Seeing is Believing

Sharon Chirban, Ph.D.Areté Sport Psychology Performance

Enhancement

VISION: 1. The sense of sight. 2. The ability to anticipate and make provisions for future events.

Power of Imagery You can harness the power of imagery

to provide the vision you need to reach the upper limit of your potential.

Imagery is a mental technique that programs your mind and body to respond optimally.

By using imagery as a mental training tool - you have the capacity to see and believe!

When you see and believe you have confidence and

focus to perform successfully.

Imagery may be defined as using all

the senses to re-create or create an experience in the

mind.

Re-creating an Image

We are able to imitate the actions of others because

our mind takes a picture of the skill that we use as a

blue print for our performance.

Recreating Experience Imagery is based on memory. We experience it internally by

reconstructing external events in our minds.

Imagery is also useful to recreate your own performance after competition in order to evaluate your performance and identify strengths and weaknesses.

Outstanding Performance Imagery Technique

Recall previous outstanding performances and re-create them through imagery to increase confidence for upcoming game.

Create Experience

Even though imagery is a product of memory, our brain is able to put the pieces of the internal picture together in different ways.

Athletes learn to see and believe.

• Imagery should involve all the senses.

• Visualization is seeing with the mind’s

eye.

• Sight is not the only significant sense.

Vivid images are key to visualization.

The more vivid the image - the more effective it is.

Imagery Exercise One

Steel Arm Exercise

Imagery Exercise Two

Imagine yourself walking down a dark tunnel toward a door that you see up ahead. Feel yourself striding confidently and purposefully - you are happy and anticipating walking through this door that leads into your personal ENERGY ROOM. Open the door and walk into the room. You are comfortable and relaxed as you lie down on your back in the center of the room on the plush carpet. As you gaze up at the glass walls and ceiling of the airtight room, you are energized by the sight of green palm trees, bright tropical vegetation and warm sunlight outside the transluscent walls and ceiling. As the door closes and seals off the room, you close your eyes and begin to take slow deep breaths of special air that is piped into the room.

With each slow and deep inhalation, you feel more energized. With each slow and deep exhalation, you release all the negative tension and thoughts, and you feel increasing focus, intensity and energy. Once you have reached your optimal energy level, get up from the door and down the tunnel to your everyday life. See and feel yourself smiling with satisfaction as you stride out of your Energy Room and walk through the tunnel feeling focused, intense, centered and confident.

Emotions associated with various sport experiences are an important part of

imagery.

Imagery can help to control Imagery can help to control anxiety, anger, pain, or anxiety, anger, pain, or excitement.excitement.

Vivid imagined events produce sensations in your muscles similar to doing the activity

itself.Through imagery you

strengthen your muscle memory by having them fire in

the right sequence without physically executing the

movement.