This is a felt sense practice to help clear old emotional patterns.
The felt sense was originally developed by Eugene Gendlin as a part of a focusing technique that helps to connect the body and mind.
It's designed to create more awareness of what is going on internally and the parts of yourself that don't often get attention.
In essence,
You're asking your body for information for deeper knowing and it's a combination of awareness of your emotions and somatic practice.
It helps you to acknowledge what might be stuck in the body from past experiences so old patterns can be cleared and shifted.
We have a tendency to resist difficult emotions and even push them down,
Ignore them or cover them up with other behaviors.
Felt sense gives them a chance to be known and processed.
During the practice,
You might not be able to verbalize what you're feeling.
However,
You can tune into the somatic sensations or even images,
Shapes or colors that come into your awareness.
Once you have the feeling,
You can communicate with it and be attentive to its needs.
It's learning to be in your body again,
Particularly with difficult emotions.
As you move through this practice,
If at any point it becomes too much,
You can put your awareness on a neutral part of your body instead or you can connect to that part of you that is experiencing the strong sensation.
For example,
You could say,
I love you,
I'm with you,
I'm here for you.
In effect,
You're using your awareness to extend an empathetic connection to support that part of your body.
Let's begin.
Find your seat.
Well,
You're also welcome to lie down for this practice in a space that's quiet and you won't be interrupted.
Allow yourself to feel as comfortable as possible.
If you need a blanket or pillow or eye covering,
Please do whatever you need to be at ease during this practice.
You might even like to check in to see if there's anything you can do to make yourself even 5% more comfortable.
Allow your eyes to close and start by feeling all the points of contact of your body on the floor or the chair.
The sense of being grounded and connected to the earth,
Supported and held in this moment.
A place into which you can soften and bring your attention to your breath and allow yourself to breathe deeply into your belly.
As you inhale,
Expand to receive the breath in.
And as you exhale,
Releasing,
Slowing the breath down,
Letting it become steady and even.
Feeling the sensations as it rises and falls.
Inviting yourself into this moment and taking a few more deeper breaths and then allow your breath to return to its own natural and easy rhythm.
Breathing gently and softly.
Now bring your attention to your body.
And as you begin to feel into your body,
Notice how it's doing.
How is it feeling on the inside?
What is present?
You don't need to resist anything,
Push anything away.
There's no judgment.
You're simply noticing what's here.
And scan through your body,
Your throat,
Your heart,
Your belly,
Shoulders,
Your jaw.
Be aware of where you might be holding some tightness or tension.
Notice if there's one area or place in particular that's drawing your attention more than the others that's calling you to it.
It could be that there's a sense of less ease or maybe it feels a little unsettled.
And once you've found that place,
Take a moment to acknowledge it.
Today you'll be spending time with this place within you.
And can you allow it to be there just as it is?
Not having to change it or fix it.
You're simply noticing its presence.
You might even like to say hello to it.
Hello.
How does it feel for that place to be seen and acknowledged?
And you can begin to investigate a little deeper.
What does this feeling appear like?
Is there a color,
A size or a shape?
Perhaps there's a texture or sensation.
Is there a level of intensity?
And trust anything that comes.
This is your body speaking with you.
And you can ask this feeling,
What's going on for you?
What's it like for you?
And let it respond to you in its own way.
It might be words,
Images,
Movement in your body.
You're open to whatever comes,
To any way this place wants to communicate.
And it might need a little bit of time.
Give it space to allow the awareness to arrive.
It's likely this feeling hasn't been allowed to share,
Perhaps for a very long time.
Give yourself the chance to listen.
How are you feeling?
What do you want to share with me?
And let anything that comes up be okay.
Invite it to go a little further.
Ask this felt sensation within you.
Why are you feeling this way?
And notice how it feels for this place to be heard.
Exactly the way it is.
And if any words or sentences come,
You can repeat silently back to that place.
I'm hearing you say that this is how you're feeling.
You might even like to name what this place is feeling.
And sometimes there might be a clear message,
And other times there may not be.
And that's okay.
You're simply being here with what comes.
And ask what this place needs.
I encourage you to guide this place away from needing something from another person,
So that it's you offering to be there for this part of yourself.
It doesn't need anyone else to do anything.
What does this place need?
Let it know.
I love you,
And I'm here for you.
I love you.
I'm here for you.
Is there anything I can do to make it better?
Maybe this area would like a hand placed on it.
Perhaps it just wants you to be there with it.
Give it your attention.
Feeling it.
Hearing it.
Acknowledging it.
Maybe this part of you has never been seen by you before.
Can you be there for it,
Just as you would a small child?
Acknowledging whatever arises.
Giving your attention and care and your presence.
Notice it by being with it.
It has shifted in any way.
Has the color,
Shape,
Size,
Texture,
Or intensity shifted at all?
Just notice.
And know that you don't need to solve it.
You simply just need to be with it.
Now say to this place within you,
I am here.
I'm not going to leave you alone anymore.
I'm going to be here for you.
Thank that part of the body for sharing with you.
And thank yourself for showing up to listen,
To observe,
And to be present.
Taking a few minutes here now to integrate all that came.
And slowly in your own time,
Bringing your attention back to the room you're in.
Becoming aware of the environment around you.
Of sounds that might come into your awareness.
Notice the feeling of your body on the ground or chair.
And taking some gentle movement.
Moving in a way that feels intuitively good for you in your body.
And allowing your eyes to gently open.
You can come back to this practice at any time to drop into those places that need you,
Your care and attention.
