I have created all these Resources so you can have easy free guiding notes. I would love you to have a look and pick and choose the ones that appeal to you. I know from working with people that all the things I have included help different people in different ways.
I’ve been inspired to create these based on the work of many teachers. A thank you credit is given within each resource. If you use them please acknowledge where you got them from and if I have adapted them from someone else please acknowledge that too.
Some of these are easy one off tips and techniques and some are practical exercises particularly around mindfulness and focusing.
Some of the benefits of using these resources and actually putting them into your life include:
- Experiencing greater well-being
- Feeling happier, calmer and less reactive
- Being able to concentrate better
- Being able to be with the things you find inside you like anxiety or busy thoughts
- Coping better with everyday stresses and strains eg relationship and family issues
- Being with the good things in life as well
Communication and Resilience Resources
- Your values
Discover your deepest inner most value and intentionally live your life that way
- Your aspiration
An exercise to help you decide on your aspiration for the day which sets your day up the way you want it to be
- Be grateful
An every day exercise in being grateful that reminds you of the good in your life
- ‘When, I feel, because…’
Communicate well and use ‘When, I feel, because’. ‘When’ points to the behaviour of another, ‘I feel’ lets them know how you feel and ‘because’ gives the reason.
- Create a pleasure board
Create a pleasure board it makes you feel better
- Create a strength board
Create a strength board, accomplishment board, skills board or all three. This definitely helps you feel better
- Create a worry board
Create a Worry board. Writing your worries down helps your worries subside
- Listening exercise
A listening exercise to help you practice being a better listener
- Ways to get back in the zone
For netballers or other sports people, some ways to get back in the zone if you find your shot goes off. Can also be used for other skills and sports
Emotionally Focused Therapy Resources
- EFT
Emotionally Focused therapy briefly explained
- Emotion versus “Felt sense”
The difference between an ‘emotion’ and a ‘felt sense’ and why we need both
Focusing Resources
- About Gene Gendlin
A brief description of the father of focusing Gene Gendlin
- Who came up with Focusing
Gene Gendlin discovered Focusing. A brief explanation of Gene Gendlin’s thesis is given.
- Gendlin’s Six steps
A brief description of Gendlin’s 6 Focusing steps to give you an introduction to focusing.
- Getting a felt sense of something you like and don’t like
An introduction to focusing and your ‘felt sense’ via focusing on something you like and something you don’t like
- A focusing session
A summary of focusing, its benefits, and what typically happens in a session
- Friedman’s Focusing steps
Friedman’s version of Gendlin’s Focusing steps to help people focus
- Campbell and McMahon’s Focusing steps
The focusing steps according to Campbell and McMahon, Jesuit priests who wrote a book called Bio-Spirituality
- Focusing guiding sheet
A suggested guide in for focusing plus clearing a space and welcoming what wants our attention and awareness
- Rappaport’s clearing a space
Rappaport’s way to clear a space which is Gendlin’s first step in Focusing and then use art expression
- Unfolding a ‘felt sense’
Notes on how to help someone unfold their own ‘felt sense’ and focus
- Clearing a space
Clearing a space – a wonderful exercise to put all your issues or worries on the outside of you and then decide what to work on
- Definitions of a felt sense
Different focusing teachers describe what a ‘felt sense’ means to them
- Definitions of Focusing
Different focusing teachers describe what Focusing means to them
- Getting bigger than what is bothering you
Getting bigger than what is bothering you’ a wonderful method that builds compassion and allows you to be with whatever is bothering you
- Grounded Aware Presence GAP
David Rome’s steps for Grounded aware presence
- Grounding and Presence
Kevin McAvenue’s steps on grounding and presences to set the scene for Focusing
- Listening roles when Focusing with a partner and observer
Roles for listener and observer when accompanying someone Focusing
- Mini whole body focusing
Kevin McEvenue’s Mini whole body focusing exercise
- Picture work and art work
Focusing using picture work and art to help people get in touch with their felt sense
- A spiritual exercise using Focusing
Getting in touch with your spirituality via Focusing and art – Rappoport
- The inner critic
Recognising judgement and working with the critic
- The body fills itself in
Gene Gendlin the father of focusing explains how our body knows how to fill itself in and how we know the forward steps that are right for us
- The Focusing Attitude
Notes on what the focusing attitude means
- What are the benefits of focusing
The benefits of Gendlin’s Focusing steps and how do we can help clients to focus.
- What does your body know about a question you want answered?
Your body can help you answer a question you want answered if you just pause and listen
Mindfulness and Meditation Resources
- Deep breathing
Deep breathing – a way to ground yourself with your breath and be in the moment
- 1 minute mindfulness exercises
A couple of easy quick mindfulness exercises to do when you are under stress
- Writing an affirmation
Steps on how to write an affirmation.
- Concentrative meditation
Steps on how to do a concentrative meditation to take you to your still place
- A guided meditation
A guided meditation to you can do for yourself or get a friend to lead you through it
- Loving kindness meditation
A loving kindness meditation to help you grow compassion for yourself and others
- Forgiveness meditation
A forgiveness meditation or intention to let go of blame.
- RAIN meditation
The RAIN mindfulness meditation which stands for Recognize, Allow, Investigate with kindness/intimacy and Notice with intimate presence
- Tonglen Meditation
A Tonglen Practice from the Tibetan tradition – compassion for one,compassion for many and compassion for self
- Smile down meditation
The smile down meditation – a lovely meditation to connect you to the larger system of a big smiling sky
- Change meditation
A change meditation to help you change something in your life
- Relaxation Meditation
10 Minute relaxation meditation using breath and your body
Links and References
- References, bibliography and website links
A list of the main references including authors and books and websites that have informed my work.
- Website links
Website links that I will keep adding to - Focusing and Mindfulness Websites Websites on Focusing and Mindfulness with a blurb on each
