Floatation Therapy is often perceived as a bit of an indulgent, spa like relaxation tool. Floating certainly is relaxing! Harnessing the power of rest and relaxation to aide recovery in sport and performance is what sets this experience apart. The power of the environment it creates for the user is where the experience offers little known benefits. In removing stimuli; Floatation Therapy creates a space where distractions are removed and consequently thoughts can be honed. As a result the experience greatly boosts mind setting and visualization techniques geared towards enhanced sports performance
Enhancing your Mindset
It is well documented and researched that the use of visualisation techniques and mind setting within sports will improve athletic performance. The premise behind it all is you taking yourself through a self guided and directed visualization.
Choose a desired outcome and direct your mind through it. Visualise yourself performing your best time, playing your best game or running the fastest you ever have! Over and over again. Program in your best race!
We all know that the secret to success in any kind of athletic performance is mental strength. Your mind will let you down long before your body will. Last years TV show "Body Hacks" hosted by Todd Sampson, was all about using science to show the power of the mind over matter. Granted some of his experiments were extreme but he certainly highlighted the power of the mind and what results can be yielded when your mind is also trained.
Training your Mind
Key steps in learning and harnessing the power of your mind:
- Get settled and comfortable in the float tank
- Take a few deep breaths and really feel into your body
- Spend a few moments wiggling your toes, stretching your calves, clench & open your fists, move your head from side to side - basically be aware of your muscles and any tension you may have
- Breathe deeply a few more times and place yourself in your event:
- Visualise yourself in your chosen sport. See yourself running easily, feel your lungs working well, your energy high, feel the pride in how well your are moving!
- take yourself through any transition points or rest points with ease, feel yourself strong and powerful, feeling good!
- If you have a time frame that you want to beat (for example you want to run a marathon in a certain time) take yourself to the end moving through the finish line and see the time that you want!
Emotion is a very powerful asset in your mind training as it assists with boosting confidence, releasing lots of good hormones and making you feel good! It is also an excellent tool to help you identify where you are uncertain about certain things. Once you are aware of any concerns you can actively plan a strategy to move through things.
Why use Floatation Therapy to enhance your Mind?
Quite simply because it removes all stimuli and any distractions. Floatation Therapy is an excellent facilitator of meditation. Learning to meditate, be it to still your mind or to facilitate guided visualisations is difficult. Just like any skill it requires practice and perseverance! So why not put yourself in an environment that will make it a little bit easier?
Not only that but whilst your in there you get other amazing benefits such as facilitating your recovery, releasing muscular tension, boosting energy levels and generally recharging your battery! Sounds like a no brainer to me!
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