucks under one of the plush pillows on the bed. She hangs up a loose, flirty dress in the wardrobe tucked in the corner of the room, followed by an oversized t-shirt and another pair of dungeries. She then tucks the case snugly into the drawer before sliding the whole thing back under the bed. Remembring the hair tie and grips in her pocket, she places them on the bedside table, chuckling at how this little detail makes her feel even more home. Holly steps back into the living area, noticing the gentle creek of the wooden floorboards underneath her feet. She reaches for the cattle, lifts the lid, and holds it under the tap. The clear water rushes from the tap with a woosh. She replaces the cattle lid and places the appliance on the hob. The subtle click, click, click of the hob sounds as she lights the gas, letting its heat warm through the base of the cattle. While the cattle boils, she fetches a mug from the cabinet above the sink. She is to stand on her tiptoes to reach and lets her fingers clasp around the handle of a hand thrown teacup. The handle has a spiral defect that reminds Holly of woven rope and always feels soothing under her thumb. There are several mugs in the cupboard, but this one is always Holly's favorite. Just like many of antifays other accessories in the cabin, it has a lovely rustic feel. The earthenware body, slightly misshapen, the handle painted a deep shade of plum. There are various tins brimming with loose leaf teas. Holly takes a moment to lift the lid from each one, inhaling its aroma to see which she fancies. The first is vibrant green. It's sent of refreshing spearmint, tickling her nostrils. The second looks to be a mixture of dried petals and berries, floral and fruity. She looks at the handwritten tag tied to the tin, red berry and rose. Mmm, it certainly smells good, but it isn't quite what she's after just now. The next tin she looks into has an aroma that's both sweet and spicy. There must be a sprinkling of fennel seeds in there. The final tin she picks up contains dozens of yellow chamomile flowers, like tiny golden buttons. Some still have their delicate white petals and the collar of greenery. Holly breathes in the dainty scent, calming, floral and subtly sweet. Taking a teaspoon from the cutlery drawer, she takes a generous scoop of the chamomile flowers and fills a tea strainer, which she balances in her favourite mug. The kettle starts to whistle as a plume of steam rises up into the air. Holly fills the mug with hot water, the droplets seeping down through the chamomile flowers, releasing even more of their soothing aroma. While the tea steeps, she steps out onto the veranda, where Luna is now sitting, wagging her tail so that it brushes against the hedge. She puts her head on one side, her left ear cocked slightly as she listens to the scuffle and rustle of leaves up above. Both Luna and Holly look up and see a robin hopping along the branch of a cedar tree. It stops and cocks its own head to the side, then opens its beak to release a charming sequence of notes. Holly cranes her neck to look out from under the veranda roof, up at the sky. A whole quilt of clouds has gathered now. The air still feels warm though. In fact, it's just the right temperature, with a cool breeze that licks at her arm. It's not too cold, not too hot, and not too stuffy. To one side of the veranda, the rocking chair sits with open arms, welcoming and utterly unifying. A quick plump of the pillow and a chic out of the crocheted blanket, and it's ready to settle into. She just needs to go in and get her tea. Holly picks up her mug of tea from the kitchen side, carefully removing the strainer and placing it on the edge of the sink, so its contents can cool. She also retrieves her book from the bedroom, in case she feels like immersing herself in a chapter or two. She returns to the rocking chair, and dies as herself into it, placing the tea and her book on the side table. Luna's bed is tucked away next to the chair. Its fabric cold and worn, lovingly patched up in a few different places. Antifa did buy Luna a new one, but this cozy old bed holds so much familiarity, with its slightly nibbled edge from when she was a puppy, and its lumps and bumps where the stuffing has molded to Luna's curled up shape. Holly whistles to Luna, who trots over, and settles happily into her bed, resting her nose on her two front paws. Holly smiles and strokes silky smooth fur on the top of the dog's head. She nestles her way back against the chair until her back is comfy and stretches out her legs. Pressing her right toes against her left heel, she nudges her trainer off and repeats the action on the other side, enjoying the freedom on her feet as she wiggles her toes and rolls her ankles in slow circles. When she's rushing around the cafe all day, she forgets how good it feels to let the muscles in her feet relax. She clenches her toes, tensing all the muscles one by one so she can then release them again with a sigh. The tension just rolls away, leaving her feeling grounded, warm and at peace. She does the same thing with her calves, pulling the muscles tight, and then letting them relax. She repeats the process all the way up her body from her thighs and her glutes up to her shoulders, which she then circles backwards and forwards. Luna has dozed off now and is lightly snoring. It's a soft snuffle, followed by a puff of air that inflates her cheeks. The snuffles become a little louder as she sinks deeper into a contented sleep. Holly wonders what she might be dreaming about. Does she head out on adventures with the neighborhood dogs or spend her dream time here in the garden? Holly glances to her left where her mug of tea sits on the table, a whisk of steam rising from its surface and drifting up into the air. She realizes she hasn't looked at her phone since she arrived at the cottage and reflects on how good it is to switch off and tune in to the nature around her. She scoops up the cup and cradles it with both hands, feeling its comforting warmth against her palms. She raises the cup and once again inhales the soothing aroma of chamomile. As she seps, she closes her eyes and listens to the sounds around her. In the distance there is a drumming of a woodpecker as it tap, tap, taps away at the bark of a tree. A little closer, she can hear the layered sounds of garden birds as they nibble at the bird feeders, hopping from branch to branch. If she remembers correctly from what anti-faye has taught her, she can hear the melody of a blackbird and the repetitive sign of a chiff chaff. Among the songs there are clicks and cackles, purrs and coos. Holly feels instantly more relaxed and safe and lets her shoulders drop, the muscles in her arms loosening. She takes another sip of tea, then puts the mug back down on the table. She looks up, the clouds sit low in the sky now, still soft but heavy with rain. The distant rumble of thunder echoes across the sky and Holly sees a rain drop falling onto the leaf of a nearby plant in the flower bed beside the veranda. The leaf has a fuzzy texture and the rain drop sits upon it. She sees another rain drop fall on the leaf next to it, shimmering on top of the velvety surface. This is followed by another and another until the sky is filled with falling rain drops. As the rain gets heavier, it drums against the veranda roof, it's bitter pattern encompassing and reassuring. She can't help but yawn as the steady rain lulls her with its soporific temple. Holly pulls anti-phase, crocheted blanket over her, draping it around her shoulders and snuggling into its familiar smell. With the sound of the rain above her, it's cooling, earthy sand drifting towards her on the breeze, she feels safe and tranquil. As she adjusts the blanket around her shoulders, she notices something in the top pocket of her dung reed. It's her amethyst crystal. She holds it in her hand, appreciating its smooth texture and the calming effect it has on her. Luna has shuffled a little closer and now rests her nose on Holly's ankle, her warm breath, the calming reminder of her presence. With Luna's serene breathing acting as a matronome, Holly finds herself falling into sync. She focuses on lengthening her inhales and exhales, breathing in deeply as the sound of the falling rain continues to soothe her mind, and then breathing out slowly. In and out, in and out, in and out. She lads her head rest gently on the back of the chair and drifts into a soft and tranquil sleep. Will leave our story there for tonight? Hope you were able to relax with Holly and Luna. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Sleep well and sweet dreams. 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