A Community Changes Group

Hello Focusers!

We will have a Changes group meeting on the 2nd Friday of the month in the mornings. After exploring a few times with those who have already expressed interest, it sounds like 10:30am to noon is going to work best. This group is anticipated to begin in October. More to come!

Update:

Upcoming changes group dates are as follows. The group meets from 10:30am to noon.

November 13th, 2020
December 11th, 2020
January 8th, 2020

We meet on the 2nd Friday of the month. Please sign up to get on the reminder list.

Our Mutual Humanity

Building bridges and creating strong community feel like some of the most vital things we can do for ourselves in this unpredictable, ever changing world. In Quaker meeting Sunday several people spoke out of the silence about community. One sharing involved a rainbow and was quite beautiful. This is unusual as often times no one speaks or the topics raised are dissimilar. I think this speaks as a sign of our times and has inspired me.  While you are always welcome to Focus on whatever you want, we will focusing on the theme of Community at this next Changes group. I invite you to sense with me into what community means to you and how we keep it healthy, safe, and rich. If you will not attend the group but want to Focus on your own and share thoughts, please send them via email.

As I walked around my neighborhood the evening of independence day, I found myself noticing how different my attitude felt from behind the closed doors of my home texting one of my neighbors about what might or might not be going on vs roaming around the streets with my neighbors. Sequestered inside our own homes, or smallest circles, it can be easy to start thinking whatever those people out there are doing is, at best, not taking us into consideration and, at worst, may begin to feel like it's against us. This was me inside my home hearing all those booms and crashes wondering how I would ever get to sleep, and what were those people thinking anyway, surely not about me, my kids, or my neighbor's dogs.

When we are intentional in our relationships with one another and step out into the bigger picture, being present all together, the feeling is completely different. For me, our mutual humanity feels obvious in this wholistic sphere, I am no better or worse than you and we are each trying to make things the best possible from our own frame of reference and understanding. This is how I felt out in the streets WITH my neighbors. They were no longer faceless wonders behind large booms and crashes. They were people, enjoying themselves, equally glad to engage with each other and share the experience. When I returned home, I shared all this warmth with the neighbor I'd been texting earlier, who in turn expressed her appreciation of my vicarious perspective bringing. Let us remember ,when that familiar feeling of 'us and them' creeps up on us, where we begin to create negative assumptions, that there is always a bigger story to be shared. And it’s in the bigger stories that we find our biggest selves, our understanding and mutuality.

I am just a shaky being said Gendlin. Yet he was also a brilliant therapist, a philosopher, and much more. Each of us contains all of this. Please know, whether today you feel like the shaky being, the great therapist, the misunderstood philosopher, or anything else you are most welcome here. Come as you are!

Our Focusing Changes groups are one small way we can both make a wholehearted connection with each other and maintain our practice of Focusing.  Our next virtual Focusing Changes Group will be held on Sunday, July 12th, at 12:00pm and continue on with the third Sunday of the month. (August 16September 20October 18, November 15, December 20, and so on into the new year.) We will reserve two hours space for the group, however may end early depending on the number of attendees and individual needs. The experience will consist of:  Group attunement, brief check in, partner exchanges, and sharing.

Changes Groups

We are hosting two monthly changes groups. Groups are open to people who are interested in depending their Focusing practice. If you would like more information on either group, please subscribe to our mailing list for updates.

WHAT IS A CHANGES GROUP?

A Changes Group is simply a place to come do Focusing in a shared, supportive community. We gather together at the beginning, introduce ourselves and take a few minutes to settle in. Then we divide up into pairs or trios to trade Focusing turns. In pairs, one person will Focus while the other person reflects. We call the person who is reflecting a Companion. After the sessions we trade roles so both people get an opportunity to Focus and Companion. In trios, we typically add an observer or timekeeper role, however some people prefer to have both people present act as companions and reflect as their felt sense leads.

WHO COMES TO A CHANGES GROUP?

You may be interested in a changes group if you are interested in deepening your Focusing practice, learning Focusing for the first time, or wanting to make connections and build a community of other Focusers in your life.

Upcoming dates:

2nd Fridays: Skip 5/13 for NWFG, 6/10, 7/8, 8/12

This group generally meets on or about the 2nd Friday of the month.

3rd Sundays: Skip 5/15 for NWFG, 6/5, 7/24, 8/21

This group generally meets on or about the 3rd Sunday of the month. Holidays and Summer create variations in the schedule.