“Can I focus with the tension I feel when I wake up in the morning?”
Chris asks: “Often when I wake up in the morning, I feel tension all through my body. Is that something I can do Focusing with?
“If yes, how would I do that? Do I need to sit up, move to a chair? Or can I just do Focusing immediately, right there in bed?”
Dear Chris,
I love the way that Focusing is something you can have with you all the time, any time you need it.
And for many of us, first thing in the morning can be a difficult time emotionally. We might wake up with dark thoughts, or feeling afraid, or in the grip of tension.
So yes, absolutely you can do Focusing immediately with that first-thing-in-the-morning feeling. No, you don’t have to sit up, or even move, unless you want to. You can stay there in bed, in the same position you are when you first notice the feeling, and right there, inwardly turn toward it and acknowledge it.
“I’m feeling tension. Hello, I know you’re there.”
Next, get interested in the “feel” of it. Even if it seems quite familiar, don’t assume it’s the same as the tension yesterday. Get interested in how this tension feels right now. You may even want to let go for a while of any words you habitually use. If you always call it “tension,” for now call it “this sensation.” That will help you sense it directly, as it is right now.
As you sense how it is, or what it feels like, you can allow fresh metaphors to arise. “It feels tense like a rabbit with a 18-wheeler bearing down on it.” Whew! That sounds intense! But if it’s right, if it fits, you’ll get a breath of relief. “Yes, that’s how it feels.” Something will start to change inside, just from doing that much.
Even with a busy day in front of us, we almost always have a few minutes to spend with the feelings that are there on waking. And doing that can change how we are with ourselves all day.
