How do we know when we need to do Focusing? My answer: I need to focus when I start feeling pressured or overwhelmed by any part of my life, or when I start to feel a kind of inner “indigestion” — too much is unprocessed — or when I get a sore throat! What’s YOUR way to know? It’s good to get to know the signs…
Tips for Focusing Alone
Once you sit down to Focus Alone, you’ll be taking some time to being your awareness into your body, and then inviting a sense of what wants your awareness now. You might want to speak out loud, just as you would speak to a Focusing partner. Then listen to your own words, and offer the words back to the body sense they came from.
Speaking out loud helps to slow down the fast and various mental processes that might be going on. It also helps you to remember where you were, if you lose your place.
Tips for Focusing with a Partner
Just as with Focusing Alone, you’ll also be starting with a partner by bringing your awareness into your body. You can do that aloud or silently… whichever works best for you. What most people find is that if they just start talking, without first bringing awareness into the body, it can be harder to shift into that Focusing place.
Yet there is an option to begin by talking about something… and that’s fine. In fact, choose this option if you tend to get body sensations that don’t have much of a sense of meaning. Starting by talking about an issue can bring in that “meaning” dimension, right at the start. But speak slowly, and let your inner sense of what you’re saying guide the words. After a few sentences, notice if you now are aware of “something” in your body.