Stories have been told from the beginning of time.
They have many purposes.
To entertain.
To educate.
To pass on wisdom.
To provide therapy.
They stimulate our imagination with the use of colourful images,
Sounds and metaphors.
Our imagination can be used as a path into meditation.
To an internal place of peace,
Calmness and clarity.
From this place within our unconscious mind,
We can change our lives.
The right story,
At the right time,
Can heal emotionally,
Physically,
Mentally and spiritually.
Especially if the conscious mind is unaware that any learning,
Belief changing or re-patterning is occurring.
The conscious mind will just see the story,
While the unconscious mind can use it as a template for positive change.
We can use stories to target specific concerns,
For example fears,
Phobias,
Anxieties,
Weaknesses,
Illnesses and create new ways of seeing and thinking.
So,
Now sit back.
Close your eyes and enjoy a story.
Just enjoy it without trying to analyse it and let it weave its magic.
The Pet Tamer Once upon a time,
Not so long ago,
In a land not so far away,
A beautiful young princess celebrated her birthday.
She received many lovely presents,
But the one she loved most from a distant aunt was a small,
Soft,
Furry,
Cuddly black pet.
It was fluffy,
Gentle and well behaved.
It followed her everywhere,
Like a shadow,
Until one day,
For no apparent reason,
It suddenly doubled its size and turned into a demon.
Just for a moment,
Before it turned back into a small,
Soft,
Furry,
Cuddly black pet.
The princess blinked and thought she had imagined it,
Until a month later,
When for no apparent reason,
For several moments,
It suddenly tripled its size and turned into a demon and terrorised the cat,
Before it turned back into a small,
Soft,
Furry,
Cuddly black pet.
The princess knew she hadn't imagined it this time.
She felt a tremor of fear pass through her.
She kept the knowledge to herself.
Until a month later,
When for no apparent reason,
For five minutes,
It suddenly quadrupled its size and turned into a demon and traumatised the dog,
Before it turned back into a small,
Soft,
Furry,
Cuddly black pet.
The princess knew she had a problem.
The fear in her grew.
She would have to tell her parents.
Her new,
Soft,
Furry,
Cuddly pet had turned out to be a demon.
She really adored her pet and didn't want to get rid of it.
But what might it do next?
She hastily consulted the queen and king.
Her parents were aghast and urged her to get rid of it.
The princess burst into tears.
Perhaps,
Suggested the queen,
They could try a pet tamer first.
ASAP.
The princess searched the internet.
There were only three in the whole kingdom.
She sent an urgent email.
The first pet trainer was a fitness fanatic.
For a week he showered pet with words of fire,
Exhausted it with rigorous exercise,
Fed it with health foods and made it sleep outside in a tent.
He applied more and more pressure.
Pet grew stronger and bigger until,
For no apparent reason,
It suddenly increased its size and turned into a giant demon and devastated the tamer.
The princess sent another urgent email.
The second pet tamer put pet on a lead.
She kept it protected and confined in the castle.
She allowed it to see no one.
She fed it milk,
Honey and sugar.
She talked and talked to it.
Pet grew bigger and bigger until it exploded and ravaged the castle and shattered the tamer before it turned back into a small,
Soft,
Furry,
Cuddly black pet.
Was there no one who could tame it?
The princess was desperate.
She sent one last email.
The third pet tamer was a boy.
He carried a small rucksack.
He stood and studied pet for a while and then smiled.
He invited the princess and pet to join him in a walk through the forest.
The path followed a stream that meandered downhill through tall trees and shrubs.
Shafts of filtered sunlight illuminated the path,
Highlighting the colours of the leaves and flowers.
Beautiful perfumes filled the air.
The sounds of birds and insects hemmed and flowed.
The princess took a deep breath and started to relax.
Every now and again the boy stopped and pointed out something of interest.
A plant,
An insect,
A bird,
An animal.
He talked about the balance of nature.
He was gentle and kind.
The princess saw things she had never noticed before.
She was in trance.
She forgot about pet who followed her like a faithful shadow.
The stream led to a beautiful large pool bordered by ancient boulders and surrounded by the lush forest.
The princess relaxed even more as she took in the beauty and the peace.
She felt at home.
For no apparent reason a sudden breeze sprang up and the princess shivered.
A shadow flew over her.
She had a moment of fear.
Pet started to grow,
But the boy took a soft cape from his rucksack and draped it around her shoulders.
He whispered soft words that sang with a breeze.
The shadow faded and the rays of the sun touched her face.
She breathed in the golden light.
Her fear subsided.
Pet shrank back to normal.
The boy took a rug from his rucksack and spread it on a boulder at the edge of the pool.
He spread a tasty meal before them.
The princess relaxed even more.
The food,
The sunlight,
The gentle sounds of nature made her feel sleepy.
Pet nestled beside her.
The water in the pool rippled as the breeze gently blew.
When the princess awoke it was getting dark.
The sunlight cast long shadows through the trees.
It was much cooler now.
She shivered and pulled the clothes tighter around her as,
For no apparent reason,
Pet suddenly increased its size.
The princess fearfully scrambled to her feet and anxiously searched for the boy.
He was gone.
Pet grew bigger and bigger.
Then she heard the sound of his voice,
Like a song on the breeze calling to her through the trees.
He was there.
She gave a sigh of relief.
She relaxed.
Pet shrank.
The boy called.
The princess followed.
It became a game.
A path weaving through the forest,
Following the stream,
Back up the hill.
Finally to the castle,
Where the boy sat waiting,
Smiling.
The princess felt tired.
She breathed deeply.
And for no apparent reason,
Felt exhilarated and free.
She looked back at the forest.
It was almost in darkness.
She felt Pet move beside her,
Small and cuddly.
The princess picked up her pet and turned to thank the boy.
But the pet tamer was gone.
Just sit for a moment or two now and let your unconscious mind and all the cells of your body absorb the story.
Don't try to analyze it or judge it in any way.
Let it be what it is.
A story.
