Felt Sense: The Wisdom of the Body
What is a felt sense?
A felt sense is something that needs to be experienced to be understood.
The concept comes from a self-help process called Focusing, developed in the 1960s. It’s based on the recognition that psychological change often arises not from thinking about a problem, but from gently sensing it in the body.
A felt sense is the body’s way of holding meaning that hasn’t yet been put into words.
Two ways to access a felt sense
There are two common ways to notice a felt sense:
Entering a meditative or relaxed state, then noticing what naturally draws your attention in the body
Recalling a recent situation where you had an intense or puzzling emotional reaction, and noticing where and how that experience shows up physically
Both approaches are valid. What matters most is a gentle, receptive attitude.
How a felt sense shows up
A felt sense often appears in areas such as the throat, chest, solar plexus, or gut. It might be experienced as:
tightness
heaviness
a sense of blockage
fluttering
vague or hard-to-name discomfort
At first it can feel unclear or difficult to describe — that’s normal. A felt sense is often more like a whole impression than a clearly defined emotion.
The attitude matters more than the technique
Once you’ve located the felt sense, the most important thing is the attitude you bring to it.
See if you can meet it with gentleness, acceptance, and curiosity. Rather than trying to change it or make it go away, simply acknowledge it.
This is often where real change begins.
A felt sense as an inner part
It can be helpful to think of a felt sense as an inner part of you. We’re all made up of different psychological parts, each with its own role, history and perspective.
Accessing these parts through their felt sense in the body is a direct and powerful way of working with them.
When there’s resistance or frustration
Notice how you feel towards the felt sense.
For example, if it relates to anxiety, you might feel frustrated or be impatient with it. This reaction is understandable. But genuine insight tends to arise from acceptance rather than effort or resistance.
Imagine a young child carrying a problem and bringing it to a parent — only to be met with irritation or dismissal. The child probably won’t feel safe enough to open up. A felt sense works in a similar way. For it to transform, it needs to be met with understanding.
If you notice frustration or irritation directed towards the felt sense, that’s okay. Simply acknowledge that reaction as another part of you. You might gently ask that part if it would be willing to take a small step back so you can be with the felt sense itself.
Often it’s happy to do so once it feels heard.
If it doesn’t soften, then that reaction becomes the felt sense to work with for now.
Making contact
Once some space has been created, gently make contact with the felt sense.
You can do this by placing a hand on the relevant area of the body, or by silently letting it know you’re here and listening.
Then stay with it.
Staying with the felt sense
Keep your attention softly with the felt sense for at least one or two minutes. This can feel like a long time, but patient presence is often what allows things to unfold.
Sometimes this alone is enough for the felt sense to open or shift.
When this happens, you might notice:
a sense of release
a wave of emotion
a memory
a fresh insight
These are often followed by relief or a sense of ease.
Inviting a dialogue (if needed)
If nothing seems to open after a few minutes, you can gently invite a dialogue.
While staying connected with the felt sense, notice if any words, images or phrases arise. Don’t force this. If nothing comes, that’s completely fine.
You might try offering a simple word or image that seems to match the feeling — such as heavy, tight or stuck. If it resonates, the felt sense will often respond with a softening or sense of rightness.
Closing the interaction
Whatever happens, meet it with gratitude.
If nothing shifts this time, thank the felt sense for showing up and let it know you’ll return to it later — and do so if you say you will. This consistency helps build trust.
You’re not just working on your inner experience. You’re developing an ongoing relationship with the deeper wisdom of your body.
Felt sense and meditation
Over time, learning to stay with the felt sense in this way can naturally deepen your meditation practice. You begin to experience the body not as a distraction from awareness, but as a doorway into it.