How do you keep your head when all around people are loosing theirs and blaming it on you? Well, “centre”, and it’s a bodily process not a “head” one. Centring (centering US) is a way to get yourself together that I first learnt in the martial arts and now use in corporate training. I was glad to see this article on the wonderfully named “Slow Leadership” blog.
“All eyes these days are focused on the turmoil of our global economy. While we can’t, individually, calm the chaos, it’s important for all of us to be able to stay on as even a keel as possible as we navigate a way through. Successfully meeting workplace challenges can be likened to the way white-water rafters approach their sport. Beginners obsess about all the craggy rocks to avoid and the currents, whirlpools and undertows to circumvent, usually ending their runs feeling emotionally exhausted and physically drained. Experts focus on the ‘flow line’ where the currents guide them safely through the roughest areas with a minimum of mental and emotional stress. They end their runs on a high, with energy to spare.
In tough, uncertain times, clarity, focus and inner peace are paramount, especially when you’re forced to make decisions that could affect your life well into the future. One of the most effective ways to maintain a quiet mind, a peaceful heart and a relaxed body during these rough times is through the practice of ‘centering’.”
How to center?
There are some tips on centring (UK Spelling) and stress management tips on the Integration Training website. Here is the approach from the artcile:
“Recall a time when you were engaged in an activity and you felt on top of the world; when time stood still and you felt a deep sense of excitement and adventure; when you experienced a heightened sense of well being. Visualize that state as clearly as you can.
Notice your present state of being—your head, your heart, your body. Sense as much of yourself as you can in this moment, but do it with curiosity and acceptance, not with judgment. Focus on the feeling. Allow the feeling to immerse your total being. Bathe in it.
Breathe calmly and deeply into your belly, holding your breath for a few seconds and exhaling with a long breath, deeply and quietly. Inhale and exhale naturally—no pursing your lips, no noise with the exhalation, no trying. Just let it happen and focus on your breathing.
Sense your feet on the floor and allow the floor to support you; relax your shoulders, upper body and legs so you don’t have to shore yourself up. If you are seated, sense your butt in your chair and allow your chair to support you. Breathe deeply and focus on your body. Soon, your mind will quiet and clear. Your Inner Judge and Critic will diminish in its chatter and intensity. Your body will relax. Your heart will open. This is a place of centeredness.
Now permit yourself to let go totally. Don’t be attached to outcomes or goals. Allow your experience to flow and trust the process of centering to support you in whatever you are engaged in right now. Trust is essential. In time, you’ll find yourself experiencing degrees of inner peace, even in the midst of fire-fights, tense negotiations and conflict-resolution sessions.
Allow centeredness to become a major part of the fabric of who you are at work. If you do, your ability to see the world around you with clarity and insight will grow stronger and your ability to listen will be heightened.”
Allow centeredness to become a major part of the fabric of who you are at work. If you do, your ability to see the world around you with clarity and insight will grow stronger and your ability to listen will be heightened.”