This summer I had the pleasure of participating in the 27ª International Conference on Focusing of 2016 Cambridge (United Kingdom), organized by the British Focusing Association, and open to members of the International Focusing Institute (The International Focusing Institute) of all the world, an experience that has marked me for several reasons.

Overview of the International Conference on Focusing Photo Collection 2016. In general they include the most playful aspects, but they also reveal the moments of depth. And a magnificent photo appears that Blanca Ruiz has taken of me, from Spain, and that I have adopted for my profile (thanks, Blanca!).

To give some figures: we have been more than 250 participants of 30 countries at Robinson College, almost entirely dedicated to the Conference. Except in plenary meetings, where most of us were, during the workshop time we divided (each according to his choice) in more than fifteen simultaneous activities. And all orchestrated by a dedicated organizing team (of British Focusing Association,) what, before trying to solve my problems, first they listened to me, with typical focusing attention.

So the first experience has been to discover people and create community., in a very Focusing environment. I have met people who were participating for the first time in an international event like this, just like me. I have also put face, voice tone, relationship… to people I knew from references (their books, your articles, your web pages, your messages on the Focusing lists, the recommendations you had received…). Y, to my surprise, I have also been recognized by the Japanese psychotherapist Madoka Kawahara (Kawahara circle) who had read my article with great interest “Combining Focusing and Nonviolent Communication”, What a find! [And finally here it is translated into Japanese with the suggestive title Intersection of the focusing and the non-violent communication, thank you very much, Madoka!].

Anyway, what struck me the most was the kindness and fluidity of the treatment, both in group activities and in more individual interaction, at meals, in the breaks, in other activities. And the feeling of continuing to discover new and interesting people every time I began to have the feeling that “we had already seen everyone”. On a deeper level, now that a few weeks have passed, the first experience that I want to preserve is the sense of community within differences (And there were many differences, I assure!). Is to feel that we are working, doing research, suffering and enjoying to develop each our understanding of Focusing, and how to share it with other people.

The second experience, linked to the previous, has been experience creative connections with a lot of people. For our common interests. For understanding Focusing in a similar way or, Unlike, for understanding it in such different ways that they are complementary. For our areas of action. By simple connection personally. Now it's time to carry out the famous Aristotle quote, “the desire for friendship arises quickly, but friendship itself takes time”. I am already in contact with some people, I have others in my long list of pending contacts, but the intention to continue cultivating new ways for Focusing is there. It will be a bit like the relationships I already have in the Focusing community in Spain, but internationally.

The third experience has been an invitation to action. An invitation to action that arises both from within and without. Possible projects, collaborations to explore, new reading list, exercises to delve into, areas to discover… For the moment, things are lending to movement, and I'm flowing with them. I will talk about these and other things in other posts.

With the commitment to tell you more in future entries I leave you, with the recommendation that you visit the official website of the Conference while it is active, because it has many resources to explore (English).

Xavier

Upgrades (subsequent entries related to this):

Inside calls to action:

• My appointment to the Membership Committee of the International Institute of Focusing.
• And my appointment as a member for International Relations at the Spanish Institute of Focusing.

Other experiences:

• brush strokes (2) International Conference Focusing: the interest group Community Wellness Focusing.
• The Community Wellness Focusing Interest Group at the Focusing Conference in Cambridge (UK) 2016.