I’ve known for a while that when I was little, one of the reason’s I had such a drive to excel academically was to get love and attention. What I didn’t realize was that this belief—learning being a critical way to get love—was still running the show!

A lot of the time, we are Focusing with something holistically, being with the whole of it. But sometimes, what comes forward are particular “parts” of ourselves. In a way patterns or habitual ways of reacting or thinking in given situations. There are many ways to work with these parts, and this blog will dive into ways that Focusing and other tools can be used to help.

The inclusion of heart energy or self-compassion during the receiving step adds a new element to the focusing attitude. In order to maximize its benefits, it is helpful to activate this energy at the beginning of a focusing session, so we have it online when we get to the felt sense of an issue.

How can we shift our habits? One way is to tap into the possibility of another way with Focusing. We then need to practice the new habit, until it becomes praxis (at least most of the time).

Most of the time our body wisdom is helpful. But sometimes it’s out of date. Learn how to tell the difference, including when to embrace procrastination, and when to use it as a sign that you’re ready to change something about yourself.

An overview of the research on Focusing, including where bodily responses have been measured directly (e.g. galvanic skin response) and using qualitative research (e.g. experiencing scale).

In this blog, I cover the parts and qualities of our selves we can map with the felt sense body cards. I’ve found this work to be the best use of the cards. However, they are also quite useful for recording what comes in any Focusing session.