Iphelia: Awakening the Gift of Feeling, Paperback/Erick Kenneth French

Iphelia is a graphic novel for the inner children of grown men and women. It is the story of a girl born with a special gift of sensitivity, told through 90 pages of visually stunning images that animate the feeling-level of experience through color, texture, shape and motion, making it perfect for young children, too. Like Iphelia, we are all born with the gift of feeling. But as we are exposed to all the wounded adults around us, we develop defenses that quiet and dull our emotional sense. We lose touch with our feelings, our connection with ourselves, and our capacity to really connect with each other. We lose empathy. The graphic novel illustrates the language of feelings and teaches valuable lessons in friendship, forgiveness, creativity, integrity, and the power of feeling The second half of the book is a passionate educational exploration of the feeling-dimension of experience that includes exercises and techniques for practical application. Each of the practices supports the reader in developing a deeper understanding of feelings and greater self-awareness. The practices build on each other, facilitating a journey toward a peak of insight and understanding. Topics covered include empathy for self and others, personal integrity, addiction, communication, boundary setting, apologizing, meditation, and living consciously.