Remember what the beginning of summer felt like when you were a kid? That magical moment when school ended, and suddenly you had all the time in the world stretching ahead of you. Time worked differently then, didn't it? Days felt endless. No schedules to keep.Just the luxury of moving at your own pace. Following your curiosity wherever it led. Maybe you remember the excitement of making plans with friends.Games that lasted for hours. Adventures in your own backyard. And the way summer seemed to give you permission to just be yourself.July carries a special energy that echoes those childhood summers. There's a generosity to this season. A fullness that invites us to remember what it feels like to live without rush, without the constant pressure to be anywhere other than exactly where we are.And tonight, above us, hangs the beautiful July full moon. If you can see it, notice how different it looks from other full moons throughout the year. The July moon hangs lower in the sky, closer to the horizon, which gives it that rich, golden color, like honey or amber, instead of the bright silver of winter moons. This lower position makes it appear larger too, more present, as if it's leaning down to embrace the earth with its warm light. This is the Buck Moon. Each year, bucks shed their old antlers completely.And now, in July, they reach their complete, powerful form. The Buck Moon symbolizes this same energy in our own lives. Stepping into our full power, letting go of what no longer serves us, and becoming our most authentic selves.But what does it really mean to live authentically? It means honoring who you truly are, beneath all the roles you play, the expectations others have placed on you, the way you've learned to shape yourself to fit in or keep peace. Your authentic self is the person you are when you're completely alone and comfortable. Living authentically doesn't mean you need to become someone completely different. It's about gradually returning to yourself, speaking up when something matters to you, making choices that feel right to you. When you're authentic, you stop exhausting yourself trying to be what others want. You give yourself permission to take up space, to have preferences, to be beautifully and imperfectly human. Tonight, as we help your mind and body slow and relax, as we guide you into that dreamy state just before sleep, we're also going to help you reconnect with this truest part of yourself. Above all, we're going to lead you into peaceful, restorative sleep. But first, please make sure that you're somewhere safe to fall asleep.And I invite you to support this podcast by following or reviewing. Following is like committing to self-care, to your need for sleep, to your desire to wake each morning, feeling better equipped to handle the stresses of daily life. And when I see our community grow, I know we're creating something meaningful, and that you're all out there, listening, maybe even glimpsing that beautiful golden July moon through your window.Let's begin with your breathing, because this is the foundation of all relaxation, all peace, all preparation for sleep. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, and then exhale gently through your mouth, releasing any tension from your day. And let's do that again.Breathe in slowly, feeling the cool air fill your chest, and exhale, letting it flow out naturally and completely. And one more deep breath, and expanding your ribcage, feeling your belly rise and out through your mouth with a soft sigh. Just continue breathing naturally.Notice the gentle rhythm of your breath, the way your chest rises and falls. Feel how each breath brings calm into your body, and each exhale carries away any stress or worry you might be holding. Just breathe slowly, naturally, letting your body find its own peaceful rhythm.Imagine the warm, golden light of the July moon beginning to shine down on you. This isn't ordinary moonlight, but healing light that has the power to dissolve anything you've been holding that isn't truly yours. Notice if you're holding any tightness in your forehead, those small furrows that might have formed from trying so hard to please everyone.Feel the moon's warm light touching your forehead, and as it does, feel those muscles softening. Any strain from constantly managing others' expectations is simply melting away. Feel this healing moonlight flowing around your eyes, releasing any tension from watching others' reactions, from scanning faces to see if you're doing things right, and let your eyelids become heavy.Notice if you're clenching your jaw, perhaps from all the words you've swallowed to keep the peace. Feel the moonlight dissolving this tension, making room for your authentic voice to rest quietly. Feel the moonlight spreading to your neck, those muscles that have been holding the weight of trying to be what others need.Feel them lengthening and releasing, and now your shoulders, these have been carrying too much, the pressure to conform, the exhaustion of performing instead of being. Feel the warm moonlight flowing into your shoulders, and as it does, feel all of this artificial weight melting away. Feel this wave of moonlit relaxation flowing down your arms, past your elbows, and feel the moonlight all the way to your hands and fingers.Let them become completely loose and open, any need to control how others see you simply flowing away into the night. Let this moonlight continue down into your back, those hard-working muscles releasing tension. Feel the light flowing between each vertebrae. Feel the moonlight flowing into your hips, and down into your legs, your knees releasing any stiffness, any tension, your calves becoming soft and warm as the moonlight pushes out any remaining tension, all the way down to your feet, your feet that have walked past that weren't quite your own. Now relax, ready to step forward authentically. Feel the wonderful weight of your completely relaxed body as you rest here in this perfect state of relaxation. I want you to imagine that you're walking along a quiet forest path on a warm July evening, the air is soft and welcoming, filled with the rich green scent of summer at its peak. All around you, nature displays its full abundance, massive oak trees with leaves so thick they create a canopy overhead, wild honeysuckle climbing every trunk, its sweet fragrance drifting on the gentle breeze above you through the dense green canopy. Tonight's full moon casts its golden light with an intensity that only July can bring. This isn't the pale distant moon of winter or the tentative glow of spring. This is the moon at the height of summer's power, rich, warm, abundant. Its light seems thicker somehow, more golden as if it's absorbed some of the sun's warmth from these long summer days and now radiates it back through the night.The July moon's rays filter through the leaves above, creating pools of silver gold light on the forest floor where wildflowers bloom in abundance. As you walk this peaceful path, you notice movement in your peripheral vision, just a flash at first, something graceful moving between the trees. You pause, curious, and catch another glimpse moving deeper into the forest.Something draws you to follow. You leave the main path. You follow a carpet of fallen leaves, soft beneath your feet. Winding between groves of towering trees, still you catch these glimpses, a graceful form moving through dappled shadows, leading you onward through moonlit glades. The sound of water grows stronger now, and suddenly the trees open into the most beautiful hidden grove you've ever seen. In the center lies a perfect circular pool, its surface reflecting the moon like a mirror made of liquid gold.You approach the pool's edge and kneel to touch the water. It's perfectly warm, heated by day after day of summer sun, and somehow holding that warmth like a gift. The moon above seems to smile down at this magical place, its light making the water glow from within.Without hesitation, you step into the warm water, your clothes simply dissolving away as if they were made of moonlight themselves. The water feels like liquid silk against your skin, perfectly warm. Your body feels wonderfully buoyant in this magical water. Supported and cradled as you wait deeper, the moon's reflection breaks and reforms around you with each movement, creating ripples of golden light across your skin. As you move deeper into this enchanted water, you feel layers beginning to dissolve away from you. The exhaustion of trying to be what others expect simply washes off like dust from a long journey. The weight of unspoken words, of swallowing your truth to keep peace, flows away from your shoulders like a heavy cloak you no longer need to wear. The water reaches your chest now and you feel the accumulated frustration of pretending, of making yourself smaller, of speaking others' words instead of your own thoughts. All of this dissolves into the gentle current like salt disappearing into the sea. The July moon above witnesses this cleansing, its abundant light celebrating your return to authenticity. You float now in the moonlit water, feeling purely yourself for the first time in perhaps years. Not who you should be, not who others need you to be, but simply, authentically you.When you finally emerge from the pool, the warm night air embraces your skin like the softest robe. You feel incredibly light, soft, clean, renewed, and somehow you're clothed again in garments that feel like they're woven from moonbeams themselves. Soft, comfortable, perfectly you.And that's when you see him clearly for the first time. Standing at the far edge of the grove is a buck in the full glory of summer. His coat gleams rich brown in the July moonlight and rising from his noble head is the most magnificent sat of antlers you've ever seen.They're fully grown, branching like a living crown that catches the moon's abundant light. This is why they call it the Buck Moon, you realize. July is when the buck comes into his full power.Each year he sheds his old antlers completely, lets them go to make room for these new ones. The buck steps closer and you see in his eyes a deep recognition. Like him, you've learned the wisdom of letting go. Just as he sheds his antlers each year to grow stronger ones, you too must shed what no longer serves you to become the most authentic version of yourself. This is the time his presence seems to communicate. When all of nature shows its true self without apology, the July moon illuminates everything at its peak.The trees at their fullest height, the flowers at their brightest bloom. And you, you too can live from this authentic place. You understand now that this doesn't mean you'll become a completely different person tomorrow, but you'll be more aware of who you truly are beneath the layers.Your voice will be a little stronger when you speak your truth. You'll be a little more willing to honor what feels right to you. The buck nods and you feel a deep peace settling over you like the warm night air itself.As you rest here, feeling wonderfully relaxed, you notice how your breathing is naturally deepened and slowed. The warm night air fills your lungs easily, and each exhale releases you further into this peaceful state. The moon continues its journey across the sky, and you find yourself drifting, floating between wakefulness and dreams. Your muscles have completely relaxed. Your thoughts have grown soft and distant. Gradually, this magical grove transforms around you into the familiar comfort of your own bed.The soft moss becomes your mattress, perfectly supporting your relaxed body. The warm night air becomes your covers, the right weight and temperature for deep sleep. The July moon's gentle light filtering through the trees becomes the peaceful darkness of your bedroom.Your body is completely heavy now, sinking deeper into comfort. With each breath, your mind is quiet, peaceful, ready to drift into dreams where your true self can continue to flourish and grow. Feel how wonderful it is to simply rest like this, to have the time that belongs completely to you.No demands, no expectations, no need to be anything other than exactly what you are in this moment. As you drift deeper into sleep, know that when morning comes, you'll wait, feeling renewed. Your body will have done its healing work, repairing, restoring, strengthening.Your mind will be clearer, more at peace. You'll rise tomorrow with a little more connection to your authentic self, a little more willingness to honor what feels true to you. Your body has carried you faithfully through another day, and now it's time to let it recover.Feel how your muscles have completely relaxed, how your breathing has become so slow and deep, and how your heartbeat is found as quiet as the most peaceful rhythm. Your nervous system is shifting into its deepest state of rest now. The busy thoughts that filled your day are fading into distant whispers.Your mind is becoming like still water, perfectly calm, perfectly quiet. Any worries or concerns are dissolving like mist in the warm night air. 

The July moon continues its ancient journey across the night sky, watching over you as you rest. Its golden light reminds you that you too are part of nature's abundance, deserving of the same gentle care that summer gives to every growing thing.

Let yourself drift now like a leaf on warm summer air... floating gently downward into the peaceful depths of sleep. Your body knows exactly how to do this - it's been preparing for sleep your entire life. Sleep comes now as naturally as moonlight, as gently as summer rain, as peacefully as the buck standing in his grove, magnificent and authentic and free.

Rest now. Rest deeply. Rest well.