Professional Log

Title:

FOAT: Part Two

Dialogue with difficulty

Modality:

Meditation; visualization; sculpture

Time:

40 minutes

Facilitator
Information:

Deborah Green
(MAAT AthR PhD)

(qualifications
etc)

Materials:

Comfortable space; pillows; paper; relaxing music; clay

Goal:

To bring attention to the body/mind connection

To use Focusing as a way to get in touch with your inner world
To use a pre-established cleared space to drop in with inner
feelings, to identify problems or a felt-sense, and to work with
concerns in a tangible manner

Method/
Process:

Participant sits or lies down and gets comfortable. They may close
their eyes or keep them open (but they should blur their vision).
They are then briefly made aware of their physical being; breath;
their heartbeat. The participant is invited to follow their heartbeat
to drop in to their previously established safe and peaceful place
within.
Once the clear space has been reached, the participant is
encouraged to consider the sites, the smells, the feelings of that
place, and to savour their experience.
Participant is then asked to shift their attention to the issues that
they had previously caste out. They are instructed to invite them
back, one by one, and to dialogue with them. They are asked to
consider their background feeling; to draw it back and to face it
with an open mind.
The participant is invited to choose an issue or a felt-sense, and to
consider a handle or symbol through which it may be brought
back into the conscious world.
The participant is slowly and gently invited back into the room.
Participant is asked to use the clay provided to tangibly capture
their conflict. They are asked to continuously check in with their
trouble, to continue their dialogue with it, guided by questions
such as: what is the most important part of this? What does this
need?
Coupled with a partner, the participant reflects upon the outcome
of this activity and the processes they used to create their
artworks (both in part one and part two of this experiential).

Outcome:
(including
your personal
reaction to /
reflection on
participating
in this activity)

This dialogue needs to be well structured and guided. This was

helpful to start dialoguing with/tackling the stressors that can be
overwhleming on mass. Bringing them in one by one to the clear
space will be pivotal in chaning. The participant will have to be
ready to start this challenge, as the stressors invading that sacred
space may be too much too soon. It is a challenge to balance
acceptance with change.