Workshops descriptions (MAE 2007):
This workshop was a presentation and exploration of Steve Scholle’s work on the web platform The Body of Information. Steve presented one model from the site providing participants a step–by–step means of entering more deeply their felt–sense and felt–shift. Participants were given sheets of poster paper to draw a body figure. Then, at each step they labeled and drew their experiences on the figure. In this way they mapped their way into their emergent experience.
For more information please go to www.bodyinfo.com
This presentation has been inspired by the work of Stanley Keleman, author of the book “Embodying Experience”. From the recognition and the exploration of the body shape, we went into a Focusing process revealing the meanings implicitly carried by it.
First part: the whole group comes into grounding according the bioenergetics principles, each person coming in contact with their own bodily shape.
Second part: individuals draw the outline of their body, with arrows, lines, colours and words.
Third part: each person chooses the most significant element, such as the muscular pattern shaping the whole body, or the most important element in the felt body or the whole felt sense, and focuses in pairs.
Fourth part: final sharing and short introduction to the possibility of a much more articulated work.
Nicoletta Corsetti nicolettacorsetti@virgilio.it
Emma Parisi emmaparisi@tiscali.it
Francesca tells participants of how she has envisioned using the Focusing process to put into dialogue the ethics of weight sharing and touching from the practices of Contact Improvisation and Shiatsu bodywork. Such vision was stimulated into concrete form during the Netherlands Focusing international (2006) when she was receiving a Focusing oriented Shiatsu session from Larry. Toward the end of the session she started to move and that brought surprise to Larry who nevertheless continued the session. The present work is a more deliberate continuation of that process.
Francesca verbally presents the score she has designed to further the exploration:
Larry and Francesca demonstrate the score including talking only as it pertains to the session itself. They then ask participants what they observed and are open to questions. They perform another demonstration, this time making the process more transparent by verbalizing what they are attending to. They welcome more questions from participants. Participants explore the score themselves, in the role of A and B. Participants report on their experiences and ask questions.
Francesca Castaldi www.focusingpathways.net
Larry Hurst larry.hurst@focus-in-touch.com
“Different energies flow to a meeting point where they share being and presence. There is a ‘listening within and without’ in a non–judgmental, compassionate and maybe loving way, accepting but not knowing what will come (Edge.) There is a trust that the right thing will come and an openness toward all possibilities.”
This idea came to me when I Focused on what MAE means to me as one of the organizers. I realized that this is my attitude not only when I work with clients in a Focusing session but also when I give Esalen Massages or do other bodywork and even when I teach. “Wow, this is the Focusing attitude the way I experience it/is it true for me, too?” were my thoughts. I believe that the Focusing attitude creates a special field where we can experience others and ourselves as holistic beings. Read more
In questo workshop attraverso il movimento, la postura ogni partecipante è entrato in contatto con il proprio felt sense. Abbiamo usato poco il linguaggio verbale, poichè la scelta era quella di simbolizzare il felt sense soprattutto attraverso il linguaggio corporeo. Dopo aver esplorato insieme la simbolizzazione di ognuno, siamo passati dolcemente all’esercizio del Tao, proprio del linguaggio dell'Unione, per percepire e stabilizzarci nella Presenza e nella centralità. L’obiettivo del lavoro è quello di esplorare il proprio Felt sense e quindi identificarsi sempre più nella Presenza, sposando Il Focusing con il Linguaggio dell'Unione, per una percezione ed una consapevolezza sempre più sottili.
Rosanna Camerlingo rosanna.camerlingo@libero.it
Si è fatta un’esperienza classica alla pari di focusing della durata complessiva circa di 40 minuti tra gli otto partecipanti. Successivamente si è fatta un esperienza collettiva di meditazione zen basata sulla consapevolezza della posizione del corpo seduto che respira. Poi c’è stata una condivisione di tutti i partecipanti dell’esperienza vissuta. Dopo ciò ho dato alcuni elementi filosofici e sul metodo della meditazione. Obbiettivo del conduttore è di verificare se l’esperienza previa di focusing favorisce l’approfondimento dello stato di consapevolezza della esperienza stessa di meditazione la sua qualità e intensità. L’ipotesi teorica da cui si è partito è che l’esperienza di focusing tramite l’attenzione alla sensazione percepita alleggerisca del vortice dei pensieri e aiutasse la percezione del corpo qui ora adesso nel momento presente creando condizioni di preparazione ottimali per entrare molto più rapidamente e intensamente nella meditazione zen ovvero la consapevolezza del corpo mente seduto nell’immobilità che respira che nel suo microcosmo esprime la vita in tutta la sua universalità. L’esperimento a mio giudizio dopo la condivisione ha avuto esito positivo perché si è riscontrato una consapevolezza del corpo mente intensa e profonda che per persone digiune di meditazione zen come lo erano tutti i partecipanti è inequivocabilmente una cosa nuova normalmente chi inizia un processo di meditazione per la prima volta arriva a tale qualità e intensità di consapevolezza. Confermo quindi la validità enorme del focusing come strumento di aiuto e sostegno ai processi meditativi.
Sidney Journò Sidney57@tiscali.it
cell.0039-3493725692
Brigitte Moretti is interested in finding a way to enhance (motor) learning skills by combining Feldenkrais’ “awareness through movement” with the focusing practice used as a new starting level. During the workshop participants were first guided into a short time of attuning, sensing their bodies in space and in relation to gravity, sensing inside, their supporting parts and particularly their spines. The spine, and its peculiarity in orienting head and pelvis, upper and lower parts of ourselves in space, was the core theme of the ATM (Awareness Through Movement) lesson. The second part of the workshop was dedicated to focusing processes in pairs. Unfortunately after that, time for feedback was very short and each one could only share a first impression.
Brigitte Moretti brigitte.moretti@tiscalinet.it
Il Focusing, introdotto nel lavoro corporeo che faccio sia con i gruppi che individualmente, si è rivelato uno strumento efficace per ottenere una espressione verbale che si avvicini sempre più a ciò che viene sentito.
Tipicamente, il lavoro così come l’ho impostato, si articola in sei fasi:
Olga Pasquini olgapasquini@tim.it
The Daffners presented a practice called “All of Me” that they teach to couples. Focusing experience is not required. With easy, guided instructions, this simple communication process, adapted from the Inner Relationship Focusing model of Ann Weiser Cornell, quickly creates cohesion and heightened loving presence. Participants paired off to practice and were pleased with the results.
More information about the Daffners work can be found at www.IntimacyRetreats.com
Barbara Altwegg organized this workshop as a way for music makers to tap their focusing process in their playing. It was a participatory exploration, where each of us had opportunities to deepen our playing as well as listening experience, and provide feedback to each other. Some breakthroughs were achieved. For instance, one participant who had relied on reading her music throughout her playing career was able to step back and play through her sense of the music, even if it meant improvising. She felt this was a new direction for her playing.
Barbara Altwegg barbara.altwegg@bluewin.ch
The Daffners led a daily practice of T'ai Chi Chih, a meditative movement program that fosters balance, awakened energy and peaceful serenity.
