Greetings! It is time to activate this blog! I had initially paused to focus on writing Smartview Stories. This blog will now feature news from Barbara Dickinson, myself, and guest contributions from our students who are now living Focusing forward in their lives. This first blog is an expansion of something I wrote in a recent newsletter.

Earlier this week, I had an integrative Focusing session that ended for me with a sense of skipping forward. I use the word 'integrative' to indicate that I was holding a larger space for aspects of myself that I was already familiar with; however, they were coming together in this fresh way that my life is calling for now and that was in my invitation. Skipping has come up for me every few years as an embodiment action, a way to live forward my process. I understand that practicing this movement will enhance how quickly I find myself living from this new reality. I really enjoy this movement. I feel a sense of youthfulness. Skipping involves all of our body, moving with a sense of rhythm and balance as well as a kind of joyful lightness. 

The session ended with a bit of humor too. I got a glimpse of myself as Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz. I was skipping along with the Scarecrow, the Tin-Man and the Lion, each which correlated with an aspect of self that had come together toward the end of the session with a sense of "We're in this adventure together - let's skip joyfully toward our goal regardless of where we've been and what we encounter ahead." I do not often have movie characters in my Focusing processes, so this was a surprise. I do often have humor added when big shifts are taking place. I encourage this myself in how I hold my inner space. 

**A side note:  I've been skipping around our property since and I will add that skipping up steeper hills is a much more complex experience that would take a fresh invitation! Something happens in skipping up a hill that feels a bit like being on an escalator moving down while I am trying to move up. My back leg slips back a bit. My initial sense is keep to the gradual slopes for now. All good!**

Heart to the Horizon, interestingly, was the symbol or felt sense reflection that came from my Focusing companion when she shared what came for her after my session was complete. This was one of those magical moments of connection where I really felt my own process move still another step forward. For her, heart to the horizon, is a phrase she learned once in a cranial sacral training. The gist is that walking while holding this phrase in mind, naturally brings an empowering posture, while also keeping our heart's attention with what is unfolding on the horizon before us. When she shared this, I felt an immediate resonance and a reaching of my heart toward the horizon in my chest. 

I told her then and I continue to reflect on how much I appreciate this phrase.

Heart to the Horizon.

Heart to the Horizon.

Heart to the Horizon. 

I appreciate the sound of the words in my voice. I appreciate the reaching of my heart forward. I appreciate how my chest opens and the sense of confidence that comes. I appreciate that the phrase naturally holds life forward flow. I appreciate how relevant it is to everything I feel drawn toward as I am ending 2023 and reaching myself toward 2024. 

For instance, intertwining her felt sense with what already came for me from my own rich understanding of the power of skipping, is the essence of what I hope people find in Smartview Stories. The fact that this emerged from my Companion sharing what came for them freshly in being with my process is what Barbara Dickinson and I love about Interactive Focusing. Having people in our lives that can naturally access felt senses and communicate them with us, essentially, with Hearts to the Horizon is precious indeed. 

Thank you for being one of the hearts linked to our horizon! If this news has touched you, whether it's an affirmation or confusion, we would love to hear what comes below.