Find Your Center

Today before the sun rose, Tower 26 swimmers pushed each other around on the pool deck. I’m not kidding, we really did just that.

Coach Gerry was trying to teach people about tautness, and how we need to be firm in our posture in the pool and not wriggle or wiggle around like a wet noodle. Posture and alignment affect EVERYTHING when it comes to swimming. Otherwise, as Gerry likes to say, “stuff happens.”

My partner in the exercise would tense up and become a little disturbed if I poked and pushed him from an unexpected direction.

It occurred to me that he may not know where his physical center is in his body.

Put another way, does he know from where he can draw his strength? Or how?

I’m lucky to have studied martial arts for years, and that experience helps make posture and alignment drills such as this one rather easy and enjoyable.

I know where my center is. Physically, mentally and spiritually.

I can be pushed, but I don’t have to move. I can root my feet into the ground, and pretend I’m a tree. Or, I can contract my deep core, close my eyes, and relax while remaining firm.

I wonder how many people this morning, cold and shivering on the pool deck before 6:15 a.m. knew where their respective centers were in that moment.

And if they did know, were they translating that insight to their posture?

How easy it is to lose our center when we have so many distractions around us — especially visceral ones such as the cold, wetness, darkness and the discomfort with someone touching your body.

But if you can retain your center in those moments, suddenly…the distractions cease.

The pool itself stops becoming cold. The faster swimmers around you melt away. The person pushing you isn’t even touching you.

Tautness with presence can equal total alignment, whether you’re in the water, at your workplace, or at home.