Get your balance, relax, and focus.4 min read

There is a technique all high performers are using.
Even if they don’t realize it themselves.

It helped me reach top performance across many fields.
And I’m about to reveal it to you.

This technique follows a specific framework.
The BRA (balance, relaxation, attention):

Let’s find out how to use it

The BRA framework was found in one of my passions – massage and gentle methods for restoring body balance – a.k.a osteopathy.

On Monday, I did my first seminar on manual techniques and osteopathy in Japanese.

11 years ago, I graduated from a massage qualification course.
After getting the basic skills, I participated in over 190 hours of seminars.
I practiced for a total of 4 years.

My interest was so big that sometimes I spent an entire month’s salary on 3-4 day seminars.

Was it worth it? Yes, absolutely.

After moving to Japan, my practice stopped. I couldn’t find work in this specialization due to the high specificity of my approach.

So, for 7 years, I had a break in practice. It’s frustrating and disappointing, but it’s a fact.

About a month ago, two friends asked me to teach them the basics of the gentle approach that I know.
They have more than 7-8 years of massage experience, while I only have 4 years, which was 7 years ago!

But our approaches are different, and the entire process is not alike.
Thanks to my friend’s experience, they grasped the material fast and could understand it.

I dedicated the past week to preparing for this seminar (that’s why I disappeared from Twitter). I had only 5 hours available, although I wanted to show and tell much more.

As always, “overdeliver” is my second name regarding things I’m passionate about.

While preparing for the seminar, I reviewed old video recordings. 10 people, odd camera angles, and sometimes a crackling sound. Yet the value of the material remains intact.

It felt like it was yesterday.
My teacher taught us the art of thinking.

Yes, exactly. Not how or where to press, but where to focus attention and concepts for evaluating the entire body.

The foundation, as always, is crucial:
▶︎ Balance (posture)
▶︎ Relaxation
▶︎ Attention

Posture
How often do you pay attention to your posture?
Adults tell us about it so many times in our childhood, right?
Let’s try again together:

▶︎ Sit on a chair. Legs at a 90-degree angle, comfortable and straight.
▶︎ Rock back and forth and side to side, like a pendulum, to find your balance.
▶︎ Do the same with your head.

When you are in balance, even turning your head will create a sense of imbalance and muscle tension. It will drain energy from your body, causing anxiety and attracting attention.

Relaxation is the next step,
Without it, you won’t be able to feel even the disruption of your balance. Not to mention the balance of the person’s body in front of you.

In this state, we can perceive much more information from both inside and outside.

▶︎ Scan your entire body, looking for tension.
▶︎ By moving in the tense area, relax it.
▶︎ Take a deep breath and quick exhale.

Use simple questions: “Am I relaxed? Really?”
This question will be an indicator of your level of relaxation.
Over time, this level will only grow.

We use attention at every step. But it’s essential when the preparation is complete (posture, relaxation). In this case, we can maximize the power of our brains to solve the tasks we need.

▶︎ What captures your attention?
▶︎ What’s essential in the current situation?
▶︎ Where’s the best place to start?

Energy flows where attention goes. And when the body uses minimal power, it brings focus to a new level.

The same principles in martial arts:

▶︎ Balance (posture and body balance)
▶︎ Relaxation (freedom of movement)
▶︎ Attention (understanding and reacting)

What about psychology?

▶︎ Balance (getting out of a problematic state).
▶︎ Relaxation (releasing tension from the situation).
▶︎ Attention (analyzing what happened and what I can do).

These are three simple steps that you can apply anywhere.

Preparation is the most important for setting the momentum for the entire process.

As for me:
I love touching people’s bodies (massage/martial arts) and hearts (psychology).
This is the best application of my balance, relaxation, and attention.

What about you?
Where do you think you can apply the BRA framework in your life?