We live in a world where emotions typically reign supreme, dictating our actions and coloring our perceptions, often in ways do not serve us. Yet, there lies a hidden wellspring of wisdom within: the Felt Sense. This unique approach, pioneered by philosopher Eugene Gendlin, isn’t about silencing emotions, but rather, cultivating a deeper awareness of our physical sensations, free from the burden of attached meaning. It’s not a quick fix, but rather an invitation to embark on a journey – one that promises to unlock a transformative relationship with your body and emotions, and reshape the way you engage with the world.
The Felt Sense is not merely an abstract concept; it’s a tangible, experiential thing that can be cultivated and harnessed through dedicated practice. By learning to connect and remain present with physical sensations, we create a space where these sensations can unfold without being immediately entangled in the web of our thoughts and emotions. By gently tuning into the Felt Sense, you can break free from the chains of past traumas, triggers, and automatic responses, and discover a powerful inner compass guiding you towards greater understanding, self-compassion, and intentional living!
Benefits of Strengthening Your Felt Sense
We all have a Felt Sense, yet many of us have disconnected from our bodies and become accustomed to operating primarily from our minds, which has weakened our connection to it. This is unfortunate, as our Felt Sense offers a wealth of untapped wisdom often overshadowed by thoughts and emotions. Re-connecting with this internal compass brings a potent array of benefits, such as:
- Deeper self-understanding: Allows you to connect to your core values and needs through your body’s wisdom. (Gendlin, 1960)
- Emotional processing and healing: Allows you to uncover the roots of anxieties and discomfort, thereby supporting emotional healing. (Purtell, 2015)
- Intuitive decision-making: Allows you to tap into subtle inner guidance for making choices aligned with your true self. (Schwartz, 2015)
- Heightened sensitivity: Fosters richer relationships and deeper connections with others through embodied awareness. (Brick, 2014)
- Stronger emotional intelligence: Improves communication and conflict resolution by allowing you to understand your own and others’ emotions better. (Grant, 2012)
Unraveling Tension & Trauma with the Felt Sense
Our bodies instinctively strive to alleviate tension when provided with the appropriate conditions, and the Felt Sense serves as a vital bridge, fostering the ideal environment for the release of accumulated tensions and traumas within the body. The key to leveraging the Felt Sense for support in our healing and personal growth journey lies in training ourselves to experience and observe our feelings without getting entangled with them. This means experiencing sensations for what they are without immediately assigning them a narrative or meaning. In doing so, we strip away the emotional charge that may have been attached to past traumas, allowing us to become “unstuck” from ingrained patterns of behavior and response.
The Felt Sense & BBTRS®
At BBTRS®, our holistic 6-element approach is dedicated to facilitating the release of tension and trauma, resulting in safe, gentle, and profound healing and transformation. Through a purposeful and creative application of the six elements of BBTRS®—conscious, connected breathing, touch, music, meditation, movement, and conscious non-cathartic emotional expression—we intentionally create a space for buried tensions and trauma to surface so that they may be processed and released. The Felt Sense is pivotal in our methodology, enabling us to feel and process emotions as curious witnesses without attaching to or reliving them—a practice that helps prevent re-traumatization.
Strengthen Your Felt Sense & Cultivate Profound Positive Change
If you are interested in strengthening your Felt Sense and establishing a more intentional and empowering way of experiencing and operating in the world, then we invite you to join our upcoming Felt Sense | Special Skills Breathwork Training in Greece with Giten Tonkov.
Training for Transformation
This special skills training will be held in Eresos, Greece, and it is designed for a diverse audience, including those naturally drawn to breathwork, professionals working with trauma, individuals struggling with overwhelm, and anyone curious about embodiment practices. It is structured to provide practical tools for remaining calm, steady, and grounded in somatic experiences, while also encouraging exploration of creativity, pleasure, and joy. It offers a holistic approach to transformation, combining the power of breath with various elements to cultivate a new, fun relationship with the physical body. As participants practice these techniques, the Felt Sense becomes increasingly natural, paving the way for a more mindful and grounded existence. You will walk away with a richer sense of yourself—as well as solid tools to use in everyday life that will support you in managing the level of activation and presence in your physical body.
Conclusion
Attuning to the Felt Sense unlocks the pathway to profound personal transformation. Through embracing sensations without attachment, letting go of tension, and nurturing a fresh connection with your physical being, you gain the ability to navigate the world with presence, resilience, and joy. If this resonates with you, we warmly welcome you to embark on our upcoming Felt Sense training journey, where you can delve into deeper exploration and embrace the transformative potential within yourself. Discover more.
