Reflecting on the Focusing workshop which I already wrote to you about from Sydney, there are some interesting details about the group - there were several therapists, a couple of engineers, a computer programmer, an artist, a truck driver - 80% males. There were some challenges and probing - there is one at least in each group! Several of the people who attended have taken Introductory Focusing from other teachers, or many years ago without in-between practice, and I recognized that what was in front of me was a group that needed a lot of basic material in order to be able to follow the proposed "Listening and Partnership" essence.

What I confirmed for myself from this workshop is that great flexibility to meet people where they are is more important than following some consistent Levels plan. I do agree however that we need to have many ways to bring it out - and we do. People and their lifestyles are very different, often dependant on traffic and weather and inconsistent income. For instance Mardi Gras parade is a major event in Sydney that coincides almost every time with one of my workshops - parts of the city streets are closed to traffic. This combined with rain that doesn't drizzle, but comes down in buckets for two three days, affects the level of commitment in Sydney to sometimes half an hour notice. To expect a 9 month commitment for introductory level in such a general population is a joke, as I lamentably always rediscover.

But there are other ways.

So how is it going forward in Sydney?

The basic source of information is video tapes. Trainer Tereza Crvenkovic and I provide all video tapes on Focusing for those interested. We just organized an "official" Focusing Video Library and people make great use of it. Tereza, who is a Coordinator in training, and I are preparing a Training Workbook based on the use of many video tapes as reference. Slowly Focusing is seeping in also from within Sydney, from certified Trainers and Trainees. Many are giving smaller workshops, FOT, partnerships, overseas/continental phone/e-mail connections. Kathryn Jane Quayle, also a Coordinator in training, has gone to Canberra and Melbourne as a resource person, presenter and monitor.

Several of the people from this workshop were eager to also attend the 3 day TAE (Thinking at the Edge) workshop which was held 2 weeks later. We were joined by a few more recently certified Trainers from Sydney and Melbourne. Some of these people are therapists, but there was also a writer, a Yoga teacher, a business man, an architect, a "parent", and a "husband" - just to point towards their interests, not only occupation. It was a delightful exploration of the first phase of TAE that could be named "Breaking the language barrier". It opens up in a person some meaningful knowing that has not been put into words yet. It is about getting in touch with something that wants and needs to be said about an area that person is familiar with and excited about. It usually begins with personal generative deepening but moves in the direction of bringing into society political and social changes. Some interesting topics were worked on - Teaching University students out of felt sense - to their felt sense, Parenting patterns, making space in busy life for "being", creative writing, promotion of architect's approach /company, what a father's love is all about, to mention a few. It was nice to co-experience the enthusiasm created by this work. I also am so energized and excited about teaching people how to tap into this tremendous generative process previously only sensed as a small engaging signal.

Several interesting insight came out of this workshop.
First one - a surprising one - was that long time focusers had a harder time to use their ability for felt sensing in a different way! It was almost as if there is an ingrained way to go in and look for something that needs to be restored. They found it tricky to open up felt sensing into generative/creative work. People who were not long time focusers but had a good awareness of the felt sense, got hold of the dialog between the felt sense and articulation of it a lot easier.

The other insight was - that most people, although generally not expressively spiritual, found that working in this way unlocks their spiritual awareness.

TAE Partnership is definitely an area that needs to be taught on its own merits, because it is more collaborative, but still a non intrusive relationship.

One trainer who never attended a TAE workshop has been working on her project from TAE in 14 steps DVD very successfully. I had some exchange with her and caught a fringe of her excitement about it.

Although it is new to Sydney, hopefully partnerships that have been formed will continue to build from there. I will be available to them by phone if needed.

Since most of my stay was in the Sydney area, many people took opportunity for private contacts, sessions and discussions. Several newcomers were introduced via this root to both TAE and Focusing. There were some enjoyable meetings, meals and discussions with Trainers, Trainees and new Coordinators in Training.

The next stop was Melbourne.

It is 1020 km from Sydney by the coastal route. Although airfares within Australia are quite cheap right now, I chose to drive (on the left!)

so I can enjoy Australian beaches and bush along the way.

I did.

The group was interesting, but required more of the basic focusing skills than I at first recognized. The trick was that most of the participants were trained counselors with different backgrounds and appeared (as I requested and expected) to have experienced basic Focusing. Other participants were- one hypnotist, one standup comedian, and one film maker. Several of the people learned Focusing some years ago and didn't have any further involvement with it - they were rusty!

It was a difficult workshop from which I learned a lot. The group I was faced with had a very different dynamic. I think that the main problem was around participants being on a different wave length all together than what I proposed to present. First thing I learned is that advanced focusing LISTENING can not be taught to people who don't have a good hold of FOCUSING. And that was the case with most participants. Second thing is that a great number of therapists/counselors can not yet differentiate between Listening skills they learned from their particular training and Focusing Listening. It is like trying to teach a grade seven student complicated calculus concepts. They just can't see the difference and as a result close themselves to further mutation. But the problem is not in not getting it - it takes time I know - the problem is in not knowing that they don't know. I have been aware of this particular problem before, but all the components of it have never been so concentrated in one particular group. Once I got hold of it, I adjusted the program into basic areas that were lacking experience.

This is for me I think the most difficult area in work with trained therapists - they need to have a will to unlearn and open up to learn. Often this requires patience and persistence on my part that can be exhausting. Not my favorite workload!!! In Ann's video tape "The Power of Listening" and Akira's "Presence, Existence and Space" they give a wonderful explanation of fine nuances of Focusing Listening. I highly recommend these tapes to those who run into similar problems.

I had the help of two new Trainers and TNT in working with smaller groups. It was also a wonderful opportunity to present the first two Focusing Trainers in Melbourne - Andrea Pelletier and Maureen Ireland - with their Certificate. They worked with me for 2 years. I also accepted a new trainee from Melbourne. There are several groups of focusers who meet in Melbourne on a regular basis and are supported and guided by Trainers. New Partnerships are being formed. Both Maureen and Andrea also teach Masters Programs at Melbourne Universities in which they implement Focusing.

Perth is situated at the far West Coast of Australia. It is a beautiful city, with summer temperatures reaching more than 40 degrees C (over 100 F), but probably one of the most isolated cities in the world - having closer connection to Bali than to Sydney. The Introductory workshop in Perth was offered through the University of WA for the first time. It got some interest, but not enough to make a cross continental trip this time. I had to cancel due to an insufficient number of participants.

This created an opportunity for the first workshop to be approached as an Introductory Focusing from a BioSpiritual direction. Most of the participants were real beginners, who first heard about it from the brochure/flyer and were drawn to it without preconceived ideas. Many of them are Spiritual Directors, a couple of therapists, some nurses, many artists, and many caregivers of different kinds. It is always a real gift to me to teach new people, because they experience this first "wow" and gratitude that is so rewarding for all. I introduced Focusing in New Zealand several years ago and trained one person in Auckland, Sr. Aileen Martin. She is doing a wonderful job promoting it. She teaches Focusing at different Spiritual Communities on North and South Island and takes every opportunity to introduce it to individuals and different groups. She also has several helpers and with them offers regular Focusing meetings at the Centre. They spend their meetings watching Focusing videos, discussing topics and focus in partnerships.

There was an interesting anecdote worth mentioning. After a general presentation of a topic, I would split the big group into 3 smaller ones with 3 helpers. When they came back to the big group, one of the participants said: "I watched the Focuser and Listener work, and when the Focuser touched into her issue, her pulse went to 120, and when she had a shift, her pulse went down to 72". My reaction was -"were you measuring her pulse?" She said "I am a nurse in intensive care and am used to measuring pulse. The focuser was sitting under the clock and I was able to see her neck and count." You are probably aware that all kinds of research in this area were done in the 60's and are probably still going on, but it was so rewarding for this spontaneous insight to happen on the spot.

Sr. Aileen has already put into her busy schedule TAE meetings to further video-study this approach and make space for TAE partnerships.

And while I was away, one of the most rewarding news from home during my 7 weeks absence was that "The Body's Search for Spirit" video series were ordered to be sent to Rwanda!

After 30 hours of airporting back to Montreal I found a near home message from Lucy in Toronto that they have a little study group working through the TAE video tapes.

It is pretty exciting to become aware of how far and deep into the world our message is reaching.