Mastery

158 MASTERY . . . At the back of your knees? . . . At the back of your heels? . . . With your eyes closed, can you get the general feel of what is behind you? . . .

"Now send a beam of awareness throughout your entire body, seeking out any area that might be tense or rigid or numb. Just illuminate that area; focus on it. Sometimes awareness alone takes care of these problems. . . .

"Once more, concentrate on your breathing. . . .

Be aware of the rhythm. . . . Now, in synchrony with an incoming breath, let your eyes open. Don't look at any one thing in particular. Just let the world come in. . . . With eyes soft and relaxed, walk around slowly, maintaining the relaxed and balanced state you've achieved. . . . Let your physical center be a center of awareness. . . . Ask yourself if things look and feel different to you after this exercise."

Once you've gone through the balancing and centering procedure a few times, you'll find that you can recreate it rather quickly—in as little as a few seconds, in fact. To repeat the most important point: the body can be considered a metaphor for everything else. Your relationships, your work, your chores, your entire life can be centered and balanced.

Returning to center. There will be moments on the path, no matter how skillful and well-balanced you