Hypnosis, effective for athletes?
Hypnosis: An Effective Mental Preparation for Athletes? In addition to the technical and physical aspects, the mental factor plays a determining role in the face of adversity, difficulty, or psychological pressure linked to an important event. Defining itself as a tool, a method of communication, and an exploration of the unconscious; modern hypnosis makes it possible to act on physical and mental capacities beyond the limits of consciousness.
Kevin Finel, co-founder of the Ericksonian Hypnosis Research Academy, explains how it works.
What are the main applications of hypnosis in sports?
"It's pretty broad, it is really mental preparation. There is a whole part that will be emotional work. For example, working on confidence, on everything that will help performance to give the best of oneself during a competition, the day of an event, or a match. And then there is an upstream part that is more technical. A person who wants to progress technically may know exactly what to do, but their body is not necessarily going to respond to them exactly as they would like. Hypnosis will precisely allow creating mental flexibility and promote learning or the correction of a gesture, for example."
Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis does not make you fall asleep; it allows you to be hyper-vigilant.
What are the differences with classic mental coaching?
"Hypnosis is at the root of coaching. Most modern coaching methods are inspired by Milton Erickson, the father of modern communication and American psychiatrist of the last century. He is recognized as the most talented hypnotist of his time, and all the mental trainers were his students. Except that hypnosis had a lot of connotations, and coaching gradually dissolved from hypnosis. Today, hypnosis is regaining its letters, especially in schools and is quite simply the root of mental coaching. I think 'classic' coaching is very effective in itself. But it is only when hypnosis is added that it takes on a more precise and deeper dimension."
Already, we will try to understand where the blockage is located in the athlete. Is it behavioral or emotional? For example, some patients run after success but are afraid of it, while others come under special pressure when there is an issue. The idea is to work on the functioning of the brain by explaining to the person what the neurosciences consist of, their emotional reactions, and their learning. And by making them go through this state of hyper-consciousness, hypnosis helps people understand what is happening inside them and edit items.
Imagine someone who lacks confidence, for example. Our action is going to be to try to determine exactly where this lack of confidence plays out and what anchor it can have to generate confidence. If this job is done, during a competition, his confidence level will increase instead of decrease.
How long does a session with the athlete last?
"We have people that we will follow over a whole season. And others who will come to see us more occasionally. Concretely, we meet the person directly, and the hypnosis sessions generally take place in the field, after training for example, or just before or after a competition. Our goal is to support athletes in their daily work. Some problems are resolved in two or three sessions, as with people returning from injury. Some cases require more substantive work, which can last for an entire season. Very often we also work with the technical coaches with whom we ally."
Hypnosis, Effective for Athletes?
Hypnosis can be a powerful tool for athletes who want to manage their mindset. While technical coaches can assist athletes in many areas, they may not always have the necessary tools to address psychological challenges. Athletes may find themselves struggling to perform in the face of external pressures, such as new competition or personal issues.
Hypnosis can redirect athletes and help them recognize that their struggles may be due to a psychological problem. Unlike psychoanalysis, which some athletes may be hesitant to pursue, hypnosis offers a more pragmatic and rational approach based on neuroscience. By changing an athlete's way of thinking, hypnosis can lead to measurable, short-term results.
Overall, hypnosis offers a behavioral solution that doesn't directly impact an athlete's life, but rather their mindset. As a result, many athletes may find hypnosis to be a valuable tool in managing their performance.
To learn more visit: https://www.MaximumComposure.com
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