Anyone who has watched a group of people performing the Tai Chi form (an ancient Chinese exercise) will see a very slow, graceful, type of movement.
To produce this movement, you need to find the centre of your body or centre of gravity which is ~ 11/2″ below the belly button and ~ 11/2″ inside the body. This imaginary point varies with body proportions being slightly higher in men who are generally broader shouldered and slightly lower in women who have a wider pelvis for childbirth.
Our centre moves according to our body position. When we go up on our toes in standing it is raised and we become more unstable. Even being anxious, tense and holding our breath can raise our centre and reduce the stability of our body.
In order to move in balance, we need to maintain our centre over our base, this is easier with a wider base compared to a narrower stance e.g. standing on a bus, we automatically adopt a wider stance.
Finding your centre will improve your balance and helps in many sports e.g. golf, riding. ski-ing etc.
