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Sports Performance

Author: Chris Geier, Certified Hypnotherapist, Guided Imagery Facilitator, Certified Personal Trainer

Chris Geier

Date Published:
Publisher: Hypnosis Motivation Institute

Hypnosis Strikes Gold for Amateur, Olympic, and Pro Athletes

For many years now the Olympic teams and Pro athletes have been using the tool of hypnosis to gain the mental edge on their opponents. Tiger Woods for golf, Wayne Gretzky for hockey and now amateur athletes are using hypnotherapy for the mental aspect of the game. It has been said competition at any competitive level is 80% mental and hypnosis is the key to mental success.

Hypnosis is a relaxed state of consciousness. Through hypnosis a therapist can create an environment in the subconscious mind where stress and relaxation cannot coexist concurrently. For an athlete it is the key to realizing automatic reactions and achieving a hyper focused state during performance. When an athlete is focused and unaware of distracting thoughts his performance is automatic. Being in a relaxed state during play can mean the difference between success and failure. Achieving this paradox is the ultimate goal for facilitating peak sports performance at any level, no matter the age or experience of the player.

We have all experienced this state of automatic response naturally during a variety of everyday activities; while reading a book, during long drives, and every night before we fall asleep we all enter a state of hypnosis. Of course negative as well as positive reactions to events that occur can place themselves into our subconscious during this hyper suggestible state. This is where the Hypnotherapist can guide an athlete and assist them in "weeding out" any counter productive thoughts and responses that can get in the way of achieving the enhanced level of performance they seek.

There are two parts of the mind; the conscious and the subconscious. The former is where we store logic, reasoning, analysis and decision making. The latter is where we house identifications, associations and learned responses. We don't think about walking, we don't think about scratching an itch, this is the subconscious mind at work. If negative thoughts or enter the conscious mind during practice or play they can settle into the subconscious mind and potentially become automatic responses resulting in a reduced level of performance.

During play or performance, distracting thoughts and bad habits, can result in hesitation. Just a fraction of a second can mean the difference between winning and losing during a game. Ultimately an athlete wants to perform automatically as much as possible to ensure playing at their best. A player endures hours of repetition to engrain automatic reactions during practice sessions in the subconscious mind. Through hypnosis a therapist can access and guide the outcome to a response, so that an athlete reacts without compensation, hesitation and with the proper techniques, opening the subconscious mind to accept and achieve perfection. Changing these automatic reactions is where hypnosis can be a great tool.

"What you visualize you will materialize", Dr. Denis Waitley. His Studies have shown that when athletes are hooked up to a biofeedback machine and they visualize themselves going through their routines, a practice or performance; the same muscles are engaged as if they were actually going through the motions. For a performer it is crucial to train a physical response and store these automated responses in the subconscious mind. This gives athletes an innate level of confidence in their performances. Ultimately this allows them to be able to ask only one question, what's next. Using hypnosis in conjunction with guided imagery and visualization to train the mind to achieve these automatic reactions has shown great success.

As a Hypnotherapist, guided imagery facilitator, and personal trainer, Chris Geier has helped fitness enthusiasts of all levels and ages by bringing together a synergistic program of sport specific physical training and mental conditioning. Encouraged by his own research and 18 years of experience, Chris has motivated clients to achieve success by incorporating the power of the subconscious mind into their routines.

Chris uses hypnosis for as many as 150 vocational and advocational issues such as fear of public speaking, sports performance enhancement, weight management, and smoking cessation. Chris focuses on a symptomatic approach where the aim is to achieve a "different reaction" to any stressor or habit that is inhibiting a client from living the life of their dreams.