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Stories are part of
how Scottish Islanders place ourselves in the world and form
associations with other people. They are a mechanism we use to share and
pass our cultures on. Above all they are fun.
Stories in the training room
Everyone likes to be
told stories and at different times I use examples for all the different
types listed above. Sometimes I tell one to end the day or after a
difficult exercise. A particularly handy one for this is 'the Battle of
the Birds'. They can be particularly useful when a group is finding it
difficult to get low of their normality and risk trying something new.
Stories can catch them into a ‘what if’ place and enable them to start
reframing the issues.
Versions of some of
the ones I use are linked in the box on the right. I was either told
them as a child or learned them as an adult. Most of them are in the
style of own northern Scottish traditions. I have used stories from
other traditions but I find that I lack the same authenticity in telling
them and find them hard to learn. I recommend that if you are going to
use stories in your own practice you research and develop ones with you
have some kind of personal connection
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