‘And there’s something here perhaps that the body is offering you, something wanting, something, raw, something hurting…. Inviting it to feast at the table, the fullness of this experience, being empathically received in presence, just letting g it be the way it wants to be, allowing it to find it’s own way into its own healing and wholeness all in good time.’
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‘This is the alchemy that turns ore into gold, carbon into diamonds, pupa into butterflies.  The butterfly of the felt sense knows its own freedom, is unbounded, and natural…..’

‘We are intimately connected, we are all born of stardust and heat form the sun, and from the waters of the mighty oceans and lakes, from the earth, from the space around us. There is innate wisdom in these elements as they combine into animation, into us, just being available to this mystery of the life that runs through  us, how amazing.‘

‘This is the matrix for creativity, healing, flow the fresh edge that knows its own way, that knows its own direction, without restraint, without patterning, expressing itself in the moment spontaneously, playfully even.’

More on Simon and Living Presence: https://www.living-presence.co.uk/

Exquisite Alchemy of Focusing Support Attunements Reflections Exercises

Something in us might be short of choice when it comes to being hostage to the Cartesian ‘I think therefore I am’ mind, hostage to anxiety, worry, beliefs, convictions, depression and more.  Focusing Training Winter 2025 https://www.tickettailor.com/events/focusing There is another way, through Embodied Relational Presence for deeper healing and forward movement.

Healing Connection, Creativity, Community, Wellbeing through Relational Presence

Sitting with the Felt Sense
The felt sense comes alive when we sit alongside something and be with it just as it is. This is perhaps the most challenging thing a human can do. On one hand, you don’t want to be with it. On the other, how do you be with it? And what is it, anyway? Many things come up around that. Yet when one entertains it, I believe it can be incredibly inspiring. Something in you will catch it and go, “Right. Okay.” It’s like one’s whole universe potentially shifts. When one is entertained by the felt sense, it's like Lyra, Philip Pullman's character with the subtle knife. She cuts through the air and enters another reality. I think that’s exactly it. The Edge of the Map
There’s a deep sigh of recognition about what’s heard here. It’s continually reminding itself of that, because it’s not a habit. It can’t be. That’s the beauty. It’s on the borderline of habit and non-habit. It’s at the edge of the map. You come to the edge of the map, and then what? It’s freeform. It’s like finding a whole new map. But the map can be different every time. A whole new place. Multi-dimensional. And it can only be a map in retrospect. You can’t have the map to begin with—it’s not there. Map is linear. This is more multi-dimensional. The map runs out, and you look back and go, “Oh, now I have a new map.” You can’t look forward with that map. It’s a new kind of way of being.

Metaphor, Creativity, and the Limit of Language
It’s very nourishing just to chat about it. Something in me gets it. It’s like that. It can only ever be a “like that” from this perspective. In a way, it’s another map—a metaphor or symbol. Like a pair of wings, like a surfboard. I talk about surfing. But maybe you have your own metaphor that fits better. This is where true creativity happens. It’s the place of the artist, the creative to create. And if someone is creating from a map, they’re not truly creating.

Shifting Paradigms
It’s a different paradigm. It’s liberating. I was talking to a friend. I used the phrase "going south." We’re a bit far north—let’s go south. It’s tough. Then they talked about being below the waterline—what’s happening there? We recognize that from different traditions. In a sense, we’re coming to the same point. And then the whole conversation calmed. And it was like—that’s it.

All We Have Is Relationship
Relationship. That’s it. We’re not having a relationship—we are relationship. We are interaction. We’re not having an interaction. The relational field is always alive. When you stop thinking about people as fixable objects—relationship emerges. What brought me into this was wanting a better relationship with my wife. Then I realized I needed a better relationship with what’s going on in here. It turns out all we have is relationship. When you get there—it’s all relationship.

Felt Sense as Portal to Living
The felt sense is a portal into the “thisness” of direct living. You could say direct intuitive living, though intuition can be misunderstood. Korzybski, the Polish semanticist, said “the map is not the territory.” We need maps. But we don’t need to be fooled by them. The left brain is a map. People are fooled because they believe them. They believe dichotomous ways of seeing the world as absolutely true—when they are just maps. Language is a map. A belief is a map. But ultimately, it’s not true.

Perspective and the Limits of Knowing
There’s always another view. My teacher spoke of this: look at the Plough, your favorite constellation. It’s beautiful. But if you called someone on Mars and said, “The Plough’s out, can you see it?” they’d say, “What are you talking about?” From their view, it doesn’t exist. If you go toward it—after 30 billion light years—you’d be inside it, and it wouldn’t look constellated. What we take as real is relative. It’s only real from the perspective of the seer.

End of the Map and Felt Sensing Beyond  - Reflection

The Deer, the Forest, and the Tiger

It's a bit like sitting next to a deer that comes out of a forest. You come down on your haunches and you wait. You see that deer. You don't run at it. You don't say, "Oh, there's a deer!" and run at the deer. It's like—oh my God, the deer runs off. Well, why wouldn't it? It knows something's there.

So we sit down. We wait. The deer comes close. The deer goes, "Oh, this is safe." And then it may finally come and lie down by you. And you go... you put your hand on the deer. Well, you might not. But there's a lot of beauty in this.

And then comes out a tiger. And we go, "Oh..." and then we really feel the ground. I mean, you look down slightly because you don't want to freak the tiger out, right? And we see its beautiful shape. It's a beautiful creature. Very, very beautiful. It's 500 pounds of sheer power and beauty, and it comes weaving over. It too sits down by the deer and by you. And you put your hands on both of them.

And you say: Welcome. That is presence.

Then the tiger gets up and wanders off. And you go, "Okay. It's cool." It's all me, in a way. 

Now there's a deep sigh because it recognizes the complexity of all that. And the beauty of befriending our monsters and our magicians, you know? And how they're not really there to attack us. They're there to serve us, really, underneath it all—if we take time to let them be and sit by them.

But we need to be in presence. We need to be grounded. That's the difference. Once we're there, whatever we do or say will be connecting.

And then Comes a Tiger

What does this actually mean to attune? That's the question.
There's something about... for me, life. And how it resonates. How it lives itself forward, if you like.
The Limits of Language
One can't really capture the spirit fully in words. But one can imply it, I guess. You can open up portals into direct experience.
Or the direct experience is already here. Who is it?
Where does language end and experience begin?
Would a rose smell just as sweet if it were not called a rose?
Being Claimed by the Universe
And something in me would like to imagine at this point in time the universe is coming to claim us. Yeah. As it were, already claimed.
Hovering in the Pause
So, just hovering in the pause.
There's something here that kind of... knows.
And can sit in a kind of availability, openness. Something can open.
That's not a mechanistic thing, it's rooted in relationship and meaning.
Connection with the Earth
So, the connection with the Earth through the chair, or the ground, for seats, sofa, bed.
It just knows itself to be connected. Connecting.
And that can invite the livingness of its totality to come forward. To sense the shape of the body, perhaps.
Sensing Outward: Boundarylessness
And where does that shape end? Especially if the body senses outwards. The sounds and spaces.
It knows no boundary. It can go through walls very easily into the ether.
And sense the stariness of things.
The Breathing Mystery
So this mystery is not static.
And it breathes.
Making Room for Life
Sensing the life running through the body. Making room for all of that. What's there.
Leaning in, if you like, to the subtlety, ecstasy, and obviousness.
Making room for what is to be held. With care, perhaps.
Meeting it in a way that works for your body. Maybe with a little...
Closing
Settling alongside all that.

The Universe Claims you: Mystery of Living Breathing Universe Attunement

Taking Time for Yourself
Just taking some time out for you.
Perhaps reflecting on what you’ve been doing — whether you’ve been busy, relaxing, or a bit of both.
We’ve made time now to create this nourishing space.
A space of renewal, refreshment, revitalizing presence.
________________________________________
Landing in the Body
As we begin to close and land,
perhaps just becoming available to your body breathing.
Resting briefly in the simple experience of breath.
A breathing experience — natural, unforced.
As we begin to drop down, sensing the ground beneath us —
in whatever shape or form that is: chair, bed, settee, or floor.
Just landing.
________________________________________
Body Sensing
Perhaps beginning to be available for body sensing —
allowing the body to simply land in itself.
Letting sensations emerge and settle.
Noticing the sensing experience —
the touch of fabric on the skin,
the feeling of movement and stillness,
perhaps even the gentle rhythm of pulse or breath.
________________________________________
Expanding Awareness
Now sensing outwards into your room,
the space around you,
and beyond the four walls…
Sensing the vast expanse —
the sky, the stars, the spaciousness that holds us.
And here we are — part of that vastness.
Feeling the spacious awareness around and within.
________________________________________
Inner Sensing
Taking a little time to be curious about what’s within —
this inner universe.
Is there some feeling, some emotion present?
Just giving that a bit of room.
Bringing gentle awareness around it.
Offering it some space.
________________________________________
Compassionate Presence
Keeping ourselves company —
in a compassionate way.
Allowing presence to hold whatever arises,
just as it is.


Noticing Playcise no 4 Sensing and Feeling

The Deer Meditation: Moving from Judgment to Presence
Introduction to the Practice
I invite you to follow, if you like, this set of invitations. It's an invitation, so you can choose at any given time to pause or to entertain it.
Moving Beyond the Judging Mind
This is all about moving from the judgmentalism, analysis, blaming, moralizing mind—based on good and bad, right and wrong.
As we drop down into presence, which is really an embodied sense of oneself. The judging mind is living in its head alone. It lives in the confines of certain cultural premises of I, me, and you, and good and bad, and all that kind of stuff.
Dropping Into Presence
Grounding in the Body
As we drop into presence, the sensing of the body. Sensing the earth, sensing the bed, or the settee, or the chair. Feet on the ground, maybe.
And now the body can fill up with a quality of, you could say, warm awareness, or kindly awareness.
Expanding Awareness
And we can listen outwards in this appreciative way. Sounds. Sensing beyond the four walls, up into the stars, around the globe. It's miraculous. Sensing can include senses, but also this universal sense of itself. And so sensing becomes global.
What's Alive Within
And in the middle of all this, of course, there is this aliveness. What's alive here?
And I'm just dropping down into what's alive in me. Dropping down into my chest and tummy.
Approaching With Care
I'm approaching with care. Approaching with sensitivity. And just being available to what's there.
Sometimes it's very obvious. Maybe a knot, butterflies, or something tight. Or it could be open. Expansive. Enjoyable.
Quite often, there's something there which is calling for some care. In the belly. In the throat. It could be quite subtle.
The Deer Metaphor
Meeting the Deer
So we approach that as if we might be approaching a deer that's coming out of the forest. We don't run at it, we just sit down. Let the deer come out of the forest.
And it's very tender, it's very wide-eyed and alert. It's skeptical. It may be a bit afraid.
Creating Safety
So we give it space. Let me say, we don't say very much. We're there, and we're sending out energies, like, "It's okay. You can be here. I'm your friend. I'm being friendly."
And that deer might come closer. We can keep it company with love and care.
It may still be a bit afraid. Very afraid, even. But it may, in time, come to trust you more fully.
Sitting With What's Inside
There's something in me like that deer. I can sit with that.
And there's something tight, slightly in my lower left tummy. Very, very subtle things. Something wanting some... It's like a pool, a common pool.
Gentle Inquiry
What's it like in you? And you can sometimes ask, "What's that like there?"
Give it space to come back to you. Give that deer, as it were, space. And eventually, it might come quite close to you. Might even lay down with you.
Deepening Connection
And you might put your hand on its chest. Say, "I'm really here with you. Yes, it's been tough, hasn't it?"
I can sense the needs—deep needs for care, healing, security, safety. Deep needs to flow with life.
Closing
Just sitting with you. As you are. And you can be here as long as you like.

The Deer Meditation: Moving from Judgment to Presence

Keeping You Company Attunement

A Focusing Meditation: An Invitation to Presence


Welcome, everyone, to this focusing experience.

And this is an invitation into the focusing paradigm in which presence is primary.

Shifting from Doing to Being

I believe much of the time, we're not necessarily in presence. Probably more in the doing, thinking mode, which clearly has a place.

But if we want to access our whole humanity, access rest, even, and presence is always available at all times.
Inviting Presence to Emerge

And we can just invite it to, as it were, emerge.

And we can just pause. It's a soft pausing, a quality of settling.

And as we pause, it just becomes increasingly available in a natural way, organic and natural.

## Sensing the Body

The body can just begin to sense itself more fully.

And most obviously, sensing contact with the earth, or where the body meets the earth through gravity. The seat, the ground itself.

And there, perhaps, is a certain comfort here in contact. It can rest in itself.

## Physical Sensations

Resting in itself, these sensations of touch, pressure, warmth, cool, soft material on the skin, here and there.

As the body, as it were, emerges, there's a whole sense of itself, shape of itself, breathing, being.

## An Invitation to Rest

An invitation here to rest in itself. The sensations just rest.

And your body can sense a space around it, radiating out.

## Expanding Awareness Outward

Hearing sounds here and there, maybe, beyond the four walls, out into nature and the elements.

Something can sense up into the ether, up into that starry night, into our solar system.

All those planets orbiting nearby, and the moon, and the sun, and a trillion diamonds sparkling.

## Sensing the Inner Universe

The body can just sense all of this as it is invited to sense within more fully. What's alive?

The inner universe. Something distant, something close, something intense or mild, enjoyable, less than enjoyable, or both.

## Making Room

Something that... just making room for that.

Maybe inviting a sense of softness and gentleness, that sense of warm awareness, to keep us company with whatever's here.

## Closing Invitation

Inviting safety and wholeness, curiosity, play and fun, healing, engagement, space, and rest.

Resting with it all.

Aligning with the Planets Focusing Attunement

# Guided Meditation: Presence and Creativity

## Opening Invitation

Here's a little attunement for you.

Feel free to close your eyes, and sit as you wish, lay down, stand on one leg—whatever works for you.

Attunements for herons.

That'd be a good one, wouldn't it?

Settling In

So, just pausing.

Yeah, I've got an image of a heron actually coming up.

The way they kind of stand.

And they can be really still.

And they're kind of poised, really, in this... well, you could say quality of awareness and presence.

Yeah, fully aware.

Becoming Available

So... yeah, just becoming available.

And whatever's alive in us, whether it's less alive or more alive.

We can sense our feet on the ground, or body on the chair or cushion.

Fantastic.

Whatever it's on.

Body Awareness

Tuning in to sensing from your feet... the shape of your body.

Just being available to that.

And it normally comes with a whole load of sensations.

A patchwork quilt of sensations.

A kaleidoscope of sensations.

Clothing... pressure... temperature... tingling... pulsing... moving... still.

Expanding Awareness

Perhaps sensing from the body, the space around.

Beyond the four walls.

Into that magical... still... eternity.

An infinity of... diamonds... worlds... planets... stars.

Comets.

And here we are, rotating on our axis, spinning around the sun—our own star.

Inner Sensing

And then, all of this... sensing within what's there.

Some mood which is obvious, some tiredness, some... something calm, something anxious, something... it's like... maybe it doesn't have a word.

Maybe it's subtle, maybe it's really obvious.

In that space.

Receiving With Compassion

Receiving that in a way that works for you.

Tenderly... gently... spaciously... compassionately.

Just as you are.

Theme Introduction

Yeah, so the theme of this module is creativity.

Finding creative holding... maybe... agility... guest... sensitivity... playfully... perhaps.

Keeping the inner universe company in this way.

Closing

And taking your time to emerge.

Still like a Heron Presence Attunement

Let's entertain some presence, and...
And where is our real home?
Always available at all times.
Whether we live in a palace, or a shanty town.
I guess our real home is presence, really.
Opening to Connection
Presence brings us into relationship with Nature, the stars... others... the animals and plants.
A life coursing through us.
In this magical mystery tour.
Yes, roll up.
...
Yeah, and I do believe, actually, presence... it will take us to the cusp of the mystery in some shape or form.
Whatever that means.
Might be more of a pragmatist or nihilist.
It's all good.
Cultivating Curiosity
Just... arriving...
Inviting a soft... open curiosity to emerge.
Like a child playing... exploring...
...
More sensitive to the sensing.
And from the sensing.
...
Very heart of life. It's in the sensing.
The Living Moment
I feel it. Nobody sensed it.
It's living... moment.
What's that like?
...
Where is that?
Whole body sensor living... or is it more localized?
...
Grounding and Reaching
Perhaps send some breath to your feet. Your seat.
Grounding.
...
Imagine a giant redwood tree.
This massive root system burrowing down.
Grounding and earthing.
...
Immovable.
Stable...
...
Following its trunk up.
The branches to the top.
Reaching out into the ether.
Sensing space.
Spaciousness, yet solidity.
Expanding into Infinity
Grounded, and then spacious.
...
And space.
Radiating out to the infinity of things.
Including the stars... and beyond...
Galaxies.
...
Milky Ways.
...
Coming Together
Here we are. Together.
In community. Sharing.
...
Acknowledging those of us here.
Friends... beings.
Being breathed by this very universe.
Sensing Inward
Sensing inwards.
What's alive here?
...
Something inside there.
Maybe wanting a gentle... kindly company.
...
Closer, or giving it space.
...
Maybe a little hello?
...
Getting accompanied... being in company.
Majesty of the universe.
...
Let's rest here.

Finding our Real Home  - Majesty of the Universe Presence Invitation

Vast Universe in Presence

Freshness in Presence
Yeah, so welcome, everyone, to this focusing session experience. This module, Focusing Intuition and Creativity. Yes, playful energies that we can access.
Pausing and Settling
So, just pausing and settling.
The Invitation of Presence
So presence is really an invitation to the freshness of experience. So I think it's easy to get into by rote, in other words, habit. In habit, it's really the antithesis of intuition and creativity, and even presence, to be honest. There's a kind of open space in which freshness can begin to emerge.
Recognizing Freshness by Its Absence
And we'll often know it by its absence. Something can be bored, or judgmental, or not available to the freshness, in whatever shape or form. So just checking in with yourself. What does that mean for you? What is this freshness?
Cultivating Curiosity and Adventure
As we pause, is there a genuine curiosity here? A kind of opening. A kind of sense of adventure.
Leading Ourselves into Presence
So in a way, we lead ourselves into presence. Sensing the freshness of where the feet meet the ground, as if for the first time. Where the body meets the chair. And where the edge of the body meets space. Sensing outwards. Sensing outwards, freshly. Out into space, up into the stars.
Turning Inward
And pausing again. Making room for what's alive inside, in a way that's new. Sensing the subtlety of what's there. The edges, the shapes of it, the intensities, the complexity.
Coming Alongside with Compassion
Coming alongside with a sense of warmth or care, or compassion, even. And if you like, a little hello, or acknowledgement of some type.


Freshness in Presence

Presence Deep Rest Meditations and Reflections inspired by Focusing, Mindfulness and Nonviolent communication Embodied Relational Presence training and personal coaching.  https://www.living-presence.co.uk/

Noticing Playcise no 4 Sensing and Feeling

Simon McKibbin Presence Meditations & Reflections