What is “Focusing”?

Focusing is the name of a process for invoking direct access to bodily knowing. It’s been an enormous help to me in finding my own way. It’s focusing in the sense of paying attention to, not creating some kind of laser awareness; in fact Focusing pays attention to something inside that is new and fresh and isn’t formed yet – how it actually is for us inside at the moment.

I’ve been working with Focusing off and on, making it my own, going off and coming back since the late 1980s. Nothing else I’ve done has brought me back so radically and consistently to myself. I’ve been a Focusing trainer since 1995.

There’s no dogma or belief system, just a way of paying attention to yourself. Rather than relying on concepts or notions, you connect with what’s actually, bodily true for you inside.

Here’s Focusing’s originator, Gene Gendlin, doing a short intro. This won’t be enough to start you Focusing on your own, but I’ll put more stuff on how to do that here, and you can learn a pile more at www.focusing.org.

Focusing is supported by a long series of operational research studies conducted first at the University of Chicago and now internationally.

If you’re in Ottawa, be sure to get in touch with me. My hope is to have an ongoing community of Focusers here, with ongoing support opportunities.

Often I overlook myself

Focusing, meditating just now, I notice yet again the surprising thing: that I’ve been overlook the heart of myself in my day. It takes me a while sitting quietly to notice it. Then I notice that slightly off to one side, a bit aloof, feeling alone character that I’ve been ignoring. I immediately recognize he’s “me” and feel relieved in seeing that. He’s overshadowed by the busybody-me who goes around trying to get things organized or done.

I’ve lost touch with this character so many times, going along with a memory of him, an impression of what I should do.  Is it like he has no right to be here? Or else why does he quickly become a memory even after being vibrantly experienced?

Yet when he’s here I immediately see that he’s the important one. He’s the one I love. He’s the presence or the one who feels the Presence; he isn’t separate from it.

When I’m not in touch with him I still know about him but that’s not the same as being him, living him.  I even have a name for him sometimes, the little guy. But other times I realize he is the presence, the Presence, the heart.

And another thing: when I notice this presence, even though it sounds self-ish, I’m relatively self-less; I’m present to who and what’s around me as not being different than me. When I don’t notice it, I’m subtly trying to get attention from others. Although it’s out of awareness I’m wishing I had that attention, all the time.