Today my physical therapy session was intense and we did shifting. What is shifting?
It’s when you stand firmly on the floor with two feet spread a few feet apart.

Then you gently and firmly shift from one foot to the other. You don’t sway your body with it, but just shift your weight fully onto one side and fully onto the other side. The feeling might be painful when shifting onto the side of the weak foot, but do it anyway. For about five seconds each side, for a count of 10. You may hold on to the bar.

This exercise reminds me of the practice of shifting perspectives. It’s easy to only think one way all the time. We have our cultures, we live in our bubbles of politics, religion and so forth. It’s important to know what the other side thinks for various reasons. First, it helps create a more productive conversation so that each side could understand the other side’s point of view before refuting it.

People like to be validated. So, even if you think you’re right and the other one is wrong, it’s probably not a good idea to say “you’re wrong!” That’s not going to earn you friends. What’s better is to say, “I hear what you’re saying” which can happen after you “shift” your perspective. Then after the person feels that you’ve heard them, they are more open to listening to your point of view, and then they shift the perspective for a few minutes or a few seconds. (whatever the time span is).

Bottom line, learning to get into the head of another person, and empathizing with where they come from is a skill we all can learn. Shifting perspectives and shifting ideas or opinions – even if the new idea doesn’t stick in your head— is beneficial. You don’t have to change your mind and turn yourself into a pretzel for the other person. All it takes is a little empathy and shifting to another person’s ideas and feelings.

Try it. It might help you stretch your body and feel more relaxed.