April 7 2009 – Tip #188

Orrin
asks: "What is the impact of posture on Focusing and is there a
preferred posture? I usually focus at my desk, where I have a speaker
phone, leaning back in my desk chair with my feet on the seat of a
chair next to the desk. I am conscious of my feet being supported by
the chair, but also that they are in the air. Occasionally I will focus
sitting in a chair with my feet on the ground. Then I am usually aware
of my feet being more solid and kind of pushing into the ground. I'm
not aware that it makes any difference in my focusing, but I am curious
as to your experience."

Dear Orrin,
If
you're not sensing a difference in your Focusing from those posture
differences, I'm sure you're right. Many people don't, and that's fine.
But there are a few things to watch out for when it comes to posture.

There
are methods which ask people to have legs uncrossed and both feet on
the floor. Why do they do that? Probably because that's a good posture
for feeling "grounded"–in other words, what we call being in Presence.

Now,
it's quite possible to be comfortably in Presence, able to be with all
your feeling experiences with calm curiosity, in any posture. Here's
where I confess that I often Focus with one leg crossed over the other.
I'm comfortable that way, what can I say!

BUT… if you are
having an issue with Presence, if there is something in your body-field
that is hard to be with… then by all means give yourself some extra
help by sitting with both feet on the floor, and support your back if
you need to. Let your body show you the posture in which you feel most
supported. I find that support aids Presence a lot.

Standing in
a relaxed way, bending knees slightly and allowing movement, can also
be a terrifically supportive posture for Focusing. (See all the great
work being done with WholeBody Focusing originated by Kevin McEvenue,
who will be teaching it again at the Focusing Institute Summer School this coming August.)

The other question people often ask me is whether they can lie down to do Focusing.

If it doesn't seem to affect your Focusing, go right ahead.

But
lying down changes brain waves, or so I've read. IF you lie down to
Focus and it's harder to do any of the Focusing moves: staying with
what you feel, describing what you feel, being in Presence with what
you feel, sensing more deeply how IT feels… If any of those are
harder than usual, and instead you find yourself floating into a more
passive state and even sleep… Then do sit up again.