Title: How Much Time is a Moment

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We all understand that it’s important to have our attention focused in the moment to be effective. But how many moments make up an event? For instance, how many moments make up a 20-foot fall? Are there three, when the fall begins, the fall itself, and when it ends? Or are there many moments throughout the fall?

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First we need to look at the difference between an end-result focus and a process focus. End-results are arbitrary portions our minds identify to organize the chaos of an event, like identifying the beginning of a fall, the fall, and the end of a fall; three simple identifiable portions. Processes occur throughout an event, between the arbitrary end-result portions our minds identify. Shifting to a process focus shifts attention to smaller portions of the situation.

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Second, the foundation of the Warrior’s Way is improving awareness. Improved awareness comes from being aware of the moments that lie between the arbitrary end-result portions. Having a process focus shifts our attention so we become aware of more details and subtleties of an event.

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Let’s keep this practical. We tend to avoid falling and never develop any proficiency with it. With little or no falling experience we contract, tense, and hold our breath when we fall. This contraction makes the fall seem like it is over very quickly. We are present for the moment at the beginning and end of the fall, but not during it. By practicing falling we learn to exhale throughout the fall. Exhaling throughout the fall keeps us in process. We also look down, projecting our attention out of our thinking mind and into the fall. Exhaling throughout and looking down keeps us attentive to the moments throughout the fall.

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Students of the ww clinics usually perceive the fall slowing down and taking longer as they become more comfortable with it. Attention isn’t static, it expands or contracts based on how comfortable or stressed we are when falling. By experiencing falling we develop comfort and allow attention to expand. This expansion makes an event like a 20-foot fall be composed of many micro moments instead of three. It causes our perception of time to expand. Consider how valuable it is to perceive that we have more time when we fall. We’ll be able to make subtle adjustments to respond effectively to it.
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