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Power of Empathy and Focusing
2015-09-12
Ann Cornell is a Focusing trainer and teacher in Berkeley, California.. Her students give free guided Focusing sessions as part of their training. I volunteered to receive a Focusing session by one of the students which was watched over by Ann and 3 other students. The session lasted for about 45 minutes.
In a focusing session, the person focusing speaks from their felt sense. That is from what they are feeling in their body from moment to moment. The listener reflects back what they are hearing the speaker say and offers some guidance to the speaker that helps them connect more to their feelings.
The process is similar to an empathy circle. I would like to bring the principles and tools of focusing into the empathy circle.
I felt really good when I was done. My felt experience of the world was broader, more expansive, calmer, more connected, vivid. I started with feeling anxiety in the core of my body. Then an heaviness, numbness and control over my head area. Then the feeling of humor and curiosity arose as I related to those feelings..
I started massaging the numbness. Kneading it and loosening it up. There were so many different feelings and sensations that came up and moved through my body. I came out of the office building out onto the streets and could feel the world in a different way than when I had walked it.
Insight: The speaking from a felt experience and describing the feelings is so much richer than speaking from a concept. Speaking from a concept can be transformed into an awareness of the felt experience of the concept.
Empathy Circle Research Report Parameters
How might we design a form to support creating a report?
( x ) Length of time: 45 min
( x ) # of Participants:2
( ) Outline of empathy circle:
( ) Intention setting
( ) Candle
( x ) Empathic listening - Focusing
( ) Mirrored
( ) Blow out intention and candle
( ) Others?
( ) Participant Feedback:
( ) Facilitators Insights:
( ) Photo's taken: ( ) yes ( x ) no
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