June 5, 2015
Meeting Notes
We are pleased to share with you meeting notes from the June 5 , 2015, meeting of New York Metro Focusing,
Larry Hurst’s program “Inviting Felt Sensing Through Shared Sound and Movement in Community.” There were around 16 participants.
Larry led us through three guided felt sensing exercises. These led into a focusing conversation, which was the core of the evening.
Larry began the evening by noting that sound vibrations are commonly understood to be the first senses of the embryo and the last senses perceived by the dying. Each one of our senses provides a different “peephole” into perception.
In the first exercise, which Larry referred to as an “ice breaker,” we closed our eyes and imagined being new to focusing and arriving in a new physical space where there were people whom we did not know. We then opened our eyes and moved about the room greeting people with silent looks and gestures.
The second exercise was an exploration of our own inner physiological processes: the movement of the blood in our veins and arteries, the beat of the heart, the movement of the breath, and so forth. It gave us an opportunity to dwell in the mystery of the internal workings of our bodies.
In the third exercise, we were invited to walk around the room and take in our environment, being aware of what we were drawn to or away from, and how we were moved to respond with sound or movement. We were invited to let the environment support us and to let ourselves respond to it.
A rich and spirited focusing conversation followed. The comments included:
“the whole thing came together at the end”
“enjoying the movement, despite feeling self-conscious”
“in paying attention to the functioning of the body, I realized that to me, my internal systems are a dark continent”
“in watching someone else’s movement, I could partake of a fuller experience than what I was able to have myself at this time”
Meeting Notes
We are pleased to share with you meeting notes from the June 5 , 2015, meeting of New York Metro Focusing,
Larry Hurst’s program “Inviting Felt Sensing Through Shared Sound and Movement in Community.” There were around 16 participants.
Larry led us through three guided felt sensing exercises. These led into a focusing conversation, which was the core of the evening.
Larry began the evening by noting that sound vibrations are commonly understood to be the first senses of the embryo and the last senses perceived by the dying. Each one of our senses provides a different “peephole” into perception.
In the first exercise, which Larry referred to as an “ice breaker,” we closed our eyes and imagined being new to focusing and arriving in a new physical space where there were people whom we did not know. We then opened our eyes and moved about the room greeting people with silent looks and gestures.
The second exercise was an exploration of our own inner physiological processes: the movement of the blood in our veins and arteries, the beat of the heart, the movement of the breath, and so forth. It gave us an opportunity to dwell in the mystery of the internal workings of our bodies.
In the third exercise, we were invited to walk around the room and take in our environment, being aware of what we were drawn to or away from, and how we were moved to respond with sound or movement. We were invited to let the environment support us and to let ourselves respond to it.
A rich and spirited focusing conversation followed. The comments included:
“the whole thing came together at the end”
“enjoying the movement, despite feeling self-conscious”
“in paying attention to the functioning of the body, I realized that to me, my internal systems are a dark continent”
“in watching someone else’s movement, I could partake of a fuller experience than what I was able to have myself at this time”