Hi,
My name is Michelle,
And welcome to this introduction to guided imagery.
It's important to know how mental training techniques work before being able to use them effectively,
And imagery is no exception.
So in this track,
I'm going to briefly define the concept of imagery,
Then provide some evidence to support its effectiveness in preparing for elite competition,
Then I'll explain exactly how it works.
The terms visualization and imagery are often used interchangeably,
But to be consistent,
We'll use the term imagery,
Because visualization implies seeing.
Imagery,
On the other hand,
Better reflects a multi-sensory activity.
Imagery focuses on recreating complete experiences,
Actions,
Or events using all of your senses.
In simple terms,
Think of imagery as a movie of the mind,
But a movie that includes sights,
Sounds,
Smells,
Tastes,
And even emotions to create and recreate specific experiences in your mind to help you prepare for and become familiar with various aspects of being a cage fighter.
Of course,
Guided imagery refers to imagery that uses the help of a narrator or coach,
Like me,
Or someone from your team.
As you become familiar with this technique and others,
You should be able to train without the help of a guide.
There is a great deal of evidence that supports imagery exercises as a way to improve the performance of athletes,
Including cage fighters.
In fact,
More elite athletes use imagery exercises than not.
Research also suggests that those with more athletic skills reap greater rewards from exercises such as imagery.
If you are spending ample amounts of time in the gym,
You could be benefiting greatly from this kind of mental training.
Let's consider some professional athletes who aren't fighters,
But for whom imagery has been fundamental to their success.
Pro golfer Tiger Woods and pro basketball player Larry Bird have openly discussed how they cannot perform without first imagining exactly what will happen before each match,
Shot,
Or free throw.
Jack Nicklaus,
One of the most successful golfers in history,
Has said that before taking each and every shot that he would first imagine exactly where the ball would go.
He would imagine every detail,
From the blades of grass that the ball would land on,
To the arc of his shot,
To his swing.
Even entire professional soccer teams,
Such as the U.
S.
Women's soccer team that won the World Cup,
Were coached to use imagery exercises extensively prior to competition.
Many of the players stated afterward that these mental training exercises allowed them to perform at their absolute best during championship games.
Players claimed that in clutch moments,
They knew what to do because they knew what it felt like to be in tough situations.
Reacting under pressure became easier,
And they were able to perform to the best of their ability when under stress.
Many pro fighters,
Too many to list in fact,
Actively use imagery exercises to mentally prepare for fights.
In a multitude of videos available online,
These fighters openly discuss how these techniques help them prepare for combat.
Feel free to check out our YouTube channel for a playlist of fighters and coaches,
From George St.
Pierre to Greg Jackson,
Talking about being mentally prepared to enter the cage.
Fighters can use imagery in several ways.
For instance,
They may visualize themselves performing certain techniques in their mind,
Again and again,
Training their mind to anticipate,
Prepare for,
And respond according to a given situation.
Fighters may also imagine in explicit detail what can go wrong in a given situation.
Using imagery in this way helps them prepare and execute solutions in advance of encountering difficult situations,
Allowing them to respond calmly and strategically when it matters most.
Other fighters use imagery to visualize entire experiences related to fighting,
From preparing backstage to entering the cage for the first time.
This allows them to experience the lights,
Pressure,
Crowd,
And other factors that might otherwise cause them to lose focus and concentration.
By preparing early,
Fighters can learn to familiarize themselves with experiences related to being an elite cage fighter,
And as a result,
Can excel in situations where others choke.
Imagine being able to use pressure as a motivating factor to perform well,
Rather than underperforming because you were nervous or surprised.
How do imagery exercises work,
Exactly?
Well,
The brain interprets images in the mind as if the event or activity has already happened.
From a physiological perspective,
The brain doesn't know the difference between events that are real or imagined.
For this reason,
Imagery offers fighters the ability to develop skills,
Execute strategies,
Practice movements,
All without ever having to enter the gym.
Imagery doesn't have to be complicated,
But it does have to be done consistently,
And it has to include as much detail from as many senses as possible to be effective.
In GSP's book,
The Way of the Fight,
He states,
The key to effective visualization is to create the most detailed,
Clear,
And vivid a picture to focus on as possible.
The more vivid the visualization,
The more likely and quickly you will begin attracting the things that will help you achieve what you want to get done.
Olympic athletes have been known to study the environments that they'll be performing in so that they can more accurately imagine performing in those environments.
Photos and videos of the stadium,
Course,
Locker room,
All studied ahead of time.
The more detailed,
The better,
Because the more accurate their imagery,
The more real it can become in the mind,
And the more effective it will be in helping them prepare for when they live the experience.
Again,
Fighters use this technique to imagine everything,
From the walk-in to the post-fight interview and everything in between.
They use it to see themselves responding in a manner that they decide ahead of time,
And are therefore able to overcome any obstacles,
Or take advantage of any opportunities in real time.
In addition to creating or recreating performances,
Fighters can benefit from imagining and feeling all of the emotions associated with the scenes they create,
Such as pride,
Gratitude,
And elation.
By allowing the mind to feel what it's like to experience these emotions in specific situations,
The rest of the mind will go about behaving in a way that will lead to experiencing these emotions in real life.
Remember,
Your mind doesn't know the difference.
And when your subconscious knows what is possible,
Because you've been able to so clearly show it what can happen,
Your mind will be able to more likely find a way to secure that outcome.
Successful imagery can also help remove limiting beliefs.
Beliefs you may not even be aware of,
That can prevent desirable outcomes from happening.
There are two ways to see yourself when engaging in imagery exercises.
The first is from the first-person perspective,
The same perspective with which you see the world through your own eyes,
Like playing a first-person shooter game.
The second way is through the third-person perspective,
Which is like watching yourself on video,
On YouTube for example.
Most athletes use the first-person perspective.
However,
Both perspectives work by measurably engaging the same regions of the brain triggered during actual experiences.
In other words,
When you imagine doing a double-leg takedown,
Your brain fires the same brain regions as if you had actually performed one.
And this is the key.
By practicing imagery exercises,
You are training your brain to accept that what you show it to be true is true.
It is possible to experiment and switch between first and third-person perspectives within the same exercise to give yourself the clearest image possible.
In fact,
You should practice doing this and figure out what works best for you.
Now,
Within an imagery exercise,
There are three elements taught by sports psychologists that each help strengthen an athlete's ability to use this technique effectively.
The three elements a fighter must master to reap the rewards of imagery exercises are vividness,
Controllability,
And self-perception.
The first element,
Vividness,
Refers to the level of detail you are able to include in your senses.
As mentioned,
Imagery involves all of the senses,
So vividness refers to your ability to accurately see a multitude of colors,
Smell a range of odors,
And hear all kinds of sounds.
Think of vividness like tuning an old television until the images and sounds are crystal clear.
The more vivid your experience,
The more effective it will be.
The second element of an effective imagery exercise is controllability.
Controllability refers to your ability to imagine precisely what you want to imagine,
As well as the ability to control and direct the elements of a scene that you wish to change at any given moment.
If you want to perfect your kick-punch combo,
You need to control your images to reflect exactly how you want to execute the combination.
Think of controllability as the ability to direct the movie,
Or the ability to command the mind to experience the exact sensory experience necessary for a given objective.
The third element,
Self-perception,
Refers to the thoughts and feelings that you may have as you engage in imagery exercises.
Heightening your self-perception includes becoming aware of the beliefs or self-talk that take place during a performance,
Which may influence your ability to execute.
During imagery exercises,
You may feel strong emotions that you weren't able to observe before.
Excitement,
Nervousness,
Doubt,
Fear.
Being more able to perceive yourself and these feelings at any given moment will allow you to recognize and then to accept or reject the thoughts and emotions that arise during a given situation.
To conclude,
Imagery is a skill that takes time and needs to be actively developed.
And not everyone will be able to do it right away.
But with practice,
It is something that can and should be improved.
The better you are able to sharpen your imagery skills,
The more benefits you will encounter,
And the more success you will have in the cage.
For mental training exercises,
Visit www.
Mymmabrain.
Com.
