You can test this by standing with your legs shoulder length apart and asking a friend to push you gently on your collarbone. If you are "in your head" thinking about all sorts of things, listening to your mind chatter, stressed, or worried, you will be very unstable when pushed.

Now take your concentration down to this point in your abdomen and imagine that your legs are like tree trunks grounding you with their long roots. Ask your friend to gently push you again and you will find that you are stable and do not even wobble.

This technique is something that you can use in all areas of your life to maintain a sense of calm and to ground yourself.

Aikido teaches us that relaxation works better than strength. It is fascinating to find all the areas in your life where a relaxed approach improves your results. Great athletes have known this for a long time. They imagine a positive outcome (winning) and then relax into their game.

I've just completed a training course on Presentation Skills for the Associates Programme of a large US investment bank. I taught them how to use this technique to become a much more effective presenters. Peak performance is achieved by being grounded, relaxed and focusing on a positive outcome. You can use this in many areas of your life and business.