Shakio Institute

Interaction First Series

Part 1: Prayer Consciousness

Part 2: Focusing with the Larger System 

Part 3: Micro-Steps in POF

“Most of the world thinks and acts in terms of formed things, patterns, units, entities...We claim, instead, that what is not already formed is a greater order, more finely differentiated than any forms and concepts, and yet also unfinished.”  Eugene Gendlin

In Part 1 of Interaction First we explored the ways Focusing can expand the experience of Prayer. In Part 2 we invited you to explore with us how the Art of Prayer can enrich Focusing practices. Now, in Part 3 of this series we will be deepening the integration of POF into our lives and focusing practice. 

POF opens new pathways into what we call ‘prayer consciousness’ as well as novel insights into the focusing process; insights that emerged from Gendlin’s philosophy and - to our surprise - from his interest during his final years with the connection between human beings and what he termed The Larger System.

The aim of Prayer Oriented Focusing (POF) is to support the focuser’s essential life processes, and to reformulate and refresh pathways into the intimate experience of being in the world.

Module 3: Micro-steps in POF

Subtle resolutions into the interaction of Focusing and Prayer

• Training with the ‘murky edge’ - assisting the prayer to approach the infinite ‘mist’ 

• Staying with the intricacy of prayer, and containing the unknown yet

• Felt sensing from prayer consciousness and how to  increase my ‘felt capacity’ 

• Movements between focusing with my ‘will’ to ‘focusing prayer’ of what is being asked from me from the perspective of the larger system. 

• “Ehyeh asher ehyeh” (Hebrew): I am that I am; I will be what I will be.

• Active synchronization between different layers as a way of carrying forward. 

• Shedding the shell and giving birth to a new self.

•  My life as a carrying forward of the Larger system

• Principles for the POF listener