Improving Sports Performance with Hypnosis

We have all heard stories about sports stars who get injured, and who performed even better after recovery than they did before getting injured. They did this by practising in their minds, using the power of their imagination. As you imagine things, your subconscious mind tends to make it real to a certain extent. For example, if you imagine the tip of your nose is itchy, it is very likely that you will be aware of a tickling sensation there. As you imagine performing well at your sport, rehearsing it in your mind, your subconscious sets up the neural pathways linking the activities imagined to the relevant muscles. The effect of this is magnified when hypnotised, because when you are hypnotised, you have much more access to your subconscious mind, which is where learning is stored. 

When we learn things, we have to get consciously competent at them first. When consciously competent, we can do it, but every step has to be concentrated on. After enough practise, we become unconsciously competent at the activity, and can do it automatically. For example tying your shoelace, driving, dancing, and all sports.

As you think about it, remember a specific time you were in a mental and physical state where you were at your peak performance at your chosen sport. Perhaps it was a sort of euphoric savage joy and everything seemed to go just right for you. Imagine what it would be like to be able to access this mental and physical state on demand. Hypnosis can help with that.

You may have seen the advert where Johnny Sexton is in a forest clearing about to take a place kick between two tall trees. The kick is perfect, and the two trees turn into the rugby goal posts, and the forest turns into a stadium with a very happy crowd. Wouldn't it be useful to have the ability to just focus on the task at hand, filtering out everything else when under a high pressure situation? Hypnosis can help with that.

Two emotions that can seriously detract from sports performance are fear and anger. Boxers and other fighters know that if they can get their opponent angry or afraid, they will start to make mistakes, and then bigger ones. Discipline is very important in sport, and even though being angry or afraid can be energetic states, they seriously detract from the ability to think. Anger especially can really cost you, and it can cost your team.

If anger or fear are issues for you, it would be very beneficial to clear out the baggage of unresolved negative emotion so you can perform at your peak in sport.

Another thing that hypnotherapy can help with is motivation. Please see the page on procrastination to motivation for this, because what is written there applies to sport as well as anything else you want to get moving on.

Another thing that hypnosis can help with is speedier recovery from injury. Hypnosis can be very beneficial for people experiencing pain or discomfort. Using hypnosis with guided imagery you have much more access to your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is the part of you that takes care of healing and recovery. Using hypnotic analgesia and anesthesia, you can reduce muscle guarding, and you can safely trust your subconscious mind to gently contract and relax the muscles in the injured area, allowing better blood flow for better healing and comfort. The increased blood flow also carries away the toxic stuff produced by inflammation.

These are general areas where hypnotherapy can be useful in relation to sport. You are the expert at your chosen sport, and there are probably very specific things you want to work with.

If you would like an explanatory brochure, or a free consultation, please phone
Daniel Madden ADHP MICHP BE
Phone: 085 - 1318344

Email: dmadden@experiencetheworlddifferent.com