Nearly two years ago Alistair invited me to join his first Focusing Level 1 Online Training. One night a week we quietly and slowly progressed through the course over five weeks. At first I struggled with the slow quiet nature of this modality. The way it invited me to stop and bring all my awareness into my body to really feel for the subtleties of emotion and sensation that were arising, and to bring a greater level of Presence whilst listening to my Focusing partner when it was her turn to share. It took me a few weeks to learn to relax and trust myself, the process, and the Presence of my partner. Thank goodness for her patience.
When the course finished I was invited to commit to becoming a Focusing buddy; and it is a commitment. Each week we show up, gifting an hour of uninterupted undistracted time with unconditional Presence for myself and my partner. I have come to value these hours as I gain the often missed human experience of feeling completely heard and seen, not to mention the feeling benefit of a deepening trust and support with another. And I've learnt that as the partnership deepens in safety so does the revealing of the Self. Over time I've experienced deeper insights into my inner world. My body has revealed hidden traumas, past memories, emotional releases, and sometimes complete wordless stillness. Those moments feel like gold! Recently I've begun to experience a clear sense of self-empathy and self-love in an embodied way that I had not previously felt . It was like a light bulb moment when a part of me revealed it no longer had the need to criticise or hold judgement towards myself, but rather offered complete unconditional understanding and love. It was an empowering and fulfilling moment as I could see that I was completely capable of healing and holding my embodied pain in a container of self-awareness without retraction or repulsion. I feel this has been a turning point in my journey with Focusing. I'm looking forward to the Level 2 training coming up in November as I understand this training offers an opportunity to deepen self-awareness in Presence. Why not join me and see where the journey takes you? Melinda Blair Paterson