“Whenever they feel themselves growing anxious, breathe in energy. Breathe out negativity. Breathe in relaxation. Breathe out stress.” EnergyStressRelaxAnxiousNegativityBreath Book:Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Source: Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
“In the same way you create stress and tension you also can create relaxation. The goal of relaxation training is to teach you how to recognize the early warning signs of tension and to counter or replace them with the sensations of relaxation. Interestingly, one way to relax tense muscles is first to tighten them more. If your shoulders feel like coiled springs, draw them up and squeeze those muscles. Hold the pose for five to ten seconds. Feel the stress and study the sensation. Then release and relax the muscles completely.” StressTensionRelaxSensation Book:Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Source: Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
“Athletes in the zone see everything with clarity. They are relaxed, they perform with a quiet mind, with no indecision and no doubts. They can almost anticipate what is going to happen. They are totally absorbed. Golfer Tony Jacklin likened the zone to being in a cocoon. Dave Winfield said, “I’m in my world.” WorldDoubtQuietAthleteClarityRelaxZoneIndecisionAbsorb Book:Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Source: Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence