Gendlin was sometimes frustrated with the reality that people do Focusing and then do not necessarily act on what they experience. We talk about this a lot as Focusers. There are infinite ways to approach this and I'll share here what works for me.

To bring physical movement more naturally from my Focusing, I practice embodiment movement techniques. I practice movement that arises from a felt sense. 

An example of this from Gendlin's A Process Model is his story of Isadora Duncan in Chapter VIII-A. He talks about how she waits for and interacts with this 'right feeling of the whole'. In her case, she was looking for a way to dance that arose from her soul. She listened within and waited. When she sensed a ripeness, a movement that arose from here, she followed it with her body. 

I learned in my Sufi training to do energetic walks. I would walk with a body sense that held some quality of Presence that was emerging in me. It might be patience or worthiness or how I use my voice. I would walk while inviting this body shift I had experienced to be here now. Then, key, I would try to hold it as long as I could. It would typically come and go. I would practice being with it. When it would fade, I would re-invite.

There are three stages to these walks. First, walking in nature, nature accepts us as we are now. We won't feel resistance from our environment that might pull us back into old patterns. Second, I practice this body shift among people I do not necessarily know. Maybe at the grocery store or a sidewalk in town. Third, I practice the body shift at home, with people who know the other way I held my body. Each of these environments gives me an opportunity to practice being this new way in small steps. Without the nature walk particularly, I've noticed that its much harder for me to live this new me. I've put together some excerpts from Gendlin's book, "Let Your Body Interpret Your Dreams", that describe his suggestions for practicing small action steps. You can access this PDF HERE. 

Most days, I have two of these walks worked into my day. I walk first thing in the morning and again mid-afternoon. 

In addition, on my way back from my morning walk in the woods, I stop at what I call my sky patio. I built it to enjoy sky views. It also works well for a series of Focusing Energizing Movements that I practice. These movements take 10-15 minutes most days. I have a full description and video on this webpage in Learn Focusing's Relational Resources section. 

There is one movement in particular that I use to practice moving from life forward flow that Gendlin outlines in Chapter VIII-A of A Process Model. I have made this into a short video of its own which is now on our YouTube channel. It is called Focusing Movement to Sense Life Forward Flow. There is a lot going on in this movement. First, we are setting up a dynamic with the diagonal pose which invites both perspectives, our right and left hemisphere perspectives to the space. Pay special attention to the PAUSE where we bring our awareness back to the ground after setting up our diagonal. We land here at the end of an exhale. There will be an inner discomfort in the pause as carbon dioxide builds in our blood. We acknowledge this, trusting our body will inhale when it needs to and that being uncomfortable in waiting is part of the process. The feeling of waiting and then naturally following the flow of the next inhale is exhilarating for me every time. I experience a sense of trusting my process, it's timing and my integration as a co-creator with the mystery of life. This latter sense I feel primarily in the vastness of the dragon wings as I bring my hands to land softly on the ground. 

What is happening here again? I practice body movement that arises from a felt sense in that pause. 

I invite you to explore some of these movements if you are looking for ways to practice embodiment of small action steps from your Focusing process. I would love to hear other ways you have found to practice. Maybe something in those excerpts from Gendlin's Dream book inspire you. It would be especially useful if you write up your practices in a way others could follow. Then I could share them here in a future blog/newsletter.