Buddha Breathing and Mental Visualization Combined with Positive Attitude

Think about the last time you faced a really tough hill on a long run or bike ride. How about that long endurance climb in our Velocity class or maybe getting ready for that next interval?

Did your brain scream out that you would never make it? Just about anyone who’s competed in sports or followed a rigorous fitness routine, or is just pushing themselves in their own workout has had this happen to them.

It’s important to recognize that your mind saying “no” might be the only thing preventing you from clocking a new personal best or finishing that climb or interval. “If your thoughts are consistently negative, they’ll work against you,” says Kirsten Peterson, PhD, a sports psychologist with the United States Olympic Committee.

Sure, most of us know about the mind-body connection. But did you know that just telling yourself you like to run hills can actually help you get up and over them? Or that picturing yourself breaking out of that saddle and sprinting across that finish line can help you achieve your best finishes ever?

All true. And that’s why many elite and professional athletes work as hard on their mental game as they do on their physical skills. But mental training is not just for top competitors. Experts say that all of us can improve our performance by using our minds to better our bodies.

Begin With the Breath:
Developing mental toughness begins with shutting out negative thoughts. Most sports psychologists agree that the best way to block unfavorable thoughts is to focus on breathing deeply.
The brain can think of little else when focused on that one act. “You no longer focus on the distractions,” says Kenneth Baum, author of "The Mental Edge".

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly to test your breathing. Most people feel movement primarily in their chest because they aren’t breathing deeply enough. The belly should expand more than the chest, an indication that the lungs are being entirely filled. Often you will hear me say "Buddha Belly Breathing" in class. which is the process of inhaling through your nose pushing the diaphragm down and expanding the belly to resemble Buddha.

In competitive situations, people tend to take quick, shallow breaths, causing muscle constriction. But deep breathing oxygenates the blood and energizes the muscles, brain and nerves — which in turn helps us perform better.

To promote proper breathing techniques, Experts suggest meditation, which lowers blood pressure and slows down breathing, brain activity and heart rate. To get started, choose both a quiet place and a mantra to help block other thoughts from entering your mind. Some athletes choose words such as “zone” or “flow” as their mantra. Repeat the mantra over and over while breathing deeply. Beginners, should meditate for 20 minutes twice a day. Once you are comfortable with the practice, you can reduce it to 10 minutes daily.

Picture Something Positive:
Mental training isn’t just about purging negative chatter from your mind. Research has shown that practicing your sport mentally (using techniques called visualization or guided imagery) can help you perfect your form. Using imagery triggers physiological responses, ranging from muscular activity to changes in breathing, that are identical to those that occur during exercise. In other words, rehearsing in your head — even when you’re lying perfectly still — may prepare your muscles and nervous system to respond in the ways you want them to.

Visualization, when done well, fills the mind with positive images, which many experts believe boosts confidence and controls nerves. Success is in the details, says Robert Weinberg, PhD, a sports psychologist at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The people who have the best outcomes are the ones who imagine with all their senses. Swimmers should smell chlorine while picturing themselves diving into the pool. Cyclists should feel themselves gripping the bike handles. With practice, as the images become clearer, the results on the playing field improve.

Fight Doubt With Affirmations:
Even top athletes have moments of creeping doubt when they aren’t performing well. In those situations, using positive affirmations can stave off a physical meltdown by keeping negativity at bay.

The body believes the mind:
You’ll find a way to get up that hill or cross that finish line in perfect form when the mind sends a message that "you can do it".

How one uses affirmations varies from person to person and from sport to sport. “There is an individual nature to this process,” says Michael Sachs, PhD, a sports psychologist at Temple University in Philadelphia. “You have to find words or a phrase that inspires you to continue.”

Enjoyment Is Key:
Honing your mental skills will help you clock quicker running times and assist in finishing that endurance ride almost immediately. But you shouldn’t expect miracles. Strong mental skills won’t turn an average cyclist into Lance Armstrong overnight. Physical training and ability still count for a lot.

As with physical training, though, the longer you practice mental visualization, the better your results will be. And, there’s another positive side effect to visualization that, while less scientifically studied, is just as important as running up steep hills without trepidation. You’ll notice that you’re enjoying your sport more. Which makes it all the more worthwhile.