Living in the challenge: Introduction to Mindful Focusing
Through Mindful Focusing, access the vast resources and wisdom of your body to move ahead in your life with renewed vision and energy. Taught in English. Translation upon request.
Our bodies hold vast resources of inner wisdom. This somatic kind of wisdom lies at a level deeper than the contents of our discursive, conceptual minds. Because it is pre-conceptual, non-linear and holistic, somatic wisdom mostly goes unrecognized.
Mindful Focusing is a contemplative technique designed to access these deeper sources of knowing. It is a sophisticated yet simple mind-body practice that blends traditional Buddhist mindfulness-awareness with the radically new “Felt-Sense Focusing” method of American philosopher and psychologist Eugene Gendlin. Mindfulness-awareness meditation cultivates mental clarity and emotional balance, while Focusing brings gentle, nonjudgmental attention to “felt senses” – the innate inner sensations that are portals to the body’s deeper knowing
Inner confusion and self-doubt, relationship issues, work challenges, action blocks – are all golden opportunities for fresh understanding and personal growth. When embraced with compassion and courage, they can give rise to liberating insights and action steps that dissolve obstacles and move us open ahead in our lives with renewed vision and energy.
In this three-day course, you will:
- Discover ways to be more fully alive and authentic by befriending and deepening your inner life
- Learn to recognize and nurture inner “felt sense” experiences
- Deeply contemplate your own life issues to resolve negative habitual patterns, emotions and states of mind
- Become a better listener – more empathic and less reactive
This highly experiential workshop includes meditation sessions, instruction, guided exercises, personal sharing and group discussion. During some of the exercises, you will be paired with another participant to take turns practicing Mindful Focusing and Empathic Listening.
Practical
Arrival day (Wesnesday October 10): Orientation talk at 8 pm. You’re invited to come from 4 pm in order to register and settle in your room. Dinner is served at 6.45 pm.
End of programme (Saturday October 13): Closing circle and Banquet in the evening.
Departure day (Sunday October 14): You may leave anytime (no programme that day). You’re welcome to stay for lunch.
This programme is taught in English. Free translation into French or other languages needs to be confirmed. Important: translation services are possible only if you register your request at least two months in advance of the programme.
