Center Performing
Another way of centering
before performing a particular skill
is as follows:
- Sit comfortably with your hands in your lap or stand with your head slightly down, your arms hanging at your sides, and your feet placed shoulder-width apart.
- Focus your attention on what you want to accomplish. Your intention must be stated in the present and in precise terms, like “I am playing…” or “I am dancing…” or “I am speaking….”
- Select a specific place – below eye-level – in your space of performance. Direct your Attention-beam to it with a soft focus lens.
- Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Do the “complete exercise” by expanding first the belly, then the chest during the in-breath through the nose. During the breathing out through the mouth follow the reverse order when contracting them. Repeat this until you become fully mindful of your breathing.
- Scan your body for muscle tension. On each inhale, check one area. On the exhale, release any tension you observe. Continue until all muscles feel relaxed.
- Get out of your mind by focusing your Attention on your physical center of gravity, which sits about 2 inches below your navel and 2 inches inside your body. To better balance yourself, you need to feel stable in your center by feeling the ground or chair beneath you as a solid, stabilizing force. Since your power comes from your center, you need to focus your Attention-energy beam downward.
- After 3 or more breaths in your center, do the 3D-Spatial Attention exercise on the specific place selected earlier, so as to move your attention-energy and information feedback from left brain thinking to right brain imaging. Do this for as long as it takes to stop the flow of words or thoughts. Now you can ‘quietly’ see yourself performing the correct movements and feel yourself performing well!
- Sense the connection between your physical center and your specific place of performance. Summon your courage and trust your talent and experience. Smile, as you let go of fear!
The above exercise should last a few minutes. Practice it as often as you can.
