Centring
Centring is a practice that has its roots in the Martial Arts world. It involves focusing our attention and energy in the area of our centre of gravity, about 2.5cm below the navel, and learning to move and act from there.
The very basics of any Martial Arts practice are balance, posture and breathing. Centring is most closely related to balance, even though it does involve some breathing and posture elements.
The following description is quoted from Robert Pater’s “Leading from Within1 : Martial Arts Skills for Dynamic Business and Management” (pg. 70 onwards):
“Balance is an interesting word referring to both mental and physical state [...]
In a martial arts demonstration of the center of balance, one person lies on his back and an obi (sash)
is slipped underneath him just below the navel. Two people take each end of the belt and lift him by it.
He balances, perfectly suspended. When the obi is positioned a little off-center, he no longer balances.
Extra strength is needed to control his weight.
A small shift at the center of gravity can also have a major effect on our balance.
This is an important principle for physical well-being. Without physical balance, it is difficult to achieve relaxation,
or to maintain energy reserves. [...] So the more balanced we are, the lower our base-line tension level and the more energy
we will have to direct toward our work.
Martial artists call this energy ki (Japanese and Korean) or chi (Chinese) as in the ki in hapkido or aikido,
or the chi in tai chi ch’uan.
The easiest way to develop good balance it through the hara, our center of gravity. Located inside our lower abdomens,
the hara literally means “life center”. [...] Motion generated from the center of gravity is always balanced and powerful.
[...] This economy of motion will leave you with more available energy. In addition, you will feel and appear much calmer.
Or as Michel Random wrote in ‘The Martial Arts’, “concentration on the hara creates a stable and serene strength”. [...]”
Being centred has the following benefits:
- Enhances physical and emotional balance
- Prevents accumulation of stress
- Enables reacting calmly in stressful situation
- Enhances body awareness and awareness of own emotions
- Enhances presence and focused attention
- Reduces the power influences from outside have over us, and with that enhances our capacity to determine our own course
- Helps us to bring our various aspects/sides together into a coherent whole
