THERAPEUTIC STORIES ARE USEFUL IN GUIDED VISUALISATION. THEY SPEAK TO THE RIGHT HEMISPHERE OF THE BRAIN WHICH SEES THINGS AND LEARNS BY PATTERN, SHAPE AND CONCEPT.
A WELL PLACED STORY CAN RESOLVE A PROBLEM IN ONE SESSION.....
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The apple tree
(written specifically for a vicar in crisis)
In the garden of the cottage stood an apple tree. Nobody knew how long it had been there but it was central to the garden. Every autumn after a bumper harvest of beautiful green apples, its leaves would wither and die and fall to the ground, as is the natural order of things. But every spring, at the first glint of summer warmth, the tiny buds on its branches would erupt into new life, creating before long, bunches of fragrant blossom and a beautiful green canopy for the garden, where the family would come and shade themselves from the intensity of the full sun, and holding the promise of more delicious apples for the autumn. Every year was the same. The apple tree was steady, reliable and constant, following the gentle rhythms of the seasons, beautiful in its simplicity.
And the apple tree felt good. It was wonderful to be so appreciated, so central to the garden and so loved by the family. Yet, one day something terrible happened. Builders, who had been working on the cottage thoughtlessly, cut through one of the apples tree’s largest roots sending shock waves through the tree to its very core. At first the tree felt numb. Nothing like this had happened before and now the tree became angry, berating the builders for their foolishness. And then it grew frightened, feeling unsteady in the wind now, unstable. Every time the wind would blow, the tree would hold itself very tight and shout ‘Leave me alone, I cannot withstand your force. Can you not see I have lost my strength? Would you have me fall down?’ But the wind continued to blow, as is the natural order of things.
A bird that lived in the tree had an idea. ‘Why do you not askthe King of the Trees for some help? He is old and wise and he will surely know what you should do at this uncertain time.’ ‘Of course’ said the tree. ‘In my anger and fear, I could not think clearly, but nowIcan see that you are right. But how will I get a message to the King? ‘It is the natural order of things,’ said the bird ‘that I have the freedom of the skies and so I can take your message deep into the heart of the woods where the King resides.’ ‘So be it’ said the tree. And with a flap of his wings, the bird was gone, soaring high into the sky and disappearing somewhere among the drifting clouds. The apple tree waited…….and waited.
Several days passed by and the tree felt deserted, without support, creaking and groaning in the wind and fearing the weakness caused by the damaged root. And the old apple tree grew sad and worried. Holding himself so tight against the strength of the wind was making him tired. Early one morning, the bird returned. ‘The King of the Trees’ he began, in an important voice ‘Says, it is the natural order of things for the wind to blow and that you should not resist, but rather bend with it. Breathe the cool fresh air. And as you bend, send down your remaining roots even further into the earth so that you will grow stronger and stronger and they will support you in your time of need.’
And that is exactly what happened. Every time the wind blew, instead of fighting and berating it for trying to cause it harm, the tree accepted it was the natural order and harnessed the power of the cool, fresh air to drive down roots so deep into the earth that it felt safe and secure and calm once more. The apple tree is still there, bearing the scar of the damaged root, but stronger now in many ways. And the tree is central to the garden, appreciated by the family, changing and evolving with the gentle rhythm of the passing seasons, growing older and wiser……… as is the natural order of things…..……
’Prayerise… Picturise …Actualise’
Rev. N V Peale
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The carpet weavers
In a distant land, far off and a long time ago, there was a community of carpet weavers.
These weavers were renowned as experts in their field.
They wove intricate patterns, shapes and colours into their magnificent carpets, taking months and months to complete the work.
And every carpet was different.
And each was a unique creation and testament to the skills of the carpet weaver.
An observer, who had been watching the weavers closely, noticed to his surprise, that just at the point of completion, the weavers would create a deliberate mistake in the piece.
And every weaver did the same. Just at the point of completion…a deliberate mistake.
Surprised by what he observed, he approached the head weaver.
‘Why, when you have the skills to aim at perfection, do you weave a mistake into every carpet?’ he asked.
The carpet weaver smiled.
‘That is surely obvious. To aim at perfection is to aspire to be God like.’
‘And only God is perfect.’
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ASSUME NOTHING
A teacher on play ground duty was worried to see one of her class standing on his own whilst all his classmates kicked a ball around at the other end of the playground.
She approached him with some encouraging words.
‘Thomas’, she said ‘Go and join in with the others.’
‘No, I don’t think so’ said the boy.
‘But you are allowed to be a part of the group’ said the teacher
‘I know ‘reflected the boy quietly but without moving.
‘You know, Thomas, said the teacher, ‘It seems to me that you are quite shy and perhaps you just need to push yourself forward a bit.’
‘Do I?’ said the boy
‘Yes’ said the teacher. ‘What you should do is be more assertive, alter your body language, and be pro active.’
‘Should I?’ said the boy
‘Absolutely,’ said the teacher ‘So why don’t you go and kick the ball!’
‘I don’t think that would be a good idea’ said the boy.
‘Why not?’ asked the teacher, getting annoyed
‘Because ………..I’m in goal Miss’ said the boy.
!!!
(Sometimes things are not as they appear)
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The Monster
In a distant land far off and a long, long time ago, there was a mountain.
At the foot of the mountain was a village, a village with a dark secret. For in the mountain there lived a monster.
And sometimes this monster would grow very angry and would roar so loud that the whole earth shook.
When this happened the people of the village would run inside their houses and hide, trembling at the ferocious sound.
A young girl who lived in the village became curious about this monster and decided she would go and see for herself the face of this terrible beast.
And so she set off, climbing the steep mountain, stumbling over rocks, growing tired and breathless as she moved up the side of the mountain………
And from the top of the mountain she could hear the monster roaring. Still she continued, her determination was so great to look at the face of this beast.
At last she caught a glimpse of the creature. Closer and closer she moved. And as she did so, something very strange happened.
The nearer she got to the monster, the smaller the monster grew, until in the end she was so close that she could pick it up in the palm of her hand.
And as she looked into the face of the beast, she asked ‘who are you’ and the monster replied ‘I am fear.’
And in that moment, the monster disappeared in a puff of smoke and was never seen again.
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A NEW PATH
As Judy looked across the field, she could see the daffodils quite clearly on the brow of the hill.
Like a golden sea, they moved and swayed, wave upon wave of yellow flowers.
‘I would love to be there’ thought Judy
‘What a wonderful place to sit and relax for a while, up on the hill, breathing in the cool fresh air.
She opened the gate to the field and started to follow the path, hoping it would lead her to the daffodils.
But after a while, she realised the path was taking her into some woods. Still she followed the path hoping it would branch off at some point.
Further and further into the woods she went as it grew darker and darker around her. The undergrowth was quite dense here and the thorns threatened to tear her clothing.
The leaves formed a heavy canopy over her head so the no sunlight permeated the trees and Judy began to feel quite cold.
After a while, Judy decided to turn around and find her way back to the gate where she looked across at the shimmering hill in the distance.
It became clear to Judy that she could not get to the flowers through the wood and so she set off, straight across the field, her feet treading down the grass beneath her, walking in a straight line with the daffodils ahead of her, keeping them in her eye line, it was easy to see where she was going until, at last she came to them, breathing in the heady aroma of spring.
And from up there on the hill, amongst the golden daffodils, things looked different and, looking back, Judy could see the new path that she had made through the green grass.
‘Do not go where the path may lead
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail’ (Emerson)
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DAISY: A VERY IMPORTANT SHEEP
Daisy was a very important sheep. It was her job to ensure the sun rose in the morning.
Daisy had had this job for as long as she could remember. It took up a lot of her time and a considerable amount of her energy to get the sun to rise in the sky every single day.
Because Daisy knew a secret…… the sun was very lazy. Given half a chance, it would stay in bed all day and the consequences of that were unthinkable! She had the whole flock to consider. If there was no sun, the grass would fade and die and so would all the sheep.
And so Daisy stood guard all night for that first glimpse of the golden orb. She would search the distant horizon and sometimes she would notice it hiding behind a hill and then she would use all her willpower to force it to rise in the sky. Sometimes it was a little easier than other times. Sometimes she would catch the sun off guard and guide it up into the correct position without much resistance.
But at other times, the sun was like a sulky child. Slow and heavy, hiding behind a passing cloud, drifting behind a hill, moving out of sight so that Daisy would panic and think she had lost it. But with all her energy and all her mental strength, she would regain control over the sun, chastising it for its sloth, and feel rather cross as she manoeuvred it heavenward.
Of course, staying awake all night was taking its toll. Daisy would often catch herself on the point of falling asleep and have to shake herself or pinch herself or jump up and down to stay alert. She could not afford to miss the sun, so she scanned the horizon all night long, often mistaking a moving shadow or reflection for the real thing.
Daisy was growing tired. In the daytime, her eyes were heavy and she couldn’t concentrate. Sometimes she would wander into the road by mistake and had a couple of near misses with a passing car. Sometimes she was so tired that, as she bent down to graze, she would topple forward and other sheep would have to come and pull her upright again.
Then one night, something strange happened.
Daisy was keeping watch as usual, searching the hills, scanning the sky. But as she did so, her eyes grew heavy. She tried shaking and jumping but it was no good and, finally, she fell into a deep sleep.
And do you know what happened next? As Daisy slept a peaceful sleep, the sun rose in the sky. All by itself…without any help!
And when Daisy woke up, she was amazed!
Daisy is still a very important sheep. For when the sun goes down at night, she gathers all the sheep into their pen and tells them to stop chattering and get a good night’s sleep.
What a bright sheep she is!
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THE MONKEY CATCHERS OF BORNEO
‘First, you set a narrow necked jar in a clearing in the jungle and place inside one banana.
Then, you retreat behind a bush or tree and wait.
Before too long a monkey will pass by and smell the wonderful aroma of banana emanating from the jar.
The monkey reaches deep into the jar and grabs the banana but, on making a fist is not be able to retrieve the succulent item from the heavy jar.
This is when the monkey catcher will seize his chance, emerging from the undergrowth, throwing a blanket over the monkey and…the job is done!’
‘Can I ask a question?’ said the young hunter?
‘Of course’ said the old man
‘Why does the monkey not just let go?’
The elder did not reply.
‘If he would just let go of the banana, he could be free.
‘Mmmm’
‘Why does he not just open his fingers, release his hand and walk away’
‘That is a good question’ smiled the wise one.
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A new Path.......
As Judy looked across the field, she could see the daffodils quite clearly on the brow of the hill.
Like a golden sea, they moved and swayed, wave upon wave of yellow flowers.
‘I would love to be there’ thought Judy
‘What a wonderful place to sit and relax for a while, up on the hill, breathing in the cool fresh air.
She opened the gate to the field and started to follow the path, hoping it would lead her to the daffodils.
But after a while, she realised the path was taking her into some woods. Still she followed the path hoping it would branch off at some point.
Further and further into the woods she went as it grew darker and darker around her. The undergrowth was quite dense here and the thorns threatened to tear her clothing.
The leaves formed a heavy canopy over her head so the no sunlight permeated the trees and Judy began to feel quite cold.
After a while, Judy decided to turn around and find her way back to the gate where she looked across at the shimmering hill in the distance.
It became clear to Judy that she could not get to the flowers through the wood and so she set off, straight across the field, her feet treading down the grass beneath her, walking in a straight line with the daffodils ahead of her, keeping them in her eye line, it was easy to see where she was going until, at last she came to them, breathing in the heady aroma of spring.
And from up there on the hill, amongst the golden daffodils, things looked different and, looking back, Judy could see the new path that she had made through the green grass.
‘Do not go where the path may lead
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail’ (Emerson)
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THE DONKEY
The farmer had a donkey.
It was a hardworking donkey and served the farmer well.
And then one day something terrible happened.
The donkey fell down a deep well.
For a while, the farmer and all the neighbours tried, with buckets and sticks and ropes and to get the donkey out but realised that it was no good.
The farmer thought to himself ‘The donkey is old and the well is dry. I’ll simply fill the well in.’
And so he and all the other started to shovel earth.
At first, they thought they heard the donkey complain, but, after a while, all fell silent.
And they shovelled and shovelled and shovelled.
And then something wonderful happened.
The farmer stopped for a while and looked down into the well and saw something which amazed him.
For every time a shovel load of earth fell into the well, it would fall on the back of the donkey who shook himself very hard, the earth would fall to the floor, and the donkey would use that as a step up!
And so it continued….
As they shovelled, the donkey just kept on shaking off the earth and using it as another step up.
Before long, the donkey was able to step up and over the edge of the well.
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The river
In a distant land, far off, a long time ago, there was a river and the river served its community well, but the river knew it had to go on a journey, and its journey was onward and towards the sea.
And so the river set off, through green valleys and vales until, finally, it came to a desert, a dry, cracked land and, try as it might, the river could not cross the desert.
And the river grew tired and called out in its frustration ‘who can help me across this terrible place?'
The sun and the wind heard the cries of the river and said ‘do not worry, you have all the resources you need. Allow us to help you.
The sun and the wind can turn you into vaporous clouds and, in that way you can be carried effortlessly across and into the safety of the mountains on the other side.’
And that is exactly what happened. The sun an the wind turned the river into beautiful light and fluffy clouds that were carried high into the air and which floated effortlessly across that terrible place and into the mountains on the other side, where they collected as heavy raindrops into a powerful and vibrant river once more.
And the river was able to continue its journey onward and towards the sea
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KING SOLOMON'S RING (story within a story)
Inside the old book shop it was dark and warm. That familiar musty aroma of age and wisdom hung in the air.
There was something comforting about being surrounded by so much knowledge. The shelves were lined with books in various states of wear.
Some, tattered and torn by unseen fingers of time, books well loved and often read. Some looked like new, lovingly restored, re-bound, and protected for future generations.
As her eyes drifted along the shelves, something drew her attention to one particularly threadbare volume. Reaching up high and pulling it down amongst a cloud of dust. This book had lain undisturbed for many years it seemed.
Arabic characters on the cover only intrigued her more as she opened the first page with a sense of expectation. She settled into a comfortable armchair. This felt like a very special book. She could just make out the faded print……..
‘In a distant land, far off, a long, long time ago, there lived a king and Solomon was his name.
He was surrounded by all the riches and wealth, wives and children, servants and courtiers that a man of his stature and status required.
But he was not content.
For every time he looked around at his insurmountable wealth, good fortune and blessings, he felt ecstatically happy…………yet in that moment he became terrified that this happiness could not last and he would fall into a deep despair….and when the despair was upon him, he feared it would never leave.
Finally he called the wise men of the palace to him.
‘You do not have all of my blessings and yet you seem content and at peace. I command you to give me the secret of your happiness.’
The wise men withdrew to a quiet corner where they pondered and debated for very many hours and at last called the palace jeweller, instructing him to make a golden ring with a particular inscription….
When the ring was ready, they returned to the king, presenting it to him on a silver platter.
The king placed the ring on his finger. It was a good fit, this purest of metals reflecting golden light into his eyes. The king was bathed in a sense of joy and wonder at his good fortune.
And then, as he examined the ring more closely, he could just make out an inscription
The wise men glanced nervously at each other….
‘gam zeh ya'avor’ (this too shall pass)
And in that moment, the king was plunged into despair
‘Why do you torture me so!’ he screamed at the wise men. ‘I demanded to know the secret of happiness and you bring me despair!’
‘Please, your majesty. Look again’ pleaded the wise men.
The king allowed once more his gaze to be drawn to those words…
‘gam zeh ya'avor’ (this too shall pass)
And, in that moment, the king saw the truth……… and a sense of deep calm and contentment fell upon him.
‘Thank you o wisest of men’ said the king
And the girl closed the book with a smile..........
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THE WINDOW
It was a long and boring meeting.
The voice of the trainer went on and on and I found my gaze drawn towards the window.
Black clouds were gathering in a dark and brooding band across the sky.
‘Navy blue is not a great colour for a cloud’ I thought and my heart felt heavy.
The woman sitting next to me was also looking out of the same window.
‘Look at that cloud I whispered. Bad weather is on its way.’
‘Oh’ she said, ‘I didn’t notice. I was looking at the beautiful blue sky behind it.’
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