Professional Log

Title:

FOAT: Part One

Clearing a space

Modality:

Meditation; visualization; painting

Time:

50 minutes

Facilitator
Information:

Deborah Green
(MAAT AthR PhD)

(qualifications
etc)

Materials:

Comfortable space; pillows; paper; acrylic paint; paint brushes;

plastic containers; water; plastic tarp

Goal:

To bring attention to the body/mind connection

To use Focusing as a way to get in touch with your inner world
To develop a sense of self, free from conflict, as a foundation for
further work on darker issues

Method/
Process:

Participant sits or lies down and gets comfortable. They may close
their eyes or keep them open (but they should blur their vision).
Participant is made aware of their physical being; their weight and
solidity. They are asked to consider their senses in that moment
what they hear (outside the room, inside the room, and within
their own bodies); what they can feel; the taste inside their
mouth; any smells that they are aware of; and the random shapes
they can see behind their closed eyes. Attention is then drawn to
the breath, and then to the heartbeat. The participant is invited to
follow their heartbeat to a safe and peaceful place within.
Participant is encouraged to face this process with non-judgement
and acceptance. If a place of safety and peace is too difficult to
reach at this moment, they are reassured that they may sit next
to where it would be within and to keep it company in a friendly
and curious way.
Once the clear space has been reached, the participant is
encouraged to consider the sites, the smells, the feelings of that
place, and to savour their experience.
Participant is then asked to shift their attention to the issues that
are in the way of being able to enter their peaceful place. These
problems are then caste out, one by one, into the distance.
One all these issues have been attended to and removed, the
client is asked to consider their background feeling; the feeling
of anxiety, anger, depression or fear that always seems to be
around. They may gather this up and place it at a distance too.
Participant is encouraged to spend time in their space, to once
again savour its sensory evocations.
The participant is then invited to ask for a symbol that evokes the
whole felt sense of this cleared space (this could be a word,
phrase, gesture, colour, image, etc). This symbol does not have to
make sense, but should have resonance with their experience of

being in this space.

The participant is asked to slowly re-emerge from their clear
space and to become aware of their present surroundings via
their breathing and their senses.
Participant is asked to use the paints provided to tangibly capture
their symbol.
Outcome:
(including
your personal
reaction to /
reflection on
participating
in this activity)

I loved this! I found it realxing and deeply soul nourishing. I had a

clear picture of a mossy grove, surrounded by trees. This is an
image I often think back to now. I have used this exercise twice
since we did it at course with really positive results and people
becoming deeply connected with themselves.
The first time I used it was with a group of artists, poets, dancers
as part of an art collective dinner. There were seven of us.
The things that went well: my preparation was good, some people
really connected with the meditation and went deep into their
imaginations- making their own complex and personal
connections. The instructions were clear.
The things that I learnt from- its best as a facilitator not to make
alongside a group, it may be better to hold the space so there is
not feeling of doing it right or wrong. The way the meditation is
written is really important for structure and feeling safe. Some
people dont like the chalk pastels- they wanted clarity. Some
people dont enjoy sharing as a group- be wary and make it safe
by at the beginning of the sharing time make it clear that there is
no obligation to share. Do more self-care prep (I was nervous and
that made gave me less capacity for holding the space). Practice
being present and not feeling like you have to do anything
particular.
The second time I did the FOAT clearing a space I took note of the
lessons learnt above and: changed the meditation script, didnt
make alongside but held the space, was more relxed and present.
It went much better even with those subtle changes.