What if I drift away from the center of the mat?

One of you wrote to me and said that you tended to drift away from the center of the mat, and  wanted to know if there was anything that could be done about that. Here is my reply:

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First, I think it is in part just a matter of time. Your proprioceptive awareness will grow over time as you rebound and trust the process.

Second, without “thinking” too much (because that will mess you up), try to feel with the bottom of your bare feet (you are bouncing bare-footed, aren't you?) the differences in the tension of the mat as you move away from the center and towards the side. You are getting a lot of feedback in this manner, so if you can notice it and attune to it, that might help.

Third, every now and then I drift off too. I haven't yet actually gotten my feet tangled in springs or strings, but I certainly have stepped on them. And every once in a great while I will actually bounce myself off the mat or otherwise lose my balance and have to come off. If that's going to happen, then the key is to go with it and do it as safely as you possibly can.

A fourth possibility is for you to get a bar to hold onto while you rebound, one that slips under the feet of the rebounder and is generally for disabled folks. I would discourage that, though, because it limits your range of motion and won't encourage the develpoment of additional balance and proprioceptive awareness.