om body
Join a fun-filled Week,
Three or Five days of:
Yoga Workshops
Meditations
Acro Yoga & Dance
Kirtan & Fab Live Music
Summer Yoga Festival
in Southern Spain
May 27 , 2017 — June 3, 2017
Suryalila.com
A
t the start of their yoga
journey many adults look
forward to the possibility
of being able to complete
inversion postures such as
the Headstand (Sirsasana) or Handstand
(Ahdoh Mookah Vrksasana). The thought of
completing these postures can fill many of
us with excitement and often childlike joy.
However, as weeks or months of yoga
practice pass by, many adults start to doubt
their ability, and fear of completing these
postures can often set in.
Alternatively, when starting to transition
into these postures, other yogis may
experience ‘the breaks’. In this instance, the
sub-conscious mind can literally put a break
on the pose, and the physical self is unable
to move upside down. In these instances,
our adult mind can quickly let go of the
excitement of transitioning into an inversion
posture, and replace this feeling with fear;
which inevitably makes us pull away from
the posture.
There are several reasons for this, which
include fear of failure, fear of injury, lack of
confidence and having our feet firmly rooted
to the ground.Psychological boost
As fear and self-doubt are linked to our
state of mind, we can use psychological
skills training such as imagery and mental
rehearsal to help maintain that childlike
excitement and joy when transitioning into
inversion postures.
Imagery and mental rehearsal involve
recreating an experience in the mind and the
process is seen as a simulation of a past or
future experience.
Through the use of imagery, we can
recreate positive experiences or picture
new events in order to prepare for an actual
performance, such as transitioning into a
challenging yoga posture.
Imagery has been widely used within
the field of sport for many years with
athletes such as Tiger Woods, Andy Murray
and Serena Williams reportedly using
psychological skills training and imagery
prior to competition. As far back as 1977
(and probably long before that) former
tennis ace Chris Evert stated that it’s a
technique she employs. “I see myself hitting
crisp deep shots. This helps me mentally
prepare for a match and I feel like I’ve
already played the opponent before I even
walk on court,” she said.Yoga imagery
Imagery practice has been shown to improveconcentration, enhance motivation, build
confidence, control emotions, help acquire
new skills and help prepare for an event
or competition. Therefore, this skill can be
used within yoga practice to help develop
all of these important attributes - to boost
confidence, concentration and the motor
skills needed for inversion postures.
So let’s think about using imagery skills for
increased effectiveness on the mat.
When practicing imagery for a successful
Headstand or Handstand, focus on the
vividness of the image and controlling the
experience that you aim to have.
It’s important to move through the
scenario in your mind whilst you are in a
relaxed and comfortable state, such as lying
in Savasana, or in a meditation position.
Imagine yourself either taking part in the
experience, or watching yourself complete
the posture successfully.
Take your time with the scenario and build
as much detail into the event as possible. Build
vivid colours, smells and sounds into the
scenario. Think about the layout of the room
and the feeling of your yoga mat on your arms
and feet as you prepare for the posture.
Finally consider how you will feel as you
are about to start the posture, during the
posture and on successful completion. Build
in feelings of excitement, confidence and the
exhilaration of your successful Headstand or
Handstand.Mental rehearsal
It’s important to imagine the whole event
from start to finish. Therefore, if you are
focusing on developing your confidence
and motor skills for the Headstand, start
at the point of entering the mat. Work your
way through the experience until you are
successfully in the inversion. Hold that image
for a few seconds and then draw your focus
to successfully moving out of the posture
and lowering your feet back to the mat and
into Child’s Pose.
Your confidence and motivation will grow
each time you perform these imagery skills.
The great thing about mental rehearsal is
that it isn’t just confined to use within sports
or yoga, but can be used in any scenario
where you doubt your own ability or lack
confidence.
Whatever your objectives on the mat – or
off it – just relax, imagine and rehearse the
event within your mind.Dawn Morse is a senior yoga teacher and
the proprietor of Core Elements Yoga
and Massage Therapy Training
(coreelements.uk.com)