CenteringOurselves

And as I started thinking about CenteringTechniques, it begged the question, exactly what is centering, and why do it? 2003.07.14 DonGray

Having lost my center today in a conversation with a colleague, this is a fresh topic for me. I felt disoriented, as if my thoughts and feelings were bouncing around inside of me, uncontrollably, gathering gradeau and colliding with the meanings I was making from my colleague which accentuated their speed and unpredictability as they lurched out of me in words and posture and other music.

I imagine if I had been centered during this conversation I would have been oriented towards myself first - weight evenly balanced, paying attention to my breathing and open to what was happening to me. Taking the time to do this so that I would be ready to catch what was coming my way. I would be able to express my anger or displeasure or whatever was the result of catching what came my way.

In the end, I want to be able to do this without having to think about it - because having to think about being centered, is not being centered. BobKing 2003.07.16

Centered is not the issue, Bob. Centering is the issue. Everybody loses center at times, or so the greatest Aikido sensei's assure me. The trick is to notice this and then apply your mind (very quickly, in their case) to bringing yourself back to center. Think of steering a car. Do you think you actually keep the car going in the exact center of your lane at all times? Watch the cars in front of you. Do you think you're any different? - JerryWeinberg 2003.07.16

Let me offer what I believe is one aspect of centering that I'm working on these days.

Separate my emotional reactions from my rational thoughts.

I know I will emote. It's built in by biology. It can provide important information at the instinctual level about my immediate environment. How do I evaluate that information and choose a rational path using it and other information? Somethings quick reaction is exactly what is needed. At other times, I need lengthy dispassionate consideration before I choose a course.

I believe this is an important part of centering, but only a part.

MikeMelendez 2003.07.17

Good insight, Mike, but perhaps what you mean is more accurately expressed by

Distinguish my emotional reactions from my rational thoughts.

I don't think it's a good idea to separate them. It makes you into a robot boy. - JerryWeinberg 2003.07.17

Believe it or not, Jerry. That was how I originally phrased it. On reread, I agree my restatement has the problem you mention without further explanation. It goes too far, even though I didn't mean to discard the emotion. I set aside "distinguish", literally after consulting my Roget's and trying a couple of others, because I thought that didn't go far enough. I think I want to be able to make my decisions rationally with my emotions as input. I don't want my emotions to make my decisions for me, unless I have rationally decided to train myself to do so, e.g. as in your example of the Aikido sensei. I do believe emotion and logic are inseparably part of me and make me human rather than a rigid machine with only logic and at least more human than other animals. All that said, I note again that this is an area of active work for me.

I'm pondering the idea of "robot boy". I think the major thing that distinguishes humans from machines is our ability to make good decisions with impossibly limited information. That's independent of emotion or mathematically expressible logic. I think "pattern matching" captures some, but not all of it. For this reason, I don't think machines are capable of centering.

MikeMelendez 2003.07.18

Mike, I recommend that you take a look at Primal Leadership - Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, et al. A whole lot of Industrial Age assumptions are discussed and reanalyzed in it. The separability of emotion and reason comes into question. There has been a lot of brain physiology information since the advent of CAT scan and MRI technology. Prior ro CAT scans and MRI, the only brains actually observed were definitely a bit abnormal. Since them, normal subjects processing have been charted with interesting results. The dynamics of the emotional system are a lot more integrated with all thought, and especially memory capture vs. filter.

BobLee 2003.07.18

Thanks for the reference, Bob. I'll be checking it out. Once again, I think words fail. When I said "independent of emotion", I meant "independent of consciously identifiable emotion". Emotion is a very human, as opposed to a scientific, word. It doesn't have anything like "mathematically expressible logic" to suggest limits on its range. Even using CAT and MRI scans, the interpretation must depend enormously on the ability of the individual being scanned to identify his emotions. I know I can't accurately indentify mine much of the time, where accurate means being able to give them a decent label. Perhaps a still better way to restate my suggested centering prerequisite is

Distinguish what we know from what we might know.

MikeMelendez 2003.07.21

Full, unobstructed access to one's toolbox

When I am centered, I have full access to all my tools. When I am not centered, I do not. So centering can be thought of as regaining access to the full set of tools.

example 1: my goal is to retain an erect posture. If I am centered, both my legs are tools I can use. If someone comes along and does a foot-sweep, then I lose the use of one of my legs as a tool, and I might fall down.

example 2: I'm having a horrible time with my personal life, and I am managing a complex project at work. My personal crisis is obstructing my access to tools that require patience, self-esteem, or a belief that everyone is trying their best. If no glitches happen, I may very weel be viewed as successful, but I will not have been centered.

--DaveLiebreich 2003.07.21

Dave,

Your second example had me thinking about how we often refer to clashes or demands of our various life parts as a "balancing act". Good balancing acts, like high wire, require focus and being present as well as physical consciousness and balance. A seemingly apt reflection of centering.

BeckyWinant 2003.07.21

Updated: Monday, July 21, 2003