Sports Performance Visualization

• To elevate your performance and accelerate training results, try this simple visualization exercise.

To Begin: Sitting in a comfortable position with as little distraction as possible. Gently close your eyes and relax your body.

The Journey: In your mind, create an image of what you would like to experience (ie: score a goal, win a face off, jump a fence). Create a "full" experience; explore the colours, textures, sounds, smells, thoughts and feelings associated with this activity. Visualize from inside your body, rather than seeing yourself on a video screen. See your experience from the perspective you will have when you are competing. Feel the sensation of your equipment on your body, your teammates by your side, the ball, stick, or reins or racquet in your hands. See and feel yourself competing with ease, strength and success. Do so until you feel it is a certainty. If doubts, fears or errors come up in your performance as you visualize, work them out in your imagination. Your sub-conscious doesn't know the difference between a real performance and a visualization. Thus, when you are visualizing, your are actually at a practice. When you work out your habits and performance snags in your imagination, your mind and body will share the experience, and therefore you have less chance of repeating that error in your next competition or performance.

To Close: Stay with your visualization for 5-20 minutes and allow yourself to get carried away with it. Then, bring yourself back to today, to the room that you are in, and let go of your visualization. Return to your day with the knowledge that you can control your performance, and you have the power to reach new levels in sport, in work, and in life.

• This meditation is adapted from "Preparation for Peak Performance for the Equestrian Athlete", by Heather Agnew, published by Horse Sport Magazine www.horse-canada.com.