The Art of Mental Training - a Guide to Performance Excellence (Classic Edition) Read Online Free PDF

actions that I must be taking that help make it so.
    And that’s critically important
because by blending breathing, relaxation and the third critical element
Imagineering, the mental athlete is able to tap an inner resource designed to
help him achieve his goals.
    Coming from within, your
motivation and volition become stronger and more focused.  From within, you’ll
soon find yourself more easily doing all the things that need to be done in
order for you to accomplish your goals.  When the inner mind is able to see
what you want, it’s able to help you get what you want.  Relaxation skills are
what open up the lines of communication between the inner mind and your
Imagineering.  Proper breathing helps you go deeper into relaxation whenever
you so desire.
    So what does relaxation
practice entail?  And how do you practice setting up these lines of
communication?
    The ability to achieve a state
of deep relaxation easily and quickly comes only through practice.  After a few
weeks of practice one can usually enter a deep state of relaxation within a few
minutes of deciding to do so—and for some it can happen even quicker than that.
    I tell my clients to consider
practicing and developing this skill by using the following process.  I remind
them that if they just allow the process to happen naturally, then it will. 
You can’t try to force relaxation, but with practice anyone can learn how to
slip into relaxation quite easily.
    Move to a quiet space where you
won’t be disturbed.  Lie down on your back with your feet slightly apart, arms
slightly extended from your body, palms facing down, and make sure you are as
comfortable as possible before proceeding.  (In other words: no tight or
restrictive clothing, temperature not too hot, not too cold, etc.  Get
comfortable).
    Now, fix your eyes on a point
above you on the ceiling.  Remaining as still as you can, begin by taking three
long, deep, deep, breaths, inhaling through your nose.  Hold each breath temporarily,
and then exhale slowly through your mouth.  And with each breath that you
release, I want you to feel a wave of relaxation begin to overwhelm you as you
let go and begin to enjoy the process.
    As you exhale the third breath,
gently let your eyelids begin to close.  Now, for the next ten breaths, imagine
your eyelids getting heavier and heavier.  I want you to mentally repeat the
word “deeper” as you exhale and let all tension and thoughts disappear every
time you breathe out.  Let yourself go deeper into relaxation with each breath
that you let out.  If your mind drifts, that’s okay; just gently bring your
attention back to learning how to relax and how to let go as you exhale and
mentally repeat the word “deeper”.  After ten easy breaths you are ready to
begin focusing on relaxing the muscles of every part of your body.
    Start with your toes and begin
moving up your body as total relaxation begins to take over.  Focus on relaxing
each and every muscle in your body.  From toes to calves, to thighs, to abs, to
chest, to back, to arms, to shoulders, and even to your neck:  every muscle
letting go and completely relaxing.  Continue all the way up to the scalp and
facial muscles.  Visualize each muscle loosening, and feel a wave of deep
relaxation flowing deeply into all of your muscles, into all of your body. 
Allow yourself to go deeper into relaxation with each breath that you take.
    Don’t rush it, don’t force it;
simply allow your muscles to turn loose, go limp and relax naturally as you
experience the serenity of total relaxation. (Sometimes clients tell me that a
leg or arm twitched or move involuntarily for an instant and they ask me about
it.  That’s nothing to be concerned about; it’s only the deep hidden tension
being triggered and released from where it has been hiding.  The release of
this hidden tension is both therapeutic and healthy.)
    Now allow yourself to enjoy
this state of relaxation for about twenty