If you’ve heard of a “felt sense” but you can’t quite grasp what it is, read on…
A Reader writes:
I hear people in different somatic trainings – including Focusing – talking about the “felt sense.” I get that this is an important concept, but it kind of eludes me. What exactly is a felt sense? Can you even say?
Dear Reader:
A felt sense is a certain kind of experience that everyone has had, but we didn’t know it had a name before. It’s when you get the whole feel of something, freshly. Some situation, usually, or maybe a person or a project.
To get a felt sense with awareness, you need to pause. And you then do more than just think… you allow the whole feel of it to come. We could say it comes in your body, but “body” means different things to different people. It’s definitely not only in your thoughts.
Maybe some examples will help.
Felt sensing is pausing to let the whole feel of something come. Giving it time. Allowing it to be vague and hard to describe at first.
Felt sensing takes us to the place where something really new can come, not just our usual reactions and ideas. And leads to fresh actions and behaviors as well. Lasting change!
