the power of pausing

In the last few weeks we have explored the power of pausing:

First we looked at the revolutionary pause in conversations as described by Mary Hendricks-Gendlin. Mary says, in her article Focusing as a Force for Peace: The Revolutionary Pause, that ‘Focusing is a force for peace because it frees people from being manipulated by external authority, cultural roles, ideologies and the internal oppression of self attacking and shame. This freeing has to do with an ability to pause the on-going situation and create a space in which a felt sense can form.’ We pause and sense into ourselves for the body felt sense all about this…we pause for a moment, and in that pause we may acknowledge our emotions or feelings, and we acknowledge that there is something more there…a wider sensing…a whole body knowing. Out of the pausing and allowing a felt sense to form new, fresh, unique possibilities for carrying forward emerge. In the pause, in the interrupting of the habitual response, we can sow the seeds of a new future.
http://livinginreflectivepractice.blogspot.com/search/label/pausing

Then we looked at ‘pause and acknowledge’ taking time to be with ourselves in there, inside & saying hello to whatever is in there in a warm, caring, friendly way; neither agreeing nor disagreeing, just hello. This is simple, sustainable and self-nurturing process in which you notice how you are without changing anything.
http://livinginreflectivepractice.blogspot.com/2008/04/power-of-pause-acknowledge.html

Now I invite you to watch the following video on making paper planes. When you have finished I also invite you to take in the video in a Focusing way. Sense into “all about the video”:

how and where is your body holding the video
saying hello to what is there now
describing what you are sensing using metaphors, sound, images, physical sensations
resonating what you are describing sensing for a just right fit or words
waiting there for a moment at the edge of your awareness – allowing more to come
inviting your body to show you what it knows all about the meanings created by this video that are just for you in your life; receiving what comes.
as each sense or meaning comes; repeat the Focusing cycle of acknowledging, sensing and describing, resonating, allowing and receiving.
inviting your bodysense to let you know how this new information or insight can live forward in your life or how it would like you to be with this information
thanking your body for what it showed you and you might like to journal what came

Michael McMillan’s 3 minute inspirational movie titled Paper Airplane: http://www.paperairplanemovie.com/ ”

I would love to hear what came for you with the small exercise…please feel free to comment. You may notice that I haven’t analysed the movie, predicted its meaning or even said what I think about it (offering an opinion). This is because we all experience the world as individuals, through our own frames of reference and histories. Therein lies the beauty and richness that, if we are curuious, we can explore. We can explore our own meanings and we can listen deeply and with tender wonderment to the meanings of others.

Focusing, as a practice or self awarness and self development can also be applied in the area of interpersonal connection and even intimacy. Interactive Focusing developed by Janet Klein and Mary McGuire (http://www.interactivefocusing.com/) is a learnable step by step process which allows you to touch into your direct experience in the presence of another person and through your direct experience in the safe, empathic, accepting and compassionate environment you create together you both become aware of and to share your inner truths thereby building bonds of intimacy, conflict resolution, problem solving and shared creativity.

Find a local Focusing coach/teacher by going to:http://www.focusing.org/trainers_search.asp

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