The last two weeks were tough. Riley could not shake the feeling of being behind, after missing ten days of school to go get her service dog. One of the ways we were able to move forward was by using the focus wheel exercise depicted in the best selling Abraham-Hicks book, The Vortex.
I’ve posted about focus wheels in the past, but here is the jist. You take whatever bad feeling you are having and come up with its opposite, and put that in the middle of a circle. Riley was feeling behind, and worried, so in the middle of her circle we put the opposite of that, “feeling like things are happening how and when they are supposed to/having faith.” That’s what we were going for.
Then we changed the subject and spent some time focusing on Tanya, her cat. Thinking about Tanya makes Riley feel peaceful and calm. We think about Tanya’s colorful paws. Her soft patchwork calico fur. Her purr. Her eyes. Her face. When Riley is feeling calmer, we start working on the focus wheel. We fill it in with statements that support “feeling like things are happening how and when they are supposed to/having faith.”
This is an interactive exercise. I don’t do it for Riley. We discuss things and kick them around. She decides what goes in the slots. Excuse my messy writing, but I think you can read it. 
When we are done with a focus wheel, the air in the room is different. It changes things.
Here is a focus wheel I did with Seth, who is afraid to be upstairs by himself. He thought about Legos to get in a good energy focus wheel place. Again, he came up with the answers for the slots. It didn’t cure him of his fear, but it got him through a recent night, when he was feeling particularly fearful about going to bed.
I’ve used the focus wheel exercise many times myself, and find it to be a useful tool. Feeling better, a little bit at a time. That’s the idea. Like Riley says in her wheel above, I know I can do anything if I start in small increments.
There are no accident. THIS is exactly what I needed. My mind is a swirling cloud of noise and confusion today; doing this exercise can help me re-focus and re-center. Whew. Thank you for the gift.
I really like this idea…. I am going to have to try it!
Love both of these wheels! Maybe I’ll try it with Rojo, who is afraid to go to sleep suddenly, after 13 years of being fine with it.
This is a really good idea. I can see the sense of it, shame my girls are too near the extreme end of the spectrum to get it, but I will certainly try and use it myself to get my head around those situations you really would rather didn’t happen.
sorry, just went back and read Riley’s wheel again – did you know the guy who cracked the German enigma code didn’t speak until he was 13 years old? and, in order to concentrate on theories for the days on end that Einstein did he was certainly on the spectrum.
These are beautiful. Although my 2 year old is a bit young for this, I’m not! Inspiring…
This is awesome! What a good thing to do for/with your kids. I love this idea. I will use it!
🙂
This is just the tool I was looking for to use with my daughter. Thanks for reminding me!
Wow. I’ve never seen this before and look forward to hearing more about it. I’m so impressed that you do it with your children — what an evolved family you are!