| “The biggest thing is to have a mind-set and a belief you can win.” -Tiger Woods |
When it comes to sports, you have to deliver a cutting edge performance, and be optimally fit. Both of these factors go hand in hand to make up your performance. But in order to ensure that you are giving your best performance you have to be at your best.
The sad fact is this is easier said than done. This is because under certain compelling situations, most athletes are likely to suffer from some mental blocks that affect their physical stability and keep them from giving their best.
But no more, because guided imagery or self hypnosis is emerging as an effective means of boosting your overall health and performance. World class Golf player Tiger Woods is its biggest endorser and evidence that self hypnosis actually works.
However, first you need to know the mental blocks that can stand in your way to success:
- Self confidence: without this you can never deliver a good game.
- Emotional turmoil: keeps you riled up, not allowing you the focus that you need to enhance your performance.
- Commitment and motivation: without the proper motivation that comes from within, you can never boost your performance.
- Composure: even in the face of the toughest competition, you must keep calm, or you lose focus and the game.
- Courage in the face of defeat: this is important. If you fall off a horse you should be able to get up on it again. That’s what true sportsmanship is about!
- Self consciousness: when you are performing, you must remember nothing else but the game.
- Need for perfection: while it is good to be a perfectionist, sometimes even this need for perfection stands in the way of your improvement.
If improving your stamina, will power and body-mind connection is your aim, hypnotherapy is your means to this end. Self hypnosis helps you to overcome all of these issues and ensure that you give your best shot when you perform on the sports field…and even off it.
Why does self hypnosis work?
Most of the mental blocks arise from the subconscious and studies prove that the result of a game can vary depending on your mental state. It’s similar to how a playing team brings the game around in their favor, although everything predicted otherwise. What worked in their favor was motivation to win and positive energy even in the face of the odds!
This is exactly what self hypnosis makes possible. With post hypnotic suggestions and visualization, you can motivate yourself to win and to improve your performance.
Self Hypnosis misconceptions!
Remember that Self hypnosis does not refer to:
- Mind Control
- Unconsciousness and sleep
- Mystical state of mind
What happens in course of and after a session of self hypnosis are:
- You become aware of your body and mind like never before
- You are in control of both your body and mind, and this co-ordination works to your advantage on the grounds
- You are in a harmless state which merely boosts your self confidence and gets rid of your mental blocks
- After coming out of the hypnotic state, you become aware of your mind and body like never before
- You become motivated to deliver your best performance
Now to try a session of self hypnosis or guided imagery, you can try the following steps:
- Take a seat in a place that’s comfortable.
- Ideally, you should choose a place where you are least likely to be disturbed and interrupted.
- Relax your body—take several long, slow and deep breaths.
- Now close your eyes and conjure a positive and vivid image in your mind. It can be a mental replica of your ‘happy place’ or a desire coming true.
- You might get distracted; after all, you aren’t a pro at this, not yet anyway. So if you lose track of your image—as you might, just admit the distraction before you let it go. You can focus better once you let go.
- Stay in focus with the help of slow and deep calming breaths.
- Maintaining a positive attitude throughout, even when you are getting distracted is important. It will help you to keep at it.
- To ensure focus, take in the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, sensations etc. and every such detail when you picture the image in your mind.
- Details help more than anything else. So make sure your image is not vague but as concrete as your mental perception can allow.
- If it doesn’t work even with all your best efforts, don’t give up. Taking a deep breath and starting over helps, so START OVER.
To make things easier try this out– Sporting Success: Self Hypnosis CD / MP3 Download!
Try, try, try again and success is surely going to be yours. So give self hypnosis a try to enhance your performance, after all, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!