In the neurological sense, the region of the hara is home to more than 500 million neurons.  To regard it as a seat of consciousness is not mere metaphor. Two of the four energy patterns are centered in the hara: the Driver at the base, giving us push and power, and the Collaborator near the belly button, giving us rhythm and resilience. Indeed, experiencing your own hara is no further away than a good deep belly- laugh: Ho, Ho, Ho! Say those words – not just to yourself in your head, but really SAY them – and you’ll feel your hara go in and out. Let your breath settle into the hara and you become stronger, more stable and resilient.  The connection to joy – Ho, Ho, Ho! – is no accident either. I could tell you that, in our research, Collaborator energy correlates with positive emotion.”

“Ken Kushner Roshi hosts a blog at haradevelopment.org where you can learn more about hara, including information on a biofeedback and teaching device – the harameter™ – for measuring this deep, centered breathing. If you’d like to practice hara breathing yourself, you can download this exercise.”