I know what it is to feel alone, I think everyone does, everyone's felt it at one time or another. Loneliness comes in so many flavors. There's the loneliness of someone you love becoming emotionally distant, when you're in the same room but feel miles apart. The loneliness of being a stranger in a new place. Where every face is unfamiliar. There's the loneliness of feeling like no one understands you, not even the people who love you the most. The loneliness of watching everyone else seem to mate and keep friends effortlessly, while you struggle with connections. The sharp loneliness of losing the people who have been with us the longest, who knew us best. And then there's the loneliness of wanting love, while it seems like everyone else has found their person. We are social animals. We need meaningful human contact, almost as much as we need oxygen. And I wish I had the perfect words. I wish I knew exactly what to say, so that you would never feel alone again. All I can do is what we're going to do here tonight. First remind you that you are definitely not the only person who feels alone right now. You may look around and think no one knows what you're feeling. But almost everyone has felt this way, or will. In different ways, to different degrees. We are all acquainted with that visitor. Loneliness. And tonight, I'm going to remind you that getting through these times requires all the self-love, all the self-compassion, all the nurturing you can give yourself. When no one else can give you that, and often in life that's the case, we need to be there for ourselves. So tonight we'll use a relaxation technique, designed to take the tension from your body and quiet your mind. And then we have a visualization, carefully crafted using hypnotherapy techniques, to ease you into sleep. And hopefully, give you a little bit of care and comfort. But first, please make sure that you're somewhere safe to fall asleep. Like your comfortable bed. This episode uses relaxation and hypnotherapy techniques, that are specifically designed to help you drift into deep rest. So you don't want to be driving, or doing anything that requires alertness. And if this episode brings you any comfort tonight, I'd be very grateful if you would take a moment to rate the show. On whatever platform you're listening on, there's a place where you can give us stars. And those stars help other people find the show. There are so many podcasts out there, and small independent shows like this one, can easily get lost in the crowd. When you rate or review, it's like you're saying, Hey, notice this show with the weird name. And that helps us more than you can imagine. And now, let's help your body prepare for the journey ahead. Find the most comfortable position you can. Adjust your pillows, fluff them up if you need to. Shift however feels right for you. And when you're ready, let's do some deep breathing together. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, letting the air fill your lungs. Now, exhale gently through your mouth, letting all that air flow out slowly and completely. Let's do that again. Breathe in slowly through your nose, really filling your lungs, and then out through your mouth, releasing everything. As you breathe slowly in and out, I want you to imagine a warm light beginning at your feet. Feel this gentle warmth touching your toes first. Each one releasing any tightness. The warmth spreads across the tops of your feet into your arches, melting away any aches from the days walking. Feel this gentle warmth spreading slowly upward through your ankles, those joints that work so hard to support you. Are now becoming loose and fluid. The light continues up into your calves. And as it does, feel those strong muscles that have carried you through the day, beginning to soften. Feel the warmth moving through your hips, the place where we often store stress and emotion. The light continues up into your abdomen. And as it does, feel your belly softening and your breathing becoming even deeper and more natural. The light moves up into your chest now, and then feel the light spreading across your shoulders, those places that carry so much of our daily tension. As the warmth touches them, feel your shoulders dropping away from your ears, becoming heavy and loose. All the weight of responsibility melting away. The warm light spreads around your eyes now. And feel those tiny muscles that work so hard to focus, finally relaxing. Your eyelids are becoming wonderfully heavy, like soft curtains, wanting to stay closed. And now your entire body is filled with this relaxing warmth. Every muscle fiber is loose and heavy. Every joint comfortable and still. Continue breathing slowly and deeply as you rest here. In just a moment, I'm going to take you on a gentle journey using your imagination. And I want you to let the sound of my voice become your guide. There's nothing you need to do, except listen and allow my words to flow around you. Now I want you to imagine yourself walking through a deep winter forest. Snow crunches beneath your feet with each step. Cold seems to seep through your clothes, settling deep into your bones. This forest represents the loneliness you've been feeling. Cold, unwelcoming, stretching endlessly in every direction. The silence is complete, except for the sound of your own footsteps and the occasional crack of a branch in the distance. But then, through the bare trees ahead, you see something. A tiny point of light, warm and golden, cutting through the darkness. It's so small you almost miss it. You make your way toward it, your feet finding a narrow path through the snow. As you get closer, you see it's coming from a small log cabin. Through one frost-covered window flows that single steady light. You reach the wooden door and push it open. Immediately, you're enveloped by warmth, surprising, overwhelming warmth that seems impossible from such a small space. On a wooden table in the center of the room sits a single candle. Its flame dances gently, no bigger than your thumb. Yet somehow, this tiny light is warming the entire cabin. You move closer, drawn to the glow. And as you do, you realize this candle represents your flame of self-love, your capacity for self-kindness, self-care, and self-compassion. Take a moment to look at your flame. How strong is it right now? Some people's flames burn bright and steady, casting confident light into every corner of their lives. Others flicker and struggle, sometimes fighting just to stay alight. But they do stay alight. No matter how small it seems, this flame has enormous potential. Because this tiny flame, your capacity to love yourself, can grow as warm and strong as the sun. Watch as you gently lift the candle. And carry it to the stone fireplace against the far wall. Inside the fireplace, kindling and logs wait patiently, ready to catch fire. You touch your small flame to the dry tinder, and it catches immediately. The fire spreads quickly from twig, to branch, to log, growing larger and brighter with each moment. Soon a beautiful fire crackles and dances, throwing warm light into every corner of the cabin. This is how you can build your self-love too. You start with the small flame you already have within you. And you feed it, tend it, you help it grow. You tend your flame by setting gentle boundaries, by saying no to situations and people that drain your energy. And yes, to whatever nourishes you. You give yourself permission to rest when you're tired. To feel your feelings without judgment. To need what you need, without apology. You haven't even met all the people who are going to love and support you in your life. And that's a beautiful thing. Not everyone is meant to be in your life forever. And that's okay too. The right people will find you. And they will see and celebrate who you truly are. As the fire grows stronger and warmer, you notice a comfortable armchair positioned perfectly in front of the fireplace. The chair is covered with the softest blanket, thick wool in warm colors that seem to glow in the firelight. You sink into this chair, pulling the blankets around you like a cocoon of comfort. The fire crackles and pops, sending sparks up the chimney and casting dancing shadows on the cabin walls. The warmth soaks into your skin, your muscles, your very bones, melting away the cold that followed you in from the forest. Being your own best friend is a true talent. And there's no better time to practice than right now. You can always treat yourself with the same love and affection you desire from another person. This is what gets you through the lonely times. Not waiting for someone else to rescue you, but learning to be the caring presence you need. Feel yourself growing drowsier in the warmth of the fire, surrounded by soft blankets, held by your own loving care. Your arms rest heavily on the soft armrests of the chair. Completely relaxed now, your breathing is slowed to match the gentle rhythm of the crackling fire. Each inhale brings warmth deeper into your lungs. Each exhale releases any remaining tension from your body. Notice how your eyelids are growing heavier with each flicker of firelight. The dancing flames are hypnotic, drawing your gaze, making it harder and harder to keep your eyes open. As you rest here, you begin to notice that this cozy chair feels remarkably familiar. The soft blankets around you feel exactly like your own covers. The gentle support of the chair becomes the perfect embrace of your own mattress. Slowly, peacefully, you find yourself back in your own bed. But you carry with you all the warmth from this fire, all the love you discovered in the cabin. The cabin grows quiet, except for the soft sounds of the fire and your own peaceful breathing. Remember that these feelings of being alone are valid, but they're also temporary. And it's okay if feeling lonely makes you sad. These feelings are natural. Craving connection is natural too, and not needy. You are not alone in feeling lonely. Right now, in bedrooms around the world, others are settling into sleep after their own difficult days of feeling unseen. Your body knows exactly how to carry you into sleep. Just as it carried you safely through this day and brought you to this moment, the flame of self-love burns steadily within you, a quiet reminder that you are worthy of kindness, especially from yourself. Your value is not determined by your relationship status or how many people surround you. You are enough, exactly as you are. Sleep is approaching now, natural and inevitable. The fire will continue to burn gently as you sleep, warming you through the night, reminding you that even in dreams, you are loved, and you are never as alone as your heart sometimes tells you. Let your mind become as quiet as that peaceful cabin, as still as falling snow. Your body grows heavier with each breath, melting into the perfect support of your bed. Rest now, knowing that morning will bring new possibilities for connection. For growth. Pretending the flame that makes you uniquely you. But tonight, there is only this gentle drift towards sleep, this perfect surrender to rest, this peaceful knowledge that you are home within yourself.