Using Attention to Stabilize Your Body
Using Attention to Stabilize Your Body
Using Attention to Stabilize Your Body
If you want to wield the superpower of attention well, anchor your attention in the body and space you are in. Athletes, dancers and martial artists especially understand the power of being “grounded” in the body and to the Earth. A large body of research reveals that grounding helps us cultivate enough focus and power to be truly effective, heal, and find our flow. It’s physics, really.
In lieu of taking my word on this, test the power of grounding for yourself. Grounding is automatic when we contact bare earth with bare feet, but what about when we can’t do these things?
Start by standing on a flat surface with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Put all your weight on one leg, and then raise the knee of the other leg in front of you and try a short, controlled gentle kick, out and back, with the foot of that leg. What did you notice? How well did you balance during the kick?
Next, repeat this action with some deliberately focused attention. Again from standing, see your skeleton vertical and connected deep into the Earth. Feel the weight of your bones and their connection to the floor and the ground beneath. You may begin to notice that you feel a little heavier. With these visuals in mind, repeat the kick. What changed in your balance, strength and agility?
Another way to research the powerful effect of attention is with a partner. Stand next to a friend and ask them to try to gently push you off balance. How easily can you hold your ground? Repeat this exercise with the visualization we just did above. Any difference?
We’ve just done research on how attention can affect strength and stability. Attention, in other words, can invoke healing, shift physical states, and open up possibilities. Like I said, attention is a superpower! And it’s available to everyone.
See film below that explains the science of grounding!
Questions? Comments? Please share your experiences!
