Visualisation as a performance and a weight loss tool.

For years sports coaches have successfully used visualisation with their athletes to improve performance, help control pre-event nerves, correct technique and to have injured athletes "train" in their head while they cannot train physically amongst other things.

Numerous studies have been conducted between 2 groups of athletes where one group physically practices a skill or exercise and the other group uses visualisation techniques only - no physical practice. The results show that there is no discernable difference between the athletes who practiced visualisation and the ones who physically practiced. The mind cannot tell the difference between what we visualise and what we physically practice.

I know this to be true because I used the same techniques throughout my taekwondo career. 

Visualisation played a large role in my grading prep; in black belt gradings there are so many things to remember and get right.  in the months leading up to grading each time I developed a new section to my grading that I was happy with I would add it to my nightly visualisation so ensure I remembered it. Each night, in my head, I would run through my grading from start to finish. This way I knew I was fully prepared and only had to concentrate on the things I could not prepare for like sparring and self defence with attackers coming from all areas, although even then I visualised about how I needed my state of mind to be to come out on top.

For full contact fight prep, most evenings before I went to sleep, when I woke up and pre-fight I would close my eyes and visualise the fight how I intended it to go from walking on to the mats and how I would deal with the energy zapping adrenalin that invaded my body just before the ref called start, to feeling how balanced my body was in a spinning kick, to feeling the power of my back kick as it connected in the sweet spot, to how I would control my breathing to how I would smile and bow at the judge as he put the gold medal around my neck.  At the end of the visualisation my heart rate was up and my body felt as it if had gone 3 rounds - my reflexes were heightened, I felt energized and calm and in control. It works!

So...how can you use this tool outside of sports performance??

Understand the power of visualisation and use it. Use visualisation to see yourself living your days in a way that supports you achieving your goals. See yourself in your "after" photo or in the pair of jeans you want to wear. Visualise your life how it will be once you have reached your goal weight - what are the things you will be doing then that you don't or can't do now?

Give yourself 5 minutes every morning and every evening to visualise your success and you will be halfway there, it is that powerful.

Try it everyday for 3 weeks and see what happens..