Quitting Smoking In A Big White Castle
A subconscious method that is valuable within a quit smoking session involves a journey to a big white castle. The journey starts by having the client imagine they are in a lush green field and that my voice will be with them as they travel.
You walk across the field until you enter a forest; you feel the leaves and pebbles under your feet. You notice the texture of the bark on the trees and enjoy the dappled light as it filters through the canopy.
You continue on walking easily for some time until in the distance you see the outline of a castle through the parted trees. After some time you come to end of the forest and the castle rises majestically before you.
You walk across a drawbridge and stand before two large wooden doors, which curve, to a point at the centre. As you are about to open the doors you look up and notice something curious, a flagpole but with no flag.
You enter the once grand hall, but the damage is obvious. The floors, walls and windows are covered in grime from years of lack of care.
Fortunately you have all kinds of cleaning equipment so you get to work, and soon the sun is shining through the sparkling windows onto the pristine marble walls and the rejuvenated timber floors.
You feel proud of your efforts to return the castle to its former glory, so you turn to leave back through the curved wooden doors and across the drawbridge. You turn back one last time to admire the castle and you notice a flag of victory fluttering on the breeze on the flagpole.
And an eagle soars majestically on the thermals high above the castle walls.
You feel a deep sense of satisfaction as you walk back into the forest. Moving easily along the path you breathe the cool fresh air deeply and your lungs expand more than they have in years.
After a time you find yourself once again in the lush green field. The gentle warmth of the sun on your face, a cool breeze on your neck and a feeling that you have been set free from the grip of a fierce beast, and that your body is already beginning to heal.
As you stand comfortably and confidently you sense that you are rewriting your future and restoring the health that was being slowly etched away by your old ways.
As this tale concludes I wonder what it may mean to you.