Felt Sensation: Inspired By Gendlin's Focusing Technique

Felt Sense meditation is a way of tapping into the most unpleasant sensations in the body to uncover what is bound up as undifferentiated tension and anxiety. Trusting that inside these unpleasant vibrations is a message that our conscious self needs to hear. A little voice inside of you that may well have been pushed down or numbed possibly for a very long time. This meditation is intended to put you in touch with this voice, dialogue with this part of yourself, and listen to the innermost you. This meditation is inspired by Gendlin's groundbreaking Focusing Technique.

Transcript

The following is the felt sense meditation and it's inspired by Gendlin's focusing technique work,

A way of dropping into what is in the body.

What is the body communicating?

What are the feelings stored in the body,

Often feelings that we are not consciously in touch with?

So I encourage you to find a meditation posture that works for you,

Preferably one where you sit upright.

Will you become very alert and tuned in?

You might sit cross legged or you might sit in a chair.

Let's see if you can get your spine to be erect.

Bring awareness to your breath.

Start to notice the natural cadence of your breath in this moment.

Not directing the breath but noticing,

Noticing the stream of air inside your nose,

The stream of air as it moves on the inside of the nostril walls,

The temperature.

Bring awareness to the inner ear and see if you can hear your own breath,

The sound of your breath.

Notice the expansion on the inhale and the softening,

The relaxation on the exhale.

Notice how the breath is showing up in your chest,

Around your solar plexus and in your belly.

Bring awareness into the lower belly,

Below the belly button.

Allow the belly to soften to receive the breath.

Let your whole body become highly aware of the vibrations that are present in your body at all times.

Bring awareness into the scalp,

The hair and the ears,

The wrinkles and folds of the ears.

Bring awareness to the forehead and your eyebrows,

Your eyelids.

The air as it moves in and out of your nose.

Notice your lips,

The upper lip and the lower lip.

Feel the tongue inside your mouth.

Relax your tongue.

Relax your throat and your jaw.

Soften around the shoulders,

The shoulder blades.

Feel the right side of the chest and the left side of the chest and the center of the chest.

Feel the middle of the chest.

Feel into the space around and between the shoulder blades.

Let tension melt away.

Bring awareness into the solar plexus,

The stomach area above the belly button.

The lower abdomen,

The belly below the belly button,

Above the pubic bone.

Feel into the back,

The mid back and the low back.

Feel your sit bones,

Your hips,

Your bottom,

Your thighs,

Your knees,

Your lower legs and your feet.

The heels,

The soles of the feet,

The tops of the feet,

All ten toes,

The tips of the toes.

Feel your shoulders and your arms,

The upper arms and the elbows and the forearms and the hands.

Feel the palm of the hands and the back of the hands.

Feel your fingers,

The fingertips.

Now hold the awareness in the whole energy field of the body all at once.

From the top of the head to the soles of the feet,

The palm of the hands.

And now let yourself be guided to the least comfortable,

The most unpleasant sensation,

Vibration or feeling in the body.

And I'm not talking about a physical ailment,

Although that could be an interesting inquiry as well.

I'm talking more about a vibration of an uncomfortable emotion or feeling.

For most people that's found somewhere in the torso.

So allow yourself to scan the body from the throat through the heart,

The solar plexus,

The abdomen and all the way into the perineum sacrum.

And notice if there's one area that's a little louder than the rest.

An area that is calling your attention.

And today we're going to spend some time with that sensation,

That felt sensation in the body.

For a moment simply be with this sensation and say hello.

Acknowledge that this sensation is within you and is now felt,

Seen,

Heard,

Noticed,

Acknowledged by you.

And greeting this feeling much like we would greet a small child that doesn't look happy,

Where something is up and we're interested.

So we draw awareness a little deeper in.

And let yourself investigate a little deeper what does this feeling look like?

How might this feeling describe itself?

Is there a size,

An intensity level,

A color?

Across any words that come that would help you describe this feeling?

You might speak out loud,

The description that's coming,

You might simply feel it inwardly or you could write it down.

Trust anything that comes.

Let the out-breath be how you deliver into your awareness.

Some descriptive words.

This feeling is,

This feeling is.

And now allow yourself to become even more interested.

Ask this feeling.

How are you?

What's up?

What's going on?

What's going on here?

And remember that this feeling has likely not been allowed to talk,

Maybe for a very long time.

Has possibly been drowned or numbed out and pushed down.

So give yourself a chance to listen.

Give this part of you a chance to find some words.

How are you feeling?

What's going on here?

How about any words?

Be okay,

Even if it's a little odd.

And if you can even get one word of description,

One word that describes the feeling present,

Go a little further and ask this felt sensation within you.

Why are you feeling this way?

And ask again.

What are you feeling and why are you feeling this way?

Time to ten.

Just a moment.

Opposite.

Now,

Ask what this place in you needs,

But try to guide this place away from needing something from anyone other than you.

So it's you here that is offering to be there for this part of yourself.

In other words,

It's not,

I need so and so to be different or do this or that.

Right now,

It is you communicating with this part of you and asking what this place in you needs from this more conscious,

Maybe more adult you.

You're moving a little closer to this part of yourself.

I love you and I'm here for you.

I want to know what you need from me.

I love you and I'm here for you.

I want to know what I can do for you.

Remembering that this part of you is not used to being heard,

Is not used to putting words on what hurts and what is needed.

So let it be clumsy,

Let it just be what it is,

Let whatever wants to be communicated be communicated in whichever way it wants to be communicated.

What do you need?

What can I do for you?

I love you,

I'm here for you,

What can I do for you?

How can I make it better?

I love you,

I'm here for you,

What can I do for you?

Notice if anything is changing in this vibration.

If you observe it,

Has the color,

Shape or intensity shifted at all?

Just notice.

Now moving even closer.

Ask this,

What is the worst part of this feeling?

Simply be with the answer.

Maybe it's not even a word,

Maybe it's simply a feeling that needs your presence.

If there is a word,

Repeat it back.

I'm hearing you say that this is the worst part of the feeling,

Or that this is how you're feeling,

Or what you're needing.

Say it back out loud or inwardly.

Now ask this feeling,

Is there something that would make this feeling feel better?

Let anything be okay.

Please know that sometimes there are very clear messages from these parts of ourselves,

And other times there are not.

There are simply feelings that need to be felt and acknowledged,

That simply need your presence,

That need your hug,

Without solving or analyzing or even understanding anything just yet.

And let that be okay too.

It's much like a small child being sad.

Sometimes a hug,

A dose of love,

Is what it takes.

And other times a more detailed conversation is helpful.

Now say to this place within you,

I am here.

I am not going to leave you alone anymore.

I am going to be with you as often as you need me to.

And thank this place for allowing you to feel it and hear it,

See it,

Listen to it,

Whatever came up for you,

Let anything be okay.

Please refrain from judging the experience.

You'll congratulate yourself for having the courage to be present with an unpleasant feeling.

Knowing that your awareness,

Your presence,

Is the healer.

And there is no timeline.

There is simply love being present with a place that hurts.

Thank you.

.

Reviews

Wonderful
Thank you

It felt good to connect with this part that felt lonely and unsettled. The tension in my chest eased. 🙏

Audio is low but it was definitely a soothing meditation. It helped my nervous knot in my stomach. Thank you for this meditation!

I have tried many many strategies to overcome the challenge of being able to focus. This is by far the most powerful experience of myself that has allowed me to feel a calm release of distracting feelings and sensations in me. I’d call this an “I Love you and I’m Listening” time out. Thank you!

Focusing is amazing, thanks for making this available via insight!

I understand more what has been my problem and know more where to start working. 😀

This was the nicest and the most efective meditation I have done in this app, so far! Refreshing to get in touch with other approaches. Thank you so much!

Not the best sound quality but great meditation! Thank you! 🙏

This is the only recorded meditation of my own that I listen to over and over. I highly recommend that you record yourself, guiding yourself through this process. There’s something very powerful about my adult self embracing my scared parts with presence and acceptance.

Thank you 🙏🏽. Just what I needed.

I feel more connected to my body and self compassion. I loved the reminders throughout to be accepting.

Super helpful, excellent lines of inquiry and approach. Thanks!

I did get a sure answer. I'm scared. How do I stop being scared besides faking it

This is really good. Helped me breath a lot deeper and feel loving toward myself for taking this time. Very good indeed, thank you ❤️🙏

Very useful technique on focusing on a felt sensation within...I loved seeing this sensation as a sad little child and loving that child, giving that child presence and attention! I worked on agreements I made from my father's negative and hurtful words! Thank you for this powerful technique! I will revisit often!

This helped me to be in contact with a deeper layer of myself, thank you

Excellent. I am very grateful. The best practice I’ve found for being with a felt sense. Thank you.

Excellent,I will come back and repeat..thank you

Helpful body scan leading into a deeper examination of a difficult sensation or emotion. Thank you.