The Power of Gentle Presence, with John Amodeo, PhD on The Living Process with Greg Madison, PhD. Episode 48. I am pleased to welcome back Dr John Amodeo to talk about his new book, The Power of Gentle Presence, Insights for Inner Peace and Deeper Relationships.

John brings his usual good humour and years of experience as a psychologist, Buddhist meditator and Focusing person to this discussion of the many topics he touches on in his new book.

The book integrates new versions of articles from his widely-read regular column in Psychology Today. In this episode John and I talk about emotional safety, shame, love, the inner critic and understanding these issues on a wider national level in contemporary politics. John Amodeo. PhD, LMFT, holds graduate degrees in both Clinical Psychology and Transpersonal Psychology. He is the author of five books and has a very popular regular column in Psychology Today. John is a Certified Focusing Trainer and Certified Focusing-Oriented Therapist. He has lectured at universities internationally, and has featured on national television and radio programs. He has led workshops at Esalen Institute, JFK University, The Omega Institute, and The New York Open Center, and resides in Sonoma County, California.For more information on John and his work see:

https://www.johnamodeo.comEpisode 48. with John Amodeo: https://youtu.be/3J9a2C1rbocThe Living Process - all episodes and podcast links:https://www.londonfocusing.com/the-living-process/Living Process on the FOT Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx3FqA70kQWuHCHmEiZnkn1VcrRIPbcvkThe Living Process is available on Youtube and all podcast platforms. Transcripts are also available on each platform. #Focusing #Gendlin #Zen #johnamodeo #buddhist #Bodytherapy #Experientialpractice #Awareness #Somaticwork #Zenmeditation #authenticity #bodymind #buddhist #shame #couplestherapy #focusingorientedtherapy #presence

Followup Episode with Dana Ganihar and Baruch Brenner. ... Wisdom Beyond Steps. Episode 47 of The Living Process with Greg Madison. Delighted to invite Dana and Baruch back for a followup conversation discussing their rich crossing of the Kabbalistic wisdom tradition with Focusing and Gendlin’s philosophy in A Process Model.

There was an alarm near the beginning so we had to pause the recording until it was safe to continue. Together we explore what we might be missing when we only use Focusing for a specific life situation. Dana and Baruch emphasise that Focusing also offers a pathway into something deeper about who we are as human beings, opening into the mystery of what life is.

They say ‘You are the carrying forward of life’ and this offers Focusing practice that transcends the interpersonal and psychological sphere. You will hear some divergence in our views, which I hope to be able to explore further!

Episode 47 - Kabbalah and Focusing wisdom beyond steps: https://youtu.be/KsYsM8h-cgo

The Living Process - all episodes and podcast links: https://www.londonfocusing.com/the-living-process/TLP

YouTube video channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0TgN6iVu3n9d9q2l43z1xBMYY3p9FQL

Dana and Baruch run Shakio Institute. Check out their website for upcoming courses and resources in Hebrew and English: https://shakio.org/en/

Dana Ganihar, M.Sc. is a Focusing Coordinator since 2007. Over the last couple decades she has taught Gendlin’s work and initiated cooperative research exploring the impact of Focusing and TAE on diverse fields at various universities.

Baruch Brenner is an Israeli theater director, actor, singer, teacher, focusing trainer and an ordained Orthodox Rabbi. He is a leading innovator integrating spiritual practices with experiential work in theater, movement and vocal arts. He facilitates workshops exploring religious and mystical traditions, with an emphasis on Jewish mysticism - Kabbalah and Hasidic philosophy - making them accessible to the general public.

Coming to Where You Are, with Frans Sandbergen on The Living Process, with Greg Madison

Episode 46.

Frans is a very engaging story-teller, weaving together his own life with discovering Focusing and then working with Gene Gendlin for 12 years. In speaking with Gene and Nada Lou, Frans used a TAE process to describe the reality of the imaginary world of ‘Marfrano’ and how it helps people to discover their deeper direction in life.

Frans developed terms like ‘the university that you are’, ‘the theory of coming to where you are (Theory M), the importance of ‘following the smiling thought’, the difference between ‘the real world and the formal world’, and how to find one’s ‘inner profession’. In developing the ‘art of getting lost’, Frans offers an intriguing example of Focusing as a creative change process. His book, Het Wil, is hopefully arriving in English soon. Using his model, he works with organisational groups and individuals offering listening communities called métier guilds and one-to-one sessions called ‘Cartographic Conversations’.

Episode 46 - Coming to Where You Are, with Frans Sandbergen: https://youtu.be/Oz1k4Lkt8-M

The Living Process - all episodes and podcast links: https://www.londonfocusing.com/the-living-process/

TLP YouTube video channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0TgN6iVu3n9d9q2l43z1xBMYY3p9FQL

Frans Sandbergen

Frans has 30 years’ experience in creating listening guilds in organizations and beyond, thus encouraging hidden talent in each of us to do its wondrous work in a world that urgently needs it. He has practical studies in western and eastern philosophy, Focusing since 1997, and working with Eugene Gendlin 2005-2017. He is the author of ‘IT Wants’, a pledge for unknown talent, Cartographic Conversation, Theory M, the theory of coming to where you are. Frans is a master at creating new worlds which then become an entrance to the vast world of ‘the real’. Smiling thought often serves as a clear direction in these explorations! He is informal co-mayor of a once fictitious city in the south of Europe. His book will soon be available in English - www.hetwil.nl

Owning your Attention with Prof Larry Berger on The Living Process with Greg Madison, E045.

This is a packed episode with Larry Berger talking about ‘Attention’ and then ‘attention activism’ as an attempt for humans to regain some ownership over our attention. Larry talks about his correspondence with Gene, the ‘fracking of attention’ and the political implications of where we place our attention. There are a number of links below for further exploration of these topics.

Also check out Larry’s book, The Politics of Attention and the Promise of Mindfulness. “Lawrence Berger calls for the recognition of attention as indispensable for reshaping our traditional views of the body, self, and politics. Rigorous yet accessible, this book offers readers interested in hermeneutics, phenomenology, and political philosophy valuable new insights into the gathering power of attention for individual and community formation.”

Episode 45 - Owning Your Attention with Larry Berger: https://youtu.be/yn6qlgwqzCc

The Living Process - all episodes and podcast links: https://www.londonfocusing.com/the-living-process/

TLP YouTube video channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0TgN6iVu3n9d9q2l43z1xBMYY3p9FQL

Lawrence Berger is a former professor of business and currently teaches philosophy while writing about his main themes, including, “Being There: Heidegger on Why Our Presence Matters”. This article appeared in the New York Times philosophy blog and was the most shared article on the day of its publication in 2015. In addition to numerous articles on the philosophy of attention, Larry has recently published the book, The Politics of Attention and the Promise of Mindfulness, which gives Gendlin’s A Process Model a central role. Below are links to some of the groups Larry mentioned.

https://friendsofattention.org

https://deeptransformation.network/posts/96050390?utm_source=manual

www.belovedcommunitycircles.org

https://focusinginternational.org

(Community Wellness initiatives)

The Living Process with guest Mia Leijssen and host Greg Madison. In Episode 44, my guest Professor Mia Leijssen talks about the circumstances that led to her new book, Connecting with your Essence. A Path to Awareness and Healing.“At birth you are completely your pure self. The ability you then have to let your essence shine through your outer form gradually becomes overshadowed and buried ... This book encourages you to get back on track with your essence. “Mia talks movingly of the physical pain of illness and how that opened up a profound new awareness of life and its relation to the natural cycles around us. We talk about how helpful it was to find a Focusing partner who shared these physical challenges. She relates human psychological development to the given elements of air, water, fire and earth, and we discuss how this awareness connects us to the mystery of life and human meaning. Episode 44 - Connecting with your Essence with Prof. Mia Leijssen on The Living Process: https://youtu.be/Tcv5Xd_GqiMThe Living Process - all episodes and podcast links: https://www.londonfocusing.comTLP YouTube video channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0TgN6iVu3n9d9q2l43z1xBMYY3p9FQLMia Leijssen, Ph.D. - Professor (Emeritus) Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Leuven, Belgium. Prof. Leijssen is well known in the worlds of Focusing and Client-centred Psychotherapy as well as existential wellbeing, Focusing microprocesses, spirituality, and professional ethics. She is a longtime Focusing Therapist, Teacher, and Coordinator for the International Focusing Institute, and the academic director of the massive Open Online Course: Existential Well-being Counseling: A Person-centered Experiential Approach. www.existentieelwelzijn.behttps://existentialwellbeing.com Publishers link https://www.lannoo.be/nl/connecting-your-essence (book contents, Introduction and Chapter 1, clickon 'Boek inkijken').Paperback 24,99€ or E-book 13,99€, on Bol.com or Amazon.

Dana Ganihar & Baruch Brenner on The Living Process with Greg Madison. A holy commitment to the unknown. Episode 043Dana and Baruch offer a reflective process to get beyond the paradigm that might still be implicit in our Focusing jargon. Their process guides us into what it actually is to be a human being; living on the edge of ‘co-creation’.

Their work crosses the insights and distinctions of A Process Model with the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah. Dana and Baruch are the founders of Shakio Institute, where they explore how Art, Focusing and Prayer can open us to the flow and wisdom of life beyond categories and perceptions.

They have been leading TAE workshops and Questions at the Edge in Israel and internationally, with an emphasis on working with artists, researchers and creators from varied backgrounds.Episode 43 - A Holy Commitment to the Unknown with Dana Ganihar & Baruch Brenner on The Living Process. Episode 43: https://youtu.be/EJg98Aw4Lv8The Living Process - all episodes and podcast links: https://www.londonfocusing.com/the-living-process/TLP YouTube video channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0TgN6iVu3n9d9q2l43z1xBMYY3p9FQLDana Ganihar, M.Sc. is a Focusing Coordinator since 2007. Over the last couple decades she has taught Gendlin’s work and initiated cooperative research exploring the impact of Focusing and TAE on diverse fields at various universities.

Baruch Brenner is an Israeli theater director, actor, singer, teacher, focusing trainer and an ordained Orthodox Rabbi. He is a leading innovator integrating spiritual practices with experiential work in theater, movement and vocal arts. He facilitates workshops exploring religious and mystical traditions, with an emphasis on Jewish mysticism - Kabbalah and Hasidic philosophy - making them accessible to the general public.Their courses and teachings can be found at: https://shakio.org/en/focusing/

#focusing, #gendlin, #kabbalah, #thelivingprocess, #wisdomtraditions, #somatic practice,

Guest Astrid Schillings "The Interaction of Practice and Philosophy" on The Living Process with Greg Madison. Episode E042.

In this episode, I had a lively conversation with Astrid Schillings, a clinical psychologist and person-centred psychotherapist from Cologne, Germany.

Astrid has a rich background in somatic trainings and Buddhist meditation. She’s interested in the overlap of psychology, philosophy, and spirituality, which led her to Focusing in the early 1980s. She developed her own practice, called ‘Focusing from the Whole Body’, which she teaches from her centre in Germany. Astrid also discusses her time with Gene and how their discussions influenced her understanding of the Focusing Process.

Episode 42 - The Interaction of Practice and Philosophy with Astrid Schillings: https://youtu.be/P7Kz217rsLs

The Living Process - all episodes and podcast links: https://www.londonfocusing.com/the-living-process/

TLP YouTube video channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0TgN6iVu3n9d9q2l43z1xBMYY3p9FQL

Astrid Schillings: After encountering Focusing in 1981 as a psychology student at Bonn University, Astrid trained with Mary McGuire and Janet Klein in Chicago before meeting with Gendlin, who became a major influence in her Focusing development. Astrid describes Focusing as a philosophical life practice, with psychotherapy as one of many applications. She is trained in psychology, social education, client-centred therapy, somatic experiencing, Feldenkrais and other somatic approaches as well as meditation traditions. As a therapist, she has worked extensively with trauma and works in both English and Deutsch. For more about Astrid’s work and teaching: https://www.focusing-institut.eu/en/focusing-institute/schillings-gb

#focusing

#Gendlin

#thelivingprocess

#mediation

#somatic experiencing

Episode 41 of The Living Process, with guest Sigríður (Sigga) Þorgeirsdóttir

THE BODY THINKS FOR ITSELF.

In this episode I enjoyed talking with Sigga, who is a professor of philosophy at The University of Iceland and one of the founders of the Embodied Critical Thinking and Freedom to Make Sense projects.

In our conversation, Sigga and I touch on what it’s like to teach embodied reflection to philosophy students, the importance of critical thinking, and the prevalence of the inner critic in academia in the form of ‘the imposter syndrome’.

We also discuss various aspects of Artificial Intelligence and our experiences of using it, comparing it to human thinking and processing.

The Body Thinks for Itself. Episode 41 with Sigridur Thorgeirsdottir (Sigga):

https://youtu.be/DzR3oV-8YTE?si=ung8YLPycoa-NUft

The Living Process - all episodes and podcast links: https://www.londonfocusing.com/the-living-process/

TLP YouTube video channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0TgN6iVu3n9d9q2l43z1xBMYY3p9FQL

Sigridur Thorgeirsdottir (Sigga)

Sigga studied philosophy in Boston and Berlin and has worked at various universities, specialising in the philosophy of embodiment, feminist, and environmental philosophy. She is one of the founders and the first chair of the United Nations University GEST-Programme at the University of Iceland and was also part of the group that ran the Nordic Gender and Philosophy summer schools. Sigga leads an Erasmus+ training program on methodologies of embodied critical thinking and understanding in cooperation with seven European universities (www.trainingect.com). She has published two books on this topic: Embodied and Elemental Thinking for a New Era (Springer 2024, co-edited with L. Škof and Sashinungla) and Practicing Embodied Thinking in Research and Learning (Routledge 2024, co-edited with D. Schoeller and G. Walkerden). This research has developed into “Freedom to make sense: Embodied, experiential and mindful research“.

She emphasises women’s contributions to philosophy and focuses on transforming the field and discipline of philosophy itself in light of feminist/queer knowledge.

https://english.hi.is/staff/sigrthor