The ‘felt’ sense is not our feelings and emotions but the whole ‘fuzzy’ feeling which comes when we relax for thirty seconds and turn our attention inwardly and see what arises within our bodies. It is always something unexpected and if we bring our attention to just this moment, just what we can feel, it is pleasant, and connecting. If their is unpleasantness which we want to avoid when we go in to find it we will discover that their is always nuance, detail, space around it, other feelings, more than we expected. This method is called Focusing and it can be done throughout the day in the classroom. when you have thirty seconds you can have a check to see your emotional state, how your body is and get a glimpse of your felt experiences.
When you have finished work, to pause for lunch or at the end of the day you can use this to connect with yourself in a relaxed
way to continue your day without the stresses of work hanging over you. In this way you can maintain your energy and your connections with your friends and family, rather than rehearse what you need to do next or examine all of your regrets. This is a kind and compassionate practice to help you keep your energy up. Focusing is most powerful when shared, you can offer your colleagues an opportunity to recharge themselves rather than get lost in the difficulties of their day, and keep your self from being pulled into their difficulties as well as your own. You can also use this practice to help children connect with their difficulties and find that in their sadness and hopelessness their are ways to move forward. This can be verbal and non verbals for young children or those who have difficulty expressing themselves in words.
