Attention and intention initiate movement. This occurs without notice in the course of ordinary actions such as reaching, turning to look, and stepping towards a goal. Observe how your weight automatically begins to shift in the direction of your attention when you reach for the coffee cup or step into the cross walk when the light turns green. While standing in line at the grocery store experiment with shifting attention from side-to-side and front to back: notice what happens to your balance.

The feel of balanced posture is a vantage point from which to view the world around us as well as a foundation for action. The mind/body balance techniques such as centering serve as a means to trigger a balanced state rather than a place to lock attention.

Movement tends to organize around the focal point of attention. Locking attention on the feet or a hand or on an object organizes movement in a way that is less efficient and more unstable. In contrast, center of balance provides a coordinated, big picture framework for perception and action inclusive of the whole body and of the objects and environment with which we interact.