Balance and Center

Many things can startle you, causing you to become unbalanced and uncentered. At the same time, being startled by someone or something can also be viewed as a catalyst for becoming even more balanced and centered than before. For example, without denying the shock, a student who’s startled by the fact that he or she failed an exam can use the experience as an incentive to study more effectively for the next test.

Christine Rickerby met George Leonard when she heard his Akido class through the ceiling of an art studio she was using. What followed was an opening to an enriching ITP practice and an opportunity to spend time with George at the end of his life.

The practice of GRACE is the opening move of the ITP Kata: Ground, Relax, Aware, Center and Energize. These steps can be called into action any time we need to come into the present moment. Beyond the acronym, grace is a powerful energy, a transmission of divine love or a higher consciousness that is freely given, often unexpectedly, received but not directly earned. ITPI board member and co-author of Living an Extraordinary Life Christina Grote talks about how ITP practices open us up to grace.

Lois Martin, member of Tulsa ITP, considers how centering creates a sense of balance and harmony. This is preparation for the Kata. It also is preparation for starting a new day. “My centering creates space to be who I am and to feel the energies of the present moment.”

The last step of GRACE at the beginning of the Kata is ENERGIZE. ITPI member Jill Robinson describes it as “a calm, yet alert sense of aliveness.” This energy sets up a readiness for the movements of the Kata. It can also nourish the activities in the rest of the day.

The practice of GRACE before the Kata sometimes runs through our minds automatically. But greater gifts come with closer examination. ITP Mastery teacher Charlotte Hatch takes us step-by-step through the best of her practice and reflects on how it affects her life.

Charlotte Hatch leads the practice of GRACE as a series of affirmations and follows it with the Kata.

Putting together all aspects of our integral being is a practice itself. Conscious, embodied integration of our many parts reinforces wholeness, balance, and integrity—much of what ITP promises for practitioners. Rather than focusing awareness on one aspect of ourselves, such as the heart with its vast array of feelings, the staying current practice prompts us to pay equal attention to all aspects—the totality of who we are – to mine our deeper truths for self-understanding, growth, and mindful action.

Messages from the heart can show up in everyday places. Thanks to her ITP practice, Charlotte Hatch took notice of her heart's messages.