Our centers of balance are never the same.
There are different loads on the body. A heavy pack on the shoulders and back. A kid tucked in close against the chest. Bags of groceries hanging from each hand. Pushing a stalled car off the road.
There are different body types. Heavy on top, heavy in back, heavy in front. Big heads, small heads. Wide, narrow, long, short feet. Broad shoulders, and slim.
And there are different tasks and goals.
The ground you stand on will be different. Your feet may not be at the same level. You may be facing uphill or down. It may be moving.
The magical thing is that we can adjust. The unmagical thing, the problem, is we don’t make perfect calculations.
Even in the squat rack, two squats are never the same. Training is about practicing in a controlled environment, but even then there is variation.
Change, randomness, relativity are real. You will be in situations that are unfamiliar and challenging.
That’s just fine.
Trust yourself. Keep two things at the top of the list: your center, and your spine.
Where is the center of your mass. Figure out where the ground is pulling you the most. Focus on that point. Become it. That’s what you push, what you pull, what you support as you stand. Keep that point above your mid-feet, above the point of ground contact.
Spine neutrality. In a neutral position, your spine best commands your limbs. It also allows for the greatest torso pressure, giving support to legs and arms to manipulate yourself or the environment. Encapsulate spine neutrality. Protect it.
The rest follows. Foot placement, torque, breathing.
Emphasis on the periphery gets you out of balance. As the world changes, and the game changes, find the center. Focus on your true reference point. Physically, mentally, spiritually. Put your might into it.
To powerful living,
Steve
The Brilliant Beast Blog 