Change Your State, Change Your Life

One of the fundamental exercises in controlling your energy is to get centered. Getting centered is literally bringing your energy to the center of your body, just below your belly button. This is done by controlling the flow of oxygen and focusing your mind on that activity. The idea is to shut down the mind in order to recharge.

Here’s an exercise that you should become proficient at performing, so try it now. First, find a good posture; the ideal is to be sitting up straight. Generally, it’s easier if you close your eyes. Take a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose, expanding your ribs, allowing the air to fill your stomach. Hold it for a few seconds, and then exhale through your nose or mouth, deflating your stomach, allowing your belly button to approach your spine. Hold your breath for a few seconds before you inhale again.

As you do this, note any tension in the facial muscles, and let them relax. Allow your jaw to hang. These are both crucial elements, as tension is often stored in the jaw and in the muscles around it (a helpful point to remember in pressure situations). Deep breathing should be done anytime you’re anxious or nervous, when your heart is beating fast or your mind is racing. To slow down your heart rate or racing mind, slow down your breathing.

Building on this basic exercise, we now add a few variations. The first one is to imagine that with every breath in, you’re inhaling life-giving energy, and with every breath out, all your cares, concerns, or worries are leaving your body. (You can also visualize the life-giving energy entering your body as a mist, to enhance the picture.)

 Next we add positive thoughts to the breathing. Try this now: To turn off your mind, you will say, “I am . . .” in your mind as you breathe in, and “completely stopping” as you breathe out. If you want, you can imagine yourself descending a staircase, slowly going down a quiet, peaceful place. You’re shutting down the system.

There are a number of variations to try next. In place of “I am . . . completely stopping,” you can use any of these variations:

  • I am . . . fully present
  • I am . . . confident and focused
  • I am . . . calm and relaxed
  • I am . . . letting go
  • I am . . . brilliant and articulate
  • I am . . . an all-star
  • I am . . . [add however you want to feel or be]
  • Focus . . . and enjoy
  • Relax . . . and smile
  • I expect . . . nothing

There is a samurai saying: “Expect nothing, prepare for anything.” Expectations are a potentially large stumbling block in performance, causing tension and fear, taking us out of the present. By definition, expectation implies looking to the future. Centering exercises are done to bring your energy to your body’s center and your mind to the present. “I expect . . . nothing” is a powerful centering exercise that says you have no needs; you can handle any circumstance. You have no expectations about how things should be.

Imagine a samurai before a sword fight in which one person will die. To be his best, the samurai must stay focused and centered the entire time. He especially cannot afford to be flustered by unforeseen circumstances. Expectation, as we use the word, has nothing to do with confidence, which is faith in the future. It is simply anticipation of future circumstances, which we want to avoid. We prepare for the future every day by goal setting, affirmations, and visualizing future outcomes. Otherwise, we want to stay fully in the present.