Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
Another Dreamy Day with Tembo the Elephant
Mon, 12 May 2025
Narrator: Simon Mattacks 🇬🇧Writer: Jo Steer ✍️Sound effects: African birdsong, lake waves 🦜 🌊 Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, join Tembo the elephant for another tranquil tour of Tanzania, exploring grasslands and natural hot springs. 😴 Includes mentions of: Food, Bodies of Water, Walking, Swimming, Gratitude, Animals, Birds, Science & Nature, Travel, Fantasy, Friendship, Safety. Listen to the first episode with Tembo:'A Magical Day with an Elephant' (July 20th, 2022) Watch, listen and comment on this episode on the Get Sleepy YouTube channel. And hit subscribe while you're there! Enjoy various playlists of our stories and meditations on our Slumber Studios Spotify profile. Tonight's Sponsors BetterHelp. Take care of your mental well-being. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/getsleepy. Support Us Get Sleepy’s Premium Feed: getsleepy.com/support/ Get Sleepy Merchandise: getsleepy.com/store Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-sleepy/id1487513861 Connect Stay up to date on all our news and even vote on upcoming episodes! Website: getsleepy.com/ Facebook: facebook.com/getsleepypod/ Instagram: instagram.com/getsleepypod/ Twitter: twitter.com/getsleepypod Our Apps Redeem exclusive unlimited access to Premium content for 1 month FREE in our mobile apps built by the Get Sleepy and Slumber Studios team: Deep Sleep Sounds: deepsleepsounds.com/getsleepy/ Slumber: slumber.fm/getsleepy/ FAQs Have a query for us or need help with something? You might find your answer here:Get Sleepy FAQs About Get Sleepy Get Sleepy is the #1 story-telling podcast designed to help you get a great night’s rest. By combining sleep meditations with a relaxing bedtime story, each episode will guide you gently towards sleep. Get Sleepy Premium Get instant access to ad-free episodes and Thursday night bonus episodes by subscribing to our premium feed. It's easy! Sign up in two taps! Get Sleepy Premium feed includes: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads). An exclusive Thursday night bonus episode. Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free). Extra-long episodes. Exclusive sleep meditation episodes. Discounts on merchandise. We’ll love you forever. Get your 7-day free trial: getsleepy.com/support. Thank you so much for listening! Feedback? Let us know your thoughts! getsleepy.com/contact-us/. Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. Check out our podcasts, apps, and more at slumberstudios.com. That’s all for now. Sweet dreams ❤️ 😴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the purpose of Get Sleepy?
Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios and is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and premium members. If you'd like to listen ad-free and access weekly bonus episodes, extra long stories and our entire back catalogue, you can try out premium free for 7 days by following the link in the episode notes. Now, a quick word from our sponsors...
Chapter 2: How can BetterHelp support mental health?
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. It's clear that mental health awareness is growing, but there's still progress to be made. In a recent survey, 26% of Americans said they have avoided seeking mental health support due to fear of judgment. So this Mental Health Awareness Month, let's encourage everyone to take care of their well-being and break the stigma.
The world is better when people are healthy and happy. Personally, I've always found therapy to be a powerful and positive tool whenever I've chosen to speak to a professional, and that includes my sessions with a BetterHelp therapist a few years ago. BetterHelp is fully online, making therapy affordable and convenient, and serving over 5 million people worldwide.
Chapter 3: Who is Tembo the Elephant?
We're all better with help, so visit betterhelp.com slash getsleepy to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp.com slash getsleepy. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas, and it's my pleasure to be your host. This week we have a trio of stories written by the wonderful Joe Steer. The first, tonight's, will be read by Simon.
Soon we'll travel to Tanzania in Africa, where we'll be reunited with an old friend. Tembo the Elephant is the best tour guide that anyone could hope for, and tonight he'll guide you across his homeland. You'll see a pool of hippos and a herd of wildebeest, a volcanic crater, and a natural hot spring. Don't worry if you haven't heard the first story with Tembo just yet.
You can listen to this one first, and go back to that one another time, should you wish. We'll join Tembo shortly. But first, let's enjoy a few moments to relax and ease ourselves towards sleep. So close your eyes if you've not yet done so, and take a slow, steady inhale, holding for a moment, and then releasing just as slowly and steadily. Notice how it feels to enjoy a long, deep breath.
Chapter 4: What sights will Tembo show us in Tanzania?
Perhaps you sense tension flowing out with the air, or an inner stillness that's already there. Maybe it will take you a few more deep breaths to feel the calming benefit And that's okay. In your own time, soften your body more and more. The day is done now, and the only task remaining is to allow the space for rest to enter. so that you can wake up tomorrow refreshed and ready for a new day.
And before you drift off to sleep with our dreamy tale, I'd like you to just briefly think of a short sentence or statement to mentally make note of. And this note will be for yourself, for when you wake up tomorrow morning. And it shouldn't be a reminder of something you need to get done. More of a positive affirmation type of note. Something you just suspect you'd like to hear when you wake up.
however you're feeling right now, just let this note to yourself be something that will bring you a positive start to your day tomorrow. I'll give you a moment just to consider that. And once you have thought of that short sentence or statement for yourself, mentally tuck it away.
When you wake up in the morning, it will be there for you, and you can go into your day comforted or inspired by the positive words you've noted for yourself at this time. Now I'll hand over to Simon and we can travel to Tanzania and once again meet up with Tembo the elephant. This is where our story begins.
It's a gorgeous day. The sun beams bright in a cloudless sky, and you're seated beneath the shade of a massive tree. The warm sunshine is accompanied by a breeze, one that's cool and beautifully refreshing. It wafts through the leaves and branches of the tree, creating sounds like the music of wind chimes. The grass beneath you is as soft as a cushion. It's wonderfully spongy and smells divine.
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Chapter 5: What is the significance of the lake in the story?
Jade in color, it sparkles like gemstones. especially beyond the tree, where it's exposed to sunlight. You can smell the perfume of the tree on the breeze. It's musky, earthy, rich, and exotic. It blends with the scent of nearby water and the sounds of a lake lapping against the shore. Somehow, you know that this is Africa, and specifically, Tanzania, on the east of the continent.
The thought is as clear as the surface of the water, and as beautiful as the sunlight that flickers across the lake. You're mesmerized by the colors and patterns before you, the tiny waves and the ripples across the surface. Wreaths sway gently at the edge of the lake, fluttering back and forth in the morning breeze.
You gaze at the water from your spot beneath the tree, lounging happily against a gray rock. the comfiest backrest you've ever encountered. The stone seems to mold around your body. You suspect that the rock is in some way magic, because it's soft and warm, even in the shade. What's more, it feels as if it's somehow breathing, it rises and falls as if it were alive.
Intrigued, you lean back, relaxing further and let yourself be moved with the rhythm. As the stone rises, you're brought gently forwards and as it falls, you're rocked backwards. slowly and smoothly.
You're not sure how long you sit against the stone, relaxing in comfort beneath the shade of the tree, but you're soon stirred by the sound of yawning, and it appears to be coming from the side of the rock. You turn to examine the stone more closely, shuffling slightly on the grass. Not only is it breathing, but it appears to be moving. It looks like an animal waking up from a nap.
You close your eyes and blink a few times, as if to test whether you're awake or dreaming. You can't quite believe what you're seeing, What you'd thought was a stone is the back of an elephant. The sleeping creature has been curled up like a cat, with the rest of its body hidden from view. Only now it turns, lifting up its trunk and revealing the small tusks of a growing elephant.
It opens its mouth to yawn once again, lifting its trunk towards the canopy above. Then it curls it back around towards the top of its head and scratches across a tuft of bristles. There's something quite amusing about the way the elephant stirs, bending and straightening both hind legs. Its head and trunk flop comically forwards in a movement that looks clumsy and charmingly awkward.
The elephant stays there for a moment before wobbling to its feet, bending and straightening both front legs. Then it shakes its head and its massive grey ears. much like a dog might shake off the rain. Next, the elephant stumbles out of the shade, blinking a few times before opening its eyes. You follow it out into the sunshine, where its grey skin twinkles like silver.
Its ears, you notice, are shaped like Africa on a map, which is how you can tell it's an African elephant. It looks to be around seven or eight feet tall, a good bit shorter than a fully grown adult. This magnificent creature looks towards you, and you swear that its lips are curled into a smile Its expression is one of kindness and affection, as it reaches out its trunk to shake your hand.
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Chapter 6: How does Tembo interact with the wildlife?
You stand beside Timber as he lowers his trunk beneath the surface. And you drink in the scents as the elephant drinks the water. It's incredibly fresh and cleansing to the senses. Once Tembo has fully quenched his thirst, he splashes his trunk on the surface of the lake. The mischievous elephant then curls his trunk towards you and sprays you with a mist of cool, fresh water.
The playful animal laughs as he does so, It's a marvelous sound, and wonderfully infectious. You can't help but laugh along at the creature's antics, especially as the water is so lovely and refreshing. Now that Tembo is fueled up, he's ready to set off on a journey across the land. You take one last glance at the lake before the elephant turns in the opposite direction.
You walk alongside Tembo, matching the pace of your stride with his. The ground molds around your feet, and every footstep feels both soft and bouncy. a memory comes to mind of being with Tembo on the powdery white sands of Tanzania's coastline. You remember the elephant paddling through an ocean, though the memories are fuzzy, like something from a dream.
Right now, you're a long way from the beach. but your surroundings here are just as tranquil. Instead of littering sand, there are fields of golden corn and vast grassy plains that seem as endless as the ocean. Tembo is an excellent tour guide. He knows just when to speak and when to be quiet. Mostly, you stroll in comfortable silence as he gives you the space to study your surroundings.
When he does speak, his voice is calm and reassuring, though he's clearly enthusiastic to tell you about his country. You can sense the love that Tembo has for his homeland. He explains that you're walking across a game reserve, a region where wild animals are protected. It's one of many such places throughout the country where creatures roam freely across the land.
Tembo's own family live in a national park around the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. though they're often out trekking about the country in search of food or a new waterhole to drink from. Perhaps that's why elephants make such good guides, because they're so used to walking and exploring new places.
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Chapter 7: What can we learn about the wildebeest and their migration?
Tembo seems familiar with every inch of countryside, each plain and grassy hillock, and every tree, rock, and puddle. He's particularly fond of this part of the country, at the southern edge of the famous Serengeti. The flat, low plains seem to go on forever. and give unobstructed views of the wildlife. The animals you see now are a herd of wildebeest.
They're dotted about the plains, munching happily on the grass. Their dark, furry heads are large and box-like, and their ears point out sideways, below two curved horns. The word wildebeest is Dutch for wild cattle. The animal's chestnut-colored body is stocky like a cow's. But wildebeest are technically antelope.
The elephant plots a course through the middle of the grass, right through the place where the wildebeest are eating. Yet somehow, the creatures pay him no attention. They move out of his way, as if by magic. Even the creatures that have finished eating seem to look through the elephant. They're far too busy napping in the sunshine, enjoying a moment of respite on the grass.
It's odd that the elephant doesn't attract more attention. Though he's only young, he's still enormous. You're beginning to think that he's somehow invisible until you hear his name from a voice among the herd. A majestic-looking wildebeest is strolling towards you. He has a beard that seems both gray and golden. Tembo recognizes his friend, Zawadi. The name means gift in Swahili.
Zawadi says that he's very pleased to meet you. Any friend of Tembo's is a friend of the herd. The animals chat about all kinds of things, from the weather to the waterholes. It's clear that they have much in common, mainly their love of travel and adventure. Zawadi and his friends are from the Serengeti, but they migrate to different places throughout the year.
Moving in numbers as large as millions, they seek out clean water and fresh, tasty grass. They'll probably stay here for another week or so, before moving on in a northerly direction. The wildebeest are joined by other creatures, too. You see this for yourself after leaving Zawadi. Tembo identifies an antelope called an eland. It's stocky, like the wildebeest, but has a coat like golden sand.
Its horn is spiraled, like you might imagine a unicorn's to be, though this creature has two horns. Alongside the eland, there are gazelle and impala. These smaller antelope are fast and look like deer. You don't need any help in identifying the zebra. With their black and white striped bodies, you'd spot them anywhere.
All of these animals are scattered throughout the grass, eating, sleeping, sunbathing, or sitting. their splashes of color against the green and yellow plains, illuminated with sunlight. Zawadi mentions seeing a guava fruit orchard right beside the pool where Tembo is going. The elephant responds with enthusiasm to the news, though if he is hungry, he's not hungry enough to rush.
As you walk on, Tembo's pace is leisurely and his footsteps are gentle. His sound is that of a far lighter creature. The elephant seems content to plod along slowly, enjoying the views as much as the exercise. You lose track of time in such surroundings. passing more antelope and zebra than you're able to count.
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