The Storyteller - Guided Visualisation For Letting Go Of Personal Armour

This meditation will take you on a journey through interwoven stories written to help you let go of the barriers and releasing the armour that is holding you back. At some point in life, we all put up internal barriers and use them as armour to protect us from repeats of past experience and trauma. Yet so often this armour can get in the way of us experiencing the greater things in life or even achieving the very thing we strive for.

Transcript

Hi,

I'm James Cole and thanks for listening to this guided meditation,

The Storyteller.

At some point in life,

We all put up internal barriers.

These barriers are often formed from a place of fear from past events or trauma.

They form as a way of protecting us from a repeat of the event happening.

Yet so often they get in the way of us experiencing the greater things in life or even achieving the very thing that we strive for.

This guided meditation will take you on a journey through interwoven stories written to help you let go of the barriers that are holding you back.

It is important that you do not listen to this meditation if you are driving,

Operating machinery,

Responsible for others or doing anything that requires your attention.

If any reason should arise that requires your attention,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required.

Please make sure you are in a safe and comfortable place where you will not be disturbed before continuing.

It is important to allow thoughts to flow,

Never forcing anything and just allow your mind to go where it wants to go.

If you become aware that your thoughts have drifted off to something else,

That's okay,

Just return them to either my voice or your breathing.

If you are in a place of fear,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You can be instantly alert,

Awake,

Energised and able to deal with whatever is required for others,

You little and with each breath out you can discover a deeper level of relaxation than before as the tension falls away and you can relax deeper and deeper into the realm of dreams and stories.

As the deeper you relax the stronger your dreams will become and the stronger your dreams become the deeper you can relax as I know that you are not here to just relax because your unconscious mind is waiting for the promise of a story to be told.

And it is a glorious story of a person just like someone else who loved stories almost as much as them and their most favourite part of the day or should I say night was when they lay down in bed and were told a good night story of heroes being triumphant against all odds and they said I won't tell you that this story is magical but all who have listened have been transformed themselves into something better than they were before did you know.

And you might have noticed that most stories began a long time ago in a land that is far away and this one is no different as a young shepherd sat under a tree watching his flock knowing that while the sheep fed maintaining a level of alertness was paramount to their safety there was always a feeling inside that kept the shepherd alert a knot or a twist deep in the stomach a feeling of being ready for the worst at any moment and that feeling was always there as the sheep were always in danger and sometimes when the shepherd would think of other things that feeling would seem to disappear for a while but it was only in the background never gone completely as the need to find any threat or even run from it was always there deep deep inside churning and turning and twisting and tightening but nothing happened it had once long ago when a single sheep got stuck and began to panic and ration and kicking and all the while becoming more stuck and more panicked as any ability the sheep had to think logically and rationally had been pushed aside by the rising fear and as the shepherd rushed to help this feeling had begun and even once realization that the sheep was only snagged on something catching and tangling its wool the feeling remained and the shepherd pushed the sheep backwards just a little allowing the snag to come loose and the sheep was saved and yet the feeling remained keeping the shepherd alert just in case can you imagine feeling like this all the time after some time hours maybe days the shepherd was able to calm a little and relax just a bit even though that knot of alertness always remained and the sheep continued doing their sheep things as the routine of life continued day after day week after week as the shepherd just watched over the flock and then one day on a mild evening the shepherd with ever vigilant awareness noticed some movement in the nearby forest and suddenly rushed a pack of wolves straight toward the flock the shepherd jumped up to do something anything yet as the shepherd stood a branch from the tree caught on the clothes and held on so tightly and panic rose as the wolves bed down on the flock and time slowed in this moment of moments and I don't know how long the scene played out but for the shepherd it was an eternity struggling to be free wild and as the fear filled every fiber in this moment of frenzy the shepherd remembered a time before when a story was told of a great warrior who felt the same feeling when faced with an overwhelming army bearing down with the odds stacked against a small voice could be heard from a child tugging at the armor what did you say asked the warrior confused as to why there was a child on the battlefield what do you want the child asked in a calm and settled voice get away from here child we are about to be overrun by the enemy you must run as fast as you can run away from here now and the child looked up at the warrior whose eyes were darting from here to there looking for a way out anyway the child calmly repeated what do you want what do you mean asked the warrior even more confused what do you really want the child reached up and poked the warrior in the breastplate where the heart would be the gestures stunned the warrior how could this child hold such calm in the chaos abound child just stared up and into the soul of the warrior with such calmness and serenity the warrior felt drawn into the question and compelled to answer I don't want to be here he exclaimed the child maintained the gaze and said that dear warrior is what you don't want I am only interested in what you do want if you don't want to be here then where is it you wish to be the warrior taken back by such a statement from a child thought deeply for a moment I want this to be over and I want to be off this battlefield I want to be I want to be home where it is peaceful I want to put down my heavy armor that burdens me and be free from the turmoil inside my mind and heart and I want to rest a peaceful rest then take off your armor said the child place it on the ground and be free of your burden warrior look confused I cannot simply take off my armor this is a battlefield I'm about to be overrun by the enemy child maintained the calming locked gaze oh warrior you do not need your armor take it off or you will never know the freedom from your burdens that you seek the warrior broke the gaze and looked up eyes darting left then right the enemy so close now fear and panic rising again a touch on the head and the warrior looked down once more the child stood still gazing up at the warrior and reaching out holding the warriors let go of your armor look to your heart not your mind and feel what is inside said the child your mind seeks logic and understanding you see this whole bearing down upon you and your mind tells you to stay alert and wrap tightly the armor around you does it not the warrior simply nodded without it I am unprotected without it you need not the protection for inside you there is something far more powerful than flimsy metal and leather said the child the warriors mind was a mix of confusion the chaos of the enemy bearing down and the calmness of the child were at odds there was a trust to what the child was saying but it made no sense to simply let go of the armor of everything that was taught of a lifetime of belief in the early days before the warrior was a warrior and the time was before war there was a peace long forgotten a moment of serenity as the child sat on the river's edge watching the flow of the water coming from high up in the mountains travelling for what seemed like forever rippling over the child's feet and continuing the infinite journey to the ocean a world away where the child sat the water was deep and the flow was smooth with tiny lines dancing on the surface the telltale signs of turbulent currents below yet the child felt only peace not a single thought beyond the focus of the water and if there was a world beyond in this moment it existed in another realm entirely and gently the child lifted one foot then the other and allowed them to fall freely back to the water ripples emanating outward becoming infinitesimally smaller as the flow swallowed them up smoothing them out until once more they were one with the river again and then on the opposite riverbank a water bird landed in the shallows and more ripples gently getting swallowed by the never ending flow with the bird unaware and uncaring of the disturbance it made and as it stood motionless in the water staring across the river to the child as the child stared back at the bird connected in this moment together in peace communicating beyond words and the bird stepped into the flow of the river and floated effortlessly gliding across the surface maintaining connection with the child's gaze and the child reached out a hand toward the bird intuitively knowing that any disconnect would cause the bird to fly away as it eased its way across the surface inching closer and closer and the child knowing to open up completely to the experience transpiring with heart washed with compassion for another creature as the bird closed its eyes with complete faith in its security and nuzzled its head into the child's hand connection of love in its purest form between two species and the boy looked deep into the bird's eyes as they opened once more you are what freedom is you let go of fear you let go of control you live entirely in this moment of love and the child embraced the bird as its wings spread out like an angel and wrapped around the child the voices of the heart growing louder and louder by the moment filling the body with love and clearing the mind of fear the child let go of the warrior's hand as the warrior let the armor crash to the ground an eruption of pure light bursting from the chest that moments before was encased in crafted metal and leather blocking the flow of energy the light shooting out in all directions surrounding fellow warriors their armor crashing to the ground as they are touched by the light of purity and outward it continues to the ensuing horde bearing down on them swallowing them in love of the purest hearts stopping their onslaught as they are transformed into beings of light and love ascending to the stars stopping still and stepping back from the cell the shepherd observed the panic within and noticed how it had clouded the vision and dulled the mind with focused breathing allowing all those unresourceful feelings to flow through and out into the ether the shepherd took a step back freeing from the snagged branch and walking with determination focus and love filled compassion in the heart the shepherd moved between the walls and the sheep and dropped to the knees holding out hands in a sign of peace the walls stopped and what was happening before them the power of unrestrained compassion rippled through the air from the shepherd to surround them and they instantly recognized it as the unconditional love that it was slowly they walked forward to the shepherd until standing face to face the shepherd unknowing of the direction fate will take yet with complete faith in the power of light within closing eyes in this moment of now the only moment that exists and the gentlest gentlest feeling of breath on the cheek followed by the touch of a kiss and the book was closed with the storytellers last words it is time to return to the real world and bring with you all that you have learned from the story allowing it to swirl around you and over you and through you and fill you up from the tip of your toes to the top of your head knowing that you can open your eyes now or stay in this story land for as long as you like and as you return to the now whenever that may be bring with you complete refreshing peace and calm to stay with you as long as you like.

Reviews

Thank you for putting me back to sleep. I wil listen to again.

Beautiful and has made me really consider my own armour. Is it possible to live without it? What would that look and feel like? Thank you 😊

You have a way of bringing us into deeply personal stories. I related so much to this.
Thank you. 🙏

Thankyou for this story 🙏 It's true that love is effective & more comfortable to wear than armour. My challenge is keeping it off. I will return to meditation as I am sure it will help. 💕

Another wonderful story , with the message of unlearning our coping strategies when faced with fear , uncertainty. Made me think how old mine is and how it’s actually making me feed more into my anxiety and fear , the fight or flight scenario. How does that serve me now .
Thought provoking and insightful.
Another gem .
Thank you so much.

Absolutely phenomenal!
Brilliant twist to the normal meditation!
Can totally relax into this story and dream sweet dreams!
James has such a soothing voice, he immediately calms the mind! ❤️💯
Cannot wait for him to make more meditation stories! ❤️❤️
Thank you as always for your beautiful meditations James! 💜

lovely meditation thank you