This exercise was developed by Barbara Somers, and the late Ian Gordon Brown of the Centre for Transpersonal Psychology, London. They designed it so that we could deepen the learning about a particular incident that is causing concern in any working relationship. It is a step-by-step exercise that you can do either seated, standing, or moving from one place to another in your room. Your coaching supervisor will use this exercise with you to illuminate aspects of the coaching situation.
The purpose is to discover the facets of the situation from the different perspectives of your body, of your mind and of your feelings. When we come upon a difficult situation, it can help to slow down, take a number of different views, and so come to a fuller sense of what may be going on. New perspectives then bring new insights that lead to new actions.
The steps are as follows:
1. Preparation stage, find a quiet time to reflect upon a situation you wish to explore, say 15 minutes. Have a notebook and pen to hand.
2. Mark out, either in your mind’s eye, or on different chairs or places in the room, the following places:
Witness
Body
Feelings
Mind
3. Be in the witness position and be there for a few moments. This is the place of quiet, being in your centre, simply present and aware of being present with no other agenda.
4. Move from there to be in the Body position. Notice what your bodily sensations are as you sit with the situation you are exploring. Once these become clear, then either make an actual or a mental note.
5. Move into the Witness place, clearing the previous exploration and being present in this place.
6. Move into the place of Feeling. Notice what feelings arise as you sit with the situation you are exploring. When these become clear, then either make a mental or an actual note.
7. Move into the Witness place, clearing the previous exploration and being present in this place.
8. Move into the Mind place. Notice what thoughts come as you sit with the situation you are exploring. When these become clear, either make a mental or an actual note.
9. Move into the Witness place, clearing the previous exploration and being present I this place.
10. The final step is to stay where you are and now to look at any notes you may have made, or begin to reflect on the different perspectives each position has brought to your attention.
Some people find that the final Mind position brings sudden clarity. Try this for yourself. Make it a part of your Internal Supervisor’s toolkit. It will serve to illuminate your work again, and again.
