Focusing-Eugene T Gendlin

1. Clearing a space What I will ask you to do will be silent, just to yourself. Take a moment just to relax. All right—
now, inside you, I would like you to pay attention inwardly, in your body, perhaps in your stomach or chest. Now see
what comes there when you ask, "How is my life going? What is the main thing for me right now?" Sense within
your body. Let the answers come slowly from this sensing. When some concern comes, DO NOT GO INSIDE IT.
Stand back, say "Yes, that's there. I can feel that, there." Let there be a little space between you and that. Then ask
what else you feel. Wait again, and sense. Usually there are several things.
2. Felt sense From among what came, select one personal problem to focus on. DO NOT GO INSIDE IT. Stand back from it.
Of course, there are many parts to that one thing you are thinking about—too many to think of each one alone. But
you can feel all of these things together. Pay attention there where you usually feel things, and in there you can get a sense of what all of the problem feels like. Let yourself feel the unclear sense of all of that.
3. Handle What is the quality of this unclear felt sense? Let a word, a phrase, or an image come up from the felt sense itself. It might be a quality-word, like tight, sticky, scary, stuck, heavy, jumpy, or a phrase, or an image. Stay with the quality of the felt sense till something fits it just right.
4. Resonating Go back and forth between the felt sense and the word (phrase, or image). Check how they resonatewith each other. See if there is a little bodily signal that lets you know there is a fit. To do it, you have to have the felt sense there again, as well as the word.
Let the felt sense change, if it does, and also the word or picture, until they feel just right in capturing the quality of the felt sense.
5. Asking Now ask: What is it, about this whole problem, that makes this quality (which you have just named or pictured)?
Make sure the quality is sensed again, freshly, vividly (not just remembered from before). When it is here again, tap it, touch it, be with it, asking, "What makes the whole problem so ____?" Or you ask, "What is in this sense?"
If you get a quick answer without a shift in the felt sense, just let that kind of answer go by. Return your attention to your body and freshly find the felt sense again. Then ask it again.
Be with the felt sense till something comes along with a shift, a slight "give" or release.
6. Receiving Receive whatever comes with a shift in a friendly way. Stay with it a while, even if it is only a slight release. Whatever comes, this is only one shift; there will be others. You will probably continue after a little while,but stay here for a few moments.
IF DURING THESE INSTRUCTIONS SOMEWHERE YOU HAVE SPENT A LITTLE WHILE SENSING AND TOUCHING AN UNCLEAR HOLISTIC BODY SENSE OF THIS PROBLEM, THEN YOU HAVE FOCUSED. It doesn't matter whether the body-shift came or not. It comes on its own. We don't control that.

 

Trying this out but it's kind of tough. I guess it takes practice, so far it seems a little abstract for me.

 

Its really a great tool cirrusnarea.
Start by just relaxing, then meditate by telling your mind to relax.
Then tell your face to relax- then the neck and shoulders all the way to your toes.
Take your time and do this for like 10 minutes.

Then when your totally relaxed repeat the words, im calm, and feel yourself calm even more.
Then say silently im relaxed and feel yourself relax more, then say im patient and feel the patience.
Then say im confident and feel the confidence-
Then just lie there and feel the calmness in your mindbody for like 2 or 3 minutes.

At this time when your ready notice your issue or pain- don't try to judge it or make it go away
just notice its there and don't join to it, just notice it.
At this time think of a word that might relate to your dis-comfort
just think and let it become - don't try to rush it.

When that word is there then think of the word and notice again the dis-comfort.
Here as you focus back and forth between the feeling and word or
word and feeling you'll start to notice the tension letting up.
Just be with this for a few moments till the discomfort dissipates-
don't try to rush anything, just be.

This will help you get a better understanding of focusing as you read
over and over Eugene's method- learn from it each day till its complete-

You'll thank me for this,
thank you and God Bless

 

Thanks, that helps clarify. I tried it last night, and I did feel relaxed. The rest will take practice I'm sure.

 

Yea it takes practice and patience
I looked at Eugene's sheet every day
before id practice - so it would be helpful
Thanks