Welcome to September's Ki Moments. Last month took me to Potomac, Maryland for a fantastic week working with The Browne Center at UNH and two hundred young leaders from around the country.
I'm happy to be back in New Hampshire and anticipating some great workshops in New England this month.
Are you feeling centered? Can you choose to center yourself now? Take three minutes to read this month's article on The Centered State and learn (or revisit) a centering practice.
There are also lots of workshop resources and a coupon at the end of the newsletter. Feel free to share any and all with friends.
Good ki!
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Be at peace and simply be.
-- Shirley Murray
Questions that come up frequently in workshops and conversation:
- What is the centered state?
- How do I know if I'm centered, and how can I notice when I'm not?
- Does centering ever become automatic, my first response under pressure?
The centered state is always available though often hard to find when we need it most. The calm center of the storm, a refuge in difficulty, and the peace of simply being -- why is it so easy to lose sight of this powerful choice?
I plan to write about centering more often this fall -- short snippets that are easy to digest and will, I hope, add to your centering practice. Let's start with:
What is Center?
- The quiet at the center of my being
- My "reset" button
- My happy place
- The feeling I get when I'm in the flow
- My highest self
- Confidence
- Presence
- Power
Most of the time, people know when they're centered, though they may describe it differently.
The centered state is a mind-body quality that includes increased awareness and physical stability. When we're centered, we are confident, in control of our thoughts and emotions, and capable of managing whatever life sends our way.
How do I Know?
You just know. You're in the zone, comfortable in your body, alert, restful, and ready. And you can get better at knowing when you are and when you're not.
In Aikido, we use a physical centering practice, starting with finding our center of gravity, a point about two inches below the navel. We call it tanden, or one-point. When I focus on the tanden, I become more balanced. Breathing from center, I easily manage my thoughts and emotions, and I access the still, calm origin of ki (my energy or life force).
Here is a simple exercise you can do with a partner that I learned from my friend, Tom Crum. It will tell you if you're centered:
- Without being centered, ask someone to push on you with a gentle, steady pressure. You can choose any spot, though I usually use the sternum or the middle of the upper back.
- Notice what happens. Do you wobble? Do you resist by pushing back?
- Now center yourself. Bring your awareness to the tanden. Breathe.
- As you exhale, ask your partner to push again in the same way. This time, mentally redirect the push through your tanden into the floor. Imagine the push as energy. Engage it. Use it.
- Are you more stable? If you are, then you're centered.
- Notice if you feel stable emotionally and mentally also. With practice, you can do this anytime and all by yourself.
For example, you can use eye contact, words, gestures, and even someone's physical proximity the same way you used the energy of your partner's hand. Centering will help you be perfectly present, even when the person usually has a negative effect on you. When you center yourself, you change everything. It's inner self-defense.
Practice
Center yourself now. Then think of a person, situation, memory, or life event that is difficult. How does centering change your relationship to the challenge?
In my workshops, I use a centering bell to help participants practice. The sound of the bell is centering. It helps people relax and focus. You can download the centering bell sound as an mp-3 file from the top of the Products page at www.judyringer.com (no charge).
Take a moment now to listen to the bell and center yourself! Let me know if it was helpful.
Ki Moments
At this time of year, as we all "go back to school" in our thinking and in our work schedules, let's take a moment now and then to return to center -- a place of power and presence and a mind-body state that makes each moment a Ki Moment.
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| We Have to Talk: Managing Difficult Conversations - Sept. 23 |
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Join me on September 23 for one of my most popular workshops. You'll practice centering, build skills for talking about tough topics clearly, safely, and purposefully, and spend a fun day with good people.
Learn more here.
Be an Early Bird. Sign up before Sept. 16.
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| Appreciative Inquiry Workshop |
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Colleague, friend, and organizational change consultant Lisa Hirsh is offering a three-day workshop on Appreciative Inquiry in Boston, MA, December 1-3.
The program features Jane Magruder Watkins, one of the pioneers in the field of Appreciative Inquiry and co-author of Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination.
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them.
This is a rare opportunity to learn from two of the real experts in this field. I was a participant last year, and if you're interested in learning more about Appreciative Inquiry, this is a terrific program.
Learn more and register at Lisa's website. |
| 19th Annual Pegasus Conference - Nov. 2-4 |
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I'm honored to be a featured speaker at the upcoming Pegasus Communications fall conference in Seattle, where I will present a 90-minute workshop, on "Applied Aikido: The Power of Purpose." Keynote speakers include Juana Bordas, John Seely Brown, Peter Senge, Linda Booth Sweeney, and David Whyte.
Since 1989, Pegasus Communications has offered resources on systems thinking to help individuals, teams, and organizations understand and manage persistent challenges in new ways. It's a wonderful conference -- consider it for yourself and your organization.
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Many of the principles reflected in Ki Moments come from Aikido, the Japanese martial art that teaches self-defense through the redirection of energy.
If you live locally, Portsmouth Aikido is an ongoing martial arts school at the Seacoast Y in Portsmouth. Classes are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. You can stop by anytime and watch a class. Anyone aged 12 or older is welcome.
Beginner Class starts Sunday, Sept. 13.
Learn more at the Portsmouth Aikido Website.
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Judy Ringer
Power & Presence Training
76 Park Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
voice: 603.431.8560
website: www.judyringer.com
Judy Ringer is Founder of Power & Presence Training, a Portsmouth, NH company specializing in unique workshops to help you and your organization manage conflict, communicate effectively, and co-create a more positive work environment.
E-mail Judy at judy@judyringer.com for a free initial meeting to discuss your training needs. Ki (from Ai-ki-do) is Japanese for life energy. Ki Moments is a complimentary monthly "e-zine" with tips and how-to articles to help you manage the key moments in your life.
If you enjoy our news and stories, feel free to share them with friends or colleagues. Use our "FORWARD" link below to pass it along with our thanks! |
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"Come and find the quiet center
In the crowded life we lead.
Clear the chaos and the clutter
Clear our eyes that we can see
All the things that really matter.
Be at peace
and simply be."
--- Christian Hymn, lyrics by Shirley Murray
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