Hara (Japanese)

Hara is that state in which the individual has found his primal centre, and has proven himself by it. The concept is associated with the practice of Tai Chi Ch'uan, Aikido and Zen. It constitutes a state of perfect calm around which there may be great activity. When in this state, a person is able to move from a point of harmony to permit an opponent's own energy to defeat him, or to permit the person to carry out a delicate yet steady series of movements for a long time. The term "hara" is also used to denote the physical vital centre of the body, slightly below the navel.