David I. Rome is a teacher, writer, and consultant on applications of contemplative methods for personal, organizational, and social change. He is co-editor of Mindfulness-Oriented Interventions for Trauma: Integrating Contemplative Practices.
"Human beings are like icebergs: much of who we really are and what motivates our behavior lies below the level of ordinary consciousness. By learning how to access our innate but neglected capacity for bodily knowing, we can bring to light lost or alienated parts of ourselves and discover how to meet the unmet needs they embody. Then these parts can reintegrate and contribute to positive change, growth, and fulfilment." So goes Rome's opening salvo about bringing open and positive awareness to what is going on inside of us.
The key to this process is using mindfulness techniques to drop our storylines, create a gap in the discursive mind, and pause the momentum of thinking. Attending to the felt senses and bringing them into focus is very rewarding when we are dealing with crises or inner turmoil. Another step in cultivating the felt sense is self-empathy and befriending the inner critic.
In the second part of his explanation of Mindful Focusing, Rome includes exercises on relationships, communication, creativity, nature, and the spiritual dimension of our lives. He acknowledges his high regard for the pioneering work of psychologist Eugene Gendlin in the art of focusing.
