As I walk along the street all is as it should be. The soft blue-sky spreads out peacefully above me and the early morning sun shines warmly on my back. The street is quiet, apart from a myriad of birds chirping back and forth among themselves. I walk slowly taking it all in and sighing with contentment.

Feeling relaxed and dreamy I continue at a leisurely pace, noticing the brightness, and that the brightness has a certain quality to it, a promise of good things to come. I am peaceful and optimistic.

The early morning silence is broken by a few birds still calling out to each other. I delight in being a part of this tranquil scene.

At the same time I am vaguely aware of some slight discomfort. Perhaps this is to do with the brightness there is a sort of stillness to it, and an intensity that feels a little unsettling.

Then I notice again, how pleasant it is to stroll along with the sun’s soothing heat gently warming my back.

I realise that if I look ahead towards the brightness, I get a funny, uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. A nervous, fluttery, edginess that becomes a rather sharp ache.

There is something about that perfect brightness, a kind of atmosphere, a sense of something unreal. The word ‘artificial’ comes to me, it seems to resonate. I stay with the word and what emerges is a sense of shadows lurking behind the brightness.

Quite uneasy now, I calm myself down by breathing in the comforting smell of heat on paving stones.

I shiver. There are still a few birds chattering reassuringly and I try telling myself that all is as it should be. However, my body knows better. It is fully alert.

What was that noise…. that faint rustling? I walk a little faster…. not too fast…. it’s probably a bird….my ears are straining, searching for the faintest sound.

I am aware of the hairs on the back of my neck, literally standing on end….and then I hear footsteps behind me…. I am almost running now…. a hand clasps my shoulder…. Something crude is whispered in my ear.

I scream and scream ‘Okay, okay’ he hisses. Then I run in one direction, and he runs in the other.

Focusing

I remember this incident vividly, even though it happened some years ago. I can see how my vague sense of discomfort developed into a definite awareness of danger.

Eugene Gendlin discovered Focusing, he devised the term ‘felt sense’ to describe an unclear, intricate ‘bodily awareness’. Focusing is a process of deepening our connection with this bodily sense. It is a process that might occur naturally, and it can also be learned.

I can focus alone or with a Companion. To begin with I am just trying to get a feel of something faint and delicate. Slowly and gently, I build up my connection with it by describing and acknowledging everything that I notice. Because the felt sense is very fragile, I need to be sensitive. If I am impatient and try to hurry things along it will disappear.

Gradually the felt-sense becomes stronger and more fully formed. Meanings contained within it can emerge, deepening self-awareness and personal insights.

Further Information

If you would like to know more about Focusing, Eugene Gendlin’s book ‘Focusing’ is a good place to start.

You can also look at my Focusing pages on this website and on the British Focusing Association Website.