Mind Training Tips for Swimmers
by Craig Townsend
| #77 - Overcome Pain During Training and Races Pain can be one of the toughest hurdles to overcome for a swimmer, which I am sure you already know - however, one thing that is not well known is that you can regulate how much pain you will feel. Yes, this is really possible, and it is not difficult, it just takes practice (like anything!). Your subconscious mind is in complete control your pain levels, and it also has the capacity to kill pain immediately by releasing the natural painkiller morphine into your system. Yes, this is the very same painkiller routinely used in hospitals for major accident victims, and it is created inside your own body at the command of your own subconscious. This means that you have the power to control the amount of pain your body feels during sets or races! So what's a good quick and effective way to overcome pain? OK, let me give a quick crash-course tip that will help you with this. I may (or may not) have mentioned in the past that your subconscious interprets energy to be 'glowing light' - and this can be used to our advantage when using visualization. For instance, if you imagine that your legs and body are filled with a vibrant glowing light-energy which radiates from them, your subconscious will translate this to mean that your body already possesses a reservoir of powerful energy - and this triggers your subconscious to supply this energy to you for your race or practice sets. You see, your subconscious is in charge of supplying your body's energy levels, so this piece of imagery basically commands your subconscious to energize your body - using powerful natural chemicals which also keep major fatigue away. This 'glowing' imagery can be used both during a proper daily visualization session (with eyes closed), and also whilst at the pool, before and even during sets or races (where eyes are allowed to be open!), and I recommend using both methods if you can. This technique works very well - I even hear it is now being used successfully by many swimmers in an Atlanta swimming club after I mentioned it to a parent who has been spreading the word! So always remember that you have the power to control the amount of pain you experience. Practice this method until you get results - it's worth it if you can swim a pain-free race!
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The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited. |
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| Craig Townsend (Dip. Clin. Hyp.) is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Director of It's Mind over Matter in Sydney, Australia. He has worked with National and State level swimmers for over a decade, teaching them various methods of improvement through mental training, and creating a powerful program which has spawned impressive results in swimmers of all levels. His personal audio tape utilizes relaxation, hypnotic suggestion and visualization and has led the way in mental training for swimmers. For more information contact Craig Townsend at the website SwimPsychology.com |
