The 7 Slumbers: Gentle Japanese Tales for Drifting off to Sleep

How did you sleep last night?

Up to 60% of adults have experienced some form of insomnia.

Up to 75% of older adults experience symptoms of insomnia.

And women are 40% more likely to have insomnia than men.

So what makes sleeping so difficult?

It might be menopause, PMS, IBS, restless legs, or just needing to go to the bathroom. BUT what about your habits before you go to sleep?

Do you find the things you watch and read before you go to sleep affect your sleep or come up in your dreams? Watching television or YouTube at night stimulates your mind at a time when you need to be winding down. And what are you watching? Your body’s autonomic nervous system releases chemicals like adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine if you watch violence or horror or anything that might make you feel anxious. This can negatively affect sleep quality, leading to issues like insomnia, nightmares, and disrupted sleep cycles. And violence and frightening stories are ever-growing as a staple in TV programming. True Crime dramas, for example, are currently the most streamed genre of TV.

And it’s not just digital devices that expose us to violence or anxiety inducing events. Society today is intense and as we have global reach we think about and discuss things that are occurring all around the world. This can be massively overwhelming and before we sleep can take our minds and our emotions to places that we feel we have no control over. And this can come up in our dreams as we try to process our daily lives.

Many years ago I took a course in Jungian dreamwork with Robert Bosnak. It was eye-opening! Basically, he talks a client back into a tiny part of a dream until the client connects with it (embodied imagination he calls it). Inside that dream image lies an emotional intelligence and the client begins to realise the emotions attached to the entire dream through that one small excerpt. These emotions can show us what is happening in our daily lives, what we’re focused on and why we feel the way we do in our non-dream state. We are living the feelings of our daily experiences all over again in our dreams!

If we are viewing and thinking about violence and feeling anxious in our daily lives this is mirrored in our sleep and dreams causing sleep issues. Especially if we expose ourselves to those feelings just before sleeping.

What is the Antidote?

THE 7 SLUMBERS: Gentle Japanese Tales for Drifting off to Sleep

My goal with The 7 Slumbers is to provide a relaxing, wholesome, Reiki friendly experience that helps people wind down and fall asleep more easily. Take something sweet with you to sleep!

These Japanese folktale-inspired stories, with their gentle pacing, soothing imagery, and themes of harmony and connection to nature, create a peaceful and calming atmosphere perfect for lulling listeners into a restful sleep.

The tales often feature a wise, compassionate female protagonist who, guided by the loving presence of a divine being or the nurturing power of the natural world, overcomes challenges and brings healing, joy, and wisdom to those around her.

As the stories unfold, they paint vivid pictures of tranquil gardens, moonlit landscapes, and the beauty of the changing seasons, inviting the listener to visualise these serene scenes and find comfort in their embracing warmth.

Moreover, the stories’ emphasis on the eternal bonds between humans, nature, and the divine offers a reassuring message of interconnectedness and belonging, fostering a sense of safety and security that can help ease the mind and soul into a restful state.

By the time the tale reaches its heartwarming conclusion, the listener is left with a feeling of peace, contentment, and the knowledge that they, too, are part of a greater, loving whole – the perfect mindset for drifting off into a deep, rejuvenating slumber.

How does it Work?

Each day for 7 days you will receive a notification to click on that brings you to this webpage with a new pre-recorded visualisation to listen to. The Japanese tales are under 10 minutes long with relaxing music stretching out to 30 minutes to help you move into a relaxing sleep.

This is an audio course, not a video. Now you can close your eyes and immerse yourself in your inner world. All you have to do is click “play” and let go.

Bronwen recommends:

• Wearing headphones to give you a sense of immersion (but if you don’t have them, that’s OK too)
• Lie down for this set of 7, it’s time for you to sleep!
• Try it last thing at night before falling asleep or…
• Anytime you need to calm your nervous system with a simple, relaxing story or…
• Do both! The more often you let yourself experience ‘The 7 Slumbers, the more effect it will have on you.

What to Expect you when you listen to ‘The 7 Slumbers‘

Part 1: The Whispers of the Willow Tree

Part 2: The Tale of the Fireflies Dance

Part 3: The Story of the Cherry Blossom Kami

Part 4: The Moonlit Garden

Part 5: The Musical Mountain Stream

Part 6: The Secret of the Butterfly Garden

Part 7: The Song of the Sea

What happens after the 7 days?

Great news! You can keep repeating ‘The 7 Slumbers’ for free. Start again or choose the story that works best for you on any particular day.

Book into ‘The 7 Slumbers’ today and leave the rest of the world behind.

DON’T FORGET TO TRY THE BEST OF BRONWEN’S ON-DEMAND ONLINE 7 DAY MEDITATION SETS. FIND THEM HERE. 

“I just wanted to say that I loved this meditation series. Bronwen, your voice is absolutely Divine! I would listen to anything you record! I loved that each meditation built upon the last and softly led the listener to a pla