Focusing and spirituality: body as teacher

Fr Ed McMahon’s amazing quote about Focusing and spirituality shows how our body can become our spiritual companion and teacher:

Resurrection was always meant to be felt as a continuing NOW deep in the cells of our bodies,

Where something so mundane

As simply pausing to own our feelings, in a caring way,

Could call forth,

From an eternal and timeless presence,

Such a PENETRATION of those cells,

That our changing body ITSELF, would become our spiritual companion and teacher.

–Fr. Ed McMahon

Fr Ed  shares his inspiring story in this 5-minute video. Thanks to Nada Lou sharing this video!

How can it be that our changing body itself becomes our spiritual companion and teacher? In Focusing, you pause and become aware of your feelings, in a caring way, as he suggests. relationship of Focusing and spirituality by doing exactly as he suggests, pausing and owning your feelings in a caring way.

Too often spirituality is associated with criticizing ourselves for how we feel, rejecting how we feel, blaming ourselves for not being spiritual enough, not disciplined enough, not compassionate enough.  Paradoxically, by owning our feelings, they are transformed. Key to this is getting a bodily felt sense of the situation. The body will reveal your truth. 

Focusing, spirituality and the Great Turning

More and more I get the feeling that the Great Turning is a spiritual transformation. It has to do with us realizing that we are all part of the miracle of creation. We are all in this together.

Our bodies were made to live on this miraculous planet. Our lungs were made to breathe the air on this planet, our digestive systems were made to eat what grows on this planet, our bones and muscles were designed to enable us to walk upright on this particular planet. As human beings, we are part of all creation.

– Learn Focusing and Listening for yourself!