The Tao of Focus

Doctor Jerry Lynch is a teacher, lecturer, and author, and the founder of the Tao Center for Human Performance. Using the concepts of Taoism that he learned from the Tao Te Ching, Dr. Lynch has developed a unique approach to athletic performance that he has used to successfully coach thousands of professional, Olympic collegiate, and recreational athletes from a number of disciplines. The goal of his approach, "TaoSport," is to help people to enjoy sports and life "more fully and to reach the levels of extraordinary performance of which we are all capable."  Together with Chaungliang Al Huang, a renowned educator, philosopher, performance artist, and T'ai chi ch'uan Master, he has written a book describing this approach. Thinking Body, Dancing Mind uses passages from the Tao Te Ching to help teach concepts crucial to successful athletic performance such as Relaxation, Simplicity, Balance, and Motivation.

While the book focuses specifically on how these concepts can be applied to both sport and life, many of the same lessons have clear applications to our study of self defense. In the chapter Focusing, he discusses the importance of being "present minded" and not allowing distraction to inhibit performance. Whether in training or in combat, the practitioner must not allow his mind to stray from the task at hand. A moment's hesitation or distraction could lead to injury, or to death. When confronted with an opponent intent on doing us harm, we must not be preoccupied with the challenges of our work life or the frustrations of the day. Only by focusing on the task at hand can the karate practitioner achieve victory; in life, in sport, or in self defense.

Dr. Lynch ends each chapter with exercises the reader can use to aid in his study and practice. I have included some of those below to aid you in developing Focus.

Focusing
Pg. 59

Hold on to the ancient Tao

Control the current reality.

TAO TE CHING   no. 14

"When Soren, a sixty-four-year-old ultra-distance runner, reached the finish line of the Western States 100-miler, a reporter asked him how someone his age runs a hundred miles. Soren replied, "I don't run a hundred miles; I run one mile-a hundred times." By focusing on one mile at a time, Soren can go the distance. If he focused on the whole distance, the mere thought of such a task would distract and fatigue him.

Focus your thoughts and your actions on one small aspect of the present, and you will create personal power. Giving full attention to the present moment is energizing and enables you to control the current reality. You must be present in order to win. For athletes, focusing on the moment is key to the Beginner's Mind for achievement.

Olympic medalist swimmer Dara Torres has stated, "Luck isn't what makes the difference when competition is really close. It boils down to who is more 'on' that day, who has the focus, the will to win at that moment."

Centering is the thought process of understanding how every aspect of your game contributes to your overall development and growth as an athlete and person. It is a kind of concentration that is all-encompassing. Focusing, by contrast, is the process of narrowing your concentration in order to eliminate specific unproductive or distracting occurrences. It is a method of fine-tuning your span of attention so that you stay in the moment, in the here and now.

You can focus on that backhand volley you missed, on the strike you looked at, on the pass you dropped in the end zone, on the shot you blew at the buzzer, on your failure to surge the last two hundred meters of the race, on the putt you almost made. You can focus on past and upcoming problems forever. But this will only put pressure on you and impede your concentration on the next move, play, or shot you make. The only way to make something positive happen is to focus on the present moment.

Concentrate on what you have control over. You can't control your competitors, or your teammates, or the weather, or the crowd. But you do have control over your own performance. As former Olympic diver and now coach Janet Ely-Lagourge has said, "All too often we get wrapped up in the pressure, and suddenly it's not fun anymore."

Developing the power to devote full attention to the present is one of the most valuable Beginner's Mind skills. Athletes who perform optimally are totally engaged in the moment. Their effectiveness is directly related to how well they focus on being present. In his book The Tao of Leadership, John Heider says, "expeditions into distant lands of one's mind...distract from what is happening. By staying present...you can do less yet achieve more."

Mark Allen, one of the greatest triathletes ever to compete, has said that it's a mistake to focus on how much more there is to go when doing the Ironman Triathlon. He attributes much of his success to focusing on the moment-to giving his attention to his form, stride, and breath. He focuses on his reasons for doing the race, on why he is here on the Big Island of Hawaii competing in this ultra-event, on his deep urge to move and run. By focusing on the joy of movement, you take yourself deeper in to the present moment, down into your motivation, and past any fleeting distractions and discomforts.

Single-mindedness accompanies excellence. We all have varying degrees of concentration. But with the Beginner's Mind, visualization and mediation processes can train you to develop greater powers of attention. No one can maintain this state for very long periods of time, but you can learn to focus to provide yourself with the proper mental environment to develop your athletic skills rapidly. You can learn to discipline a wandering mind that diminishes your performance through distraction and diversion of energy."

It is of great importance to achieve an inner peace

which will allow you to act in harmony with the times...
Hold your thoughts to the present...Actions that
spring from this attitude will be appropriate.

                               I CHING   no. 52

Drills -
Visualization: Imagine yourself playing in an upcoming event. Visualize yourself as clearly as possible, participating as you would hope. Simulate, in your mind's eye, various distractions; noise from the crowd, a bad call from the referee, an obnoxious play by the opponent. As these distractions occur to you, tell them that they can stay if they wish or step aside and leave, but you must immediately attend to your play, or performance. Imagine yourself dismissing them, that they have left. Focus your vision on the ball or road or slope or water itself. See its shape and texture. Look for the writing between the seams of the ball (or in the cool air or water). See the ball spin, feel it in your hands. Stay focused on this image for two minutes, no matter how difficult it is. Practice this exercise twice a day. The object need not be a ball; the image of any significant, tangible object related to your sport will do.

Affirmations for Focusing: Choose any of the following affirmations, or create your own to repeat during those times when distraction sets in before or during an event::

• "I stay in the here and now, so I'll take a bow."
• "Think less, achieve more."
• "Single-mindedness creates happiness."
• "Like a child at play, I ask my mind to stay."
• "Focus, focus, focus, focus."
• "Follow through, and I am true."

Exercise for Focus: This is an easy, quick way to strengthen your ability to focus and be present in the moment, in the Beginner's Mind. Stare at the candle at the base of the flame (do not stare directly at the light) while you focus on your present feelings. Exclude all other thoughts. Just focus your body and mind on your sensations. If your mind wanders, bring it back to the present moment and feelings by saying, "At this very moment, the candle flame and I are the center of life. I focus on the brilliant light that enables me to feel peaceful and calm. That is all there is in this moment."