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| WHY
DO YOU CALL THIS CENTERING MOVEMENT? Because doing these flowing movements deeply centers and aligns the body, mind and spirit. Second, because a deep sense of peace and centeredness comes from doing the pairs of opposite movements. Like a seesaw or set of scales that moves into balance, you can slowly move back and forth between a chosen pair of opposite movements until you feel centered and balanced. And third, you can focus or center your mind on some sacred ideal as you do the movements, to more fully embody that ideal. GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS HELPS ME CENTER. First do the Giving movement several times, followed by the opposite movement, Receiving. At first, you may notice that one feels more familiar or comfortable than the other. In time, you may literally find giving and receiving as easy as inhaling or exhaling, implying a balance between the two. HOW DOES THIS WORK? It's said that the body is the unconscious mind. We believe that the movements speak directly to the unconscious, giving deeper parts of yourself permission to relax and be. This frees up a lot of energy that quiets and soothes the mind. DO I HAVE TO DO THE MOVEMENTS IN A PARTICULAR ORDER? Yes and no. At times, we invite you to do any movement as the spirit moves you. However, as you progress and you would like to learn the long forms, we will teach you a few series of movements that are always done in a particular order. WHAT DO I FOCUS ON AS I DO CM? You could simply breathe, move and notice how the movement feels. Or you could move mindfully, noticing the thoughts, feelings and other experiences that come to mind. Or you could focus on matching scripture or other inspirational material, and notice your whole body's response as you move. IS IT OK TO MODIFY CM FOR COMFORT? Yes. Just do what you can do without effort or strain; make the movements work for you, not vice versa. DO I HAVE TO BELIEVE IN A PARTICULAR FAITH TO PRACTICE CM? No. You can learn CM without reflecting on spirituality at all. We are only interested in supporting your life, dreams and goals with CM. And if you are interested in spirituality, then you can integrate the movements with YOUR beliefs. ARE THE MOVEMENTS SIMILAR TO TAI CHI AND CHI GONG? Yes, it is very similar, and was inspired by faithful practice of tai chi and chi gong since 1990. There are short forms similar to chi gong, and several long, tai chi-like forms as well. The main difference is that centering movement is not based on natural imagery or martial arts per se. In any case, CM is intended to complement the rich tradition of meditative and holistic movement. HOW CAN I LEARN CM STEP-BY-STEP? Through one-to-one coaching, workshops or video. Coaching (at our location) is $60 an hour, workshops in the lower 48 states are $300 a day + travel expenses, and AK, HI and international workshops are $600 a day + travel expenses. CAN I HOST A CM WORKSHOP IN MY HOMETOWN? Yes. See above for cost. Contact us to schedule an event. DO YOU AUTHORIZE PEOPLE TO TEACH CM? Yes, once you have you have demonstrated that you understand and can both do and verbally instruct the movements (according to the instructions in our video.) |
| WHAT DOES IT COST TO BE A CM AUTHORIZED TEACHER? There is a $125 testing fee per person, and tests are held in person, not by video or teleconference. If we are requested to travel to test one or more candidates, there will be an additional $300 travel feel + travel expenses (the cost of which may be split among the candidates.) MAY I TRAIN OTHERS TO BE CM TEACHERS? If you would like to train others to teach CM, contact us 1 year after becoming an authorized teacher to discuss becoming an authorized trainer. |