10 ways to use focusing in everday life

29/03/18 Focusing

How do I use Focusing in my everyday life? or how shuffle play on your iPod/phone can tell you what you need to know!

At first, it may appear that Focusing is a "practice" like many others: Meditation, Yoga etc, but in essence it is a way of being, or an attitude that weaves itself into your life the more you "practice". It becomes a way of navigating our life on many levels, a compass we refer to and a touch stone for our deeper knowing.... Ok enough metaphors!
I wanted to share just a simple list in no particular order of how I use it in my everyday life, to give a flavour of how it can be woven in.

1. Which way next? Checking in with what task needs to happen next in my work and personal life.

2. What feels right for this tricky situation? Maybe my son is having a meltdown, or we are all getting stressed by some transition... Pause and notice, what would really help (and acknowledge the stressed one)

3. Acknowledging the many somethings that arise in my day. Anxious parts, worries parts, scare or sad, confused or angry.. In any given day I have lots of visitors to welcome. I take a quiet moment inside to say hello to them all.

4. Emergency self empathy! When things get really tricky. Just pausing, noticing my breath and the ground and giving myself kindness for the whole mess I feel I am in. I'm only human.

5. Empathic listening to others. My life presents me with many opportunities to simply be a listen to my family and friends. Sometimes I manage this, sometimes not!

6. What does my body want to eat? I love cakes and many things that in all honesty my body does not want... so more and more I am checking - does my body actually want this? this one is on going!

7. Hanging out with the discomfort. Sometimes I just have these very unclear and icky body senses... and I have learnt to trust them... in that they are the only way that some part of me has to communicate to me. It doesn't always mean someting bad because the don't feel nice!

8. Who is driving this body? I try and check.. who is in charge here? Is it the bigger me? (self-in-presence as some teachers call it) or is it a part of me that has taken over and is now making all the decisions... and this one needs empathy!

9. What's missing? This empathic enquiry can get to the heart of many situations. I drop it in as and when and see which way the compass points afterwards.

10. Intuitive invitations. These are like open moments - a surrendering to another bigger knowing and just seeing what happens. I might go for a walk with an intention and see what comes. Or even set my iPhone to shuffle and ask for an answer or insight to what is going on! and it responds! It's a modern i-ching perhaps....