Primal Mind: Reconnecting With Life Force and Recovering the Wisdom of Becoming Human (Recording Only)
When we look at the world, we often struggle with a constant beneath the surface sense “that it is not supposed to be like this.” Constant Crisis and War. Climate Change and the Sixth Extinction. Political and Economic Unrest. It is as if the world is caught in a trap – a trap of our own making. Something seems to be missing in our cultural calculations that would help free us. A different way of facing that "beneath the surface" unease. This workshop is about how embodiment is that missing thing. We need to recover the intelligence of our body to face these challenges.
The mainstream cultural story is that thinking will save us. Yet, we know we cannot reason our way in or out of many aspects of a human life. For instance, we cannot reason our way into being present, falling in love, or finding fulfillment. The type of attention and understanding that unites us with others is not thinking but an embodied presence. And the types of problems that we see when we turn to the world, are problems of community and relating. To solve problems of community, we need an embodied response. Our culture, however, struggles in this area.
All the past cultures in the world had embodied responses to problems. Our culture does not. Somewhere along the way, we lost it. We need to face that challenge. In this two-hour workshop, Kevin Johnson will offer a response to that challenge.
Kevin Johnson is a university professor and PUPA Focusing Trainee (with Coordinatinator-in-Training Annette Dubreuil). His work focuses on integrating our ability to reason with embodied presence. To do this, he teaches about a mode of seeing and being that he calls Primal Mind. In this two-hour workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to connect to Primal Mind which is at the very roots of your identity and self-understanding.
In this workshop, we will explore the Primal Mind in a deeper way from a number of perspectives:
Eugene Gendlin’s philosophy of the implicit found in his Focusing Practice and his book A Process Model as the main reconnecting entry to Primal Mind.
The philosopher David Abram’s work on animism, language, and perception.
Indigenous and African wisdom of nature with writers like Robin Wall Kimmerer and Malidoma Patrice Somé.
Neuroscience: insights of contemporary thinkers in this field like Iain McGilchrist, Jill Bolte Taylor, interpersonal neurobiologists Daniel Siegel and Darcia Narvaez’s work on widening our sense of identity and the practices of being fully human.
The workshop will include an initial centering and two Focusing guided exercises to explore your access to Primal Mind:
to experience the place you love and are deeply connected to
of recalling a memory of wandering with wonder in a natural setting and recalling the felt sense of your interaction there
We will end with some take away actions steps on how to focus with nature and with natural places to grow our Primal Minds.
You will receive the felt sense body cards to record your experience during the workshop, and the slides afterwards.
Workshop Details
Date and Time live workshop was held: Monday, December 11, 2023, 1-3 pm Eastern Time
Ways to participate:
Recording only
Who is this workshop for? This workshop is for Focusers of all levels who would like to explore the Primal Mind. It is also for those new to Focusing but who have been working with the polycrisis and are looking for new tools to make their action more effective. Previous Focusing practice in partnership is helpful but not required for the breakout room practice. Instructions will be provided and you will be in groups of three.
Sliding scale pricing:
This workshop has sliding scale pricing, offering multiple price points to make it more accessible and reduce financial barriers for people with different levels of income. Please view the sliding scale fees page for more details and codes.
Full fee: Recording only $19
25% off: US$14.25
50% off: US$9.50
70% off: US$5.70
80% off: US$3.80
90% off: US$1.90
What People Have said about our 101 Workshop:
“Great! This two-hour workshop gave me exactly what I wanted, which was a deeper understanding of the process and more importantly seeing it in action. Nothing beats having a direct experience. Thank you, Annette, for your knowledge, patience and kindness.”
–Alan Ross, Psychotherapist, UK
“The Focusing 101 Workshop gave me an invaluable tool to use in my practice. Feelings and associations that were lurking under the surface for years were finally able to emerge when I used the focusing practice I learned with Annette in this simple 2 hour course. I'd been looking for a way to "bring out" people's felt sense in sessions, but somehow I often felt the opportunity slip through my fingers during sessions. Now, when I sense that there's something that my client needs to "feel" into his or her awareness, I have a script with prompts, concrete ideas of questions to ask and an understanding of a unique form of listening, and something amazing emerges almost every time.”
–Esther M, New York
"I had a wonderful experience observing how you listen during the demonstration, and the words and intonation you speak. After that, my Focusing that I'm doing alone has changed. It is hard to explain but after our one-on-one session and workshop I internalized your voice and intonation, and now when I'm focusing alone it helps me move forward."
–Roman Matsaienko, Ukraine
“Having taken part in Annettes' 101 Workshop I felt that this helped me deepen my understanding of the process and practice of Focusing. I liked the way Annette gave us enough information and allowed and encouraged us to experience the practice too. For me this was just the right balance and I really enjoyed being part of this group learning.
I feel confident in recommending these workshops to anyone who has just begun their investigation into the value of Focusing and anyone who may be further on their path and needs to progress with guidance and support in a friendly and open group.
Thanks Annette, I really appreciate your caring guidance and support.”
–Mark This. Facilitator. UK.