increase in confidence among novice female rock climbers, leading to better performance (Journal of Sport Behavior).


For Landes, her personal experience is all the proof she needs. After years of rarely being able to run the entire course of a major annual race in Aspen—gener- ally walking the last stretch—Landes tried visualizing herself having a strong finish as she trained and pre-


pared for the event. For weeks, she replayed the last three miles many times in her mind. Then she ran the race, paring 12 minutes off her previous year’s time. “It felt great,” Landes says, “and it worked.”


Freelance journalist Debra Melani writes about health care and fitness from Lyons, CO. Connect at Debra Melani.com or DMelani@msn.com.


Visualization Tips A


s with any skill, practice often, gradually increasing the number of sessions.


n For maximum effect, incorporate sounds, smells, colors and feelings to create vivid images.


n Plan imagery to meet current needs. If struggling with a skill, imagine performing it perfectly and confidently many times. If distractions are an issue, imagine remaining calm and focused while dealing with whatever occurs during an event.


Source: Adapted from Association for Applied Sport Psychology


natural awakenings


April 2014


35


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52