| |
| |
|
Alternative Treatments Information Update |
|
|
|
Getting into The Zone with The Alexander Technique
Have you ever attempted to perform a simple act and completely failed? From completely mistiming a shot to losing balance at a crucial moment, the outcome may have fallen short of our intention and expectation. In contrast there are times when everything goes just right, every act is carried out to perfection with little perceived effort. Why should this be the case? If we are capable of achieving feats of brilliance one moment, why do we fail so comprehensively the next? What condition is present one moment and gone the next? Athletes refer to the later as 'The Zone ' and spend their lives trying to reach this subliminal level. The elusiveness of the zone gives us a clue into its nature. Athletes experiencing these moments cannot explain how they came to be there, and report that the state is lost as soon as they become aware of being in it. From their observations it appears that 'being in the zone' involves integration of the conscious and unconscious aspects of movement, that is the voluntary decision to act and the reflex that facilitates the action. Becoming conscious of the moment seems to destroy it. A comparable situation is the act of falling asleep, as soon as we become aware we are about to fall asleep we interrupt the process. We cannot do anything to directly make ourselves fall asleep. All we can do is to stop doing what may be preventing the process. At an early age I learnt you do not fall asleep any quicker on Christmas Eve by closing you eyes tighter. The zone is described in a paper titled: The Achievement Zone as: - ... a special place where performance is exceptional and consistent, automatic and flowing. An athlete is able to ignore all the pressures and let his or her body deliver the performance that has been learned so well. Competition is fun and exciting. (Murphy, 1996) Sport Psychologist, Kenneth Ravizza, conducted one of the first studies into the zone in 1977 called: 'A subjective study of the athlete's greatest moment in sport'. He studied the experiences of twenty top athletes during their moments of glory and found that the experience was: - ? temporary and of relatively short duration; non-voluntary and not induced at will; and unique. He found that it required many years of practice before they could enter the zone. He defines the common characteristics of the experience as: - ? focusing on the present moment, effortless merging of action and awareness, loss of personal ego, sense of control, clear feedback, and an intrinsic reward system." A study conducted at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, questioned athletes from a number of sports about their experience in the zone. In a paper titled: 'The Zone : Evidence of A Universal Phenomenon for Athletes Across Sports', by Young and Pain (1999), the conclusion drawn was that regardless of the sport, athletes appear to experience the same 'heightened state of consciousness'. The participants used words such as "peak", "perfect moments", "mindfulness" and "flow" to describe their time in the zone. The words "let", "flow" and "mindfulness" are not generally associated with effort and pushing to the limit. Could being in 'the zone' involve a state of non-interference with movement? A balanced state that promotes optimum integration of the postural reflexes, consciousness and appropriate use of learnt patterns. This could explain why it requires years of practice before the zone is experienced. Unfortunately because we are unaware of how we interfere with the natural mechanisms, time spent in the zone is rare and brief. If we learn to first identify what it is we do to interfere, and then how to prevent it, we may increase our chances of making the zone. One of the best methods to experience 'being in the moment' is The Alexander Technique, a much undervalued thought and movement system. Using these technique sports people regardless of ability can learn to develop awareness skills that can help identify performance-limiting habits. It is only once we have become conscious of these habits can we then start to change them. Athletes who have trained using The Alexander Technique include Matthew Pincent and his gold medal UK rowing crew at the Athens Olympice 2004. For further information see www.artofperformance.co.uk Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and specialises working with sports people to help improve performance whilst reducing the risk of injury. He writes for many internet forums and magazines and is the author of 'The Performance Paradox':Challenging the conventional methods of Sports Training and Exercise. For further information visit the website at http://www.artofperformance.co.uk
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Biofeedback: Applying the Mind to Health What is biofeedback?In biofeedback you expand self-awareness and practice powerful self-healing under guidance. This is often done with measuring devices to train for relaxation. Alternative Herbal Cures for Ailments With the increased usage of herbs for treatment of ailments from Common cold to Cancer, there is an increasing need for authentic and unbiased information on various cures using herbs.Who is better qualified than the knowledge givers about herbs to give this Information to the whole world. How to Use a Footbath with Herbs Recently I read a book by William L. Fischer called "Hidden Secrets of Super Perfect Health at Any Age", Book II, 1986. The Truth About Your Health BEWARE OF THE CULTURAL HYPNOSIS We live in a cultural hypnosis that has taught us that we are fragile. It has taught us that things are happening to us. Learn How to Do A Successful Gall Bladder Flush To do a Gall Bladder Flush you will need the following ingredients:3 quarts of apple juice, fresh or from the dairy case, not w/preservatives1 cup olive oil, cold expeller pressed is best, virgin not light.1 cup of coke (optional but makes the oil taste less annoying)1 lemon, to be juiced at mixing timeUltra Phos dropsOxymag caps or PowderPROCEDURE:1. Getting into The Zone with The Alexander Technique Have you ever attempted to perform a simple act and completely failed? From completely mistiming a shot to losing balance at a crucial moment, the outcome may have fallen short of our intention and expectation. In contrast there are times when everything goes just right, every act is carried out to perfection with little perceived effort. Why Air Purifiers Are Not Always The Answer To Indoor Air Quality Problems Air purifier filters are not always the answer to air quality problems.Solving the problem is a much better approach than masking the symptom. Acid Reflux and Heartburn Natural Remedies Part II If you have acid reflux or heartburn, using natural remedies to rebalance your stomach is what nature intended. Listed are four natural remedies that you can use to rebalance the acid in your stomachCinnamonCinnamon has many medicinal uses aside from being great for various pastries. Quit Smoking Through Hypnosis You have seen and heard the warnings. You know what smoking is doing to your lungs. Hypertension, An Alternative Approach For many years high blood pressure has been defined based upon actuarial tables prepared by life insurance companies. By that definition, blood pressure of 140/90 is borderline hypertension in a person 40 years of age. The Healing Power of Water Gardens If you experienced a day filled with running from one place to the next, one errand to the next, one meeting to the next, imagine a place where all your troubles can melt away. A place where the stressors of the day are nonexistent. The Fine Art of Smudging An Aboriginal Canadian friend of mine who teaches at the Whispering Lodge in Toronto was explaining to me how physical or emotional healing cannot take place until the person is cleansed of any of the following conditions:1) Emotional conditions such as resentment, bitterness, envy, jealousy and guilt2) Negative thoughts about others or one's past or future3) Negative emotions such as grief, hatred, desire4) Bad or evil spirits5) Attachments or negative energy sent to us from other peopleIn most Aboriginal traditions, a sweat lodge, basically a tent or teepee or cave filled with smoke and heat, is used to remedy the sick person of these conditions. In ancient Rome, buildings called purgatoriums were used for the same purpose. Cure Arthritis? Right! Arthritis sufferers are daily bombarded with new, better, more exciting treatments. Try Enbrel! Try Humira! Miracle drugs!Get your NSAIDS! Get your DMARDS! Pump more chemicals into your system. Traditional Chinese Medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine, over 2000 years old, is an ancient form of medicine. Consisting of acupuncture, moxibustion (moxibustion - using material made up of "moxa-wool," in a form of a cone or stick; moxibustion is used to treat and prevent disease by applying heat to pints or certain locations of the human body), herbal medicine, acupressure, cupping, therapeutic exercise and nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine is notated by its principle of internal balance and harmony, or "chi," (life force) regulation through energy channels. Massage Therapy Massage Therapy is a massage session that takes place in a warm, comfortable and quiet area as you lie on a specially-designed table. Sometimes, soft music is played for relaxation. ADHD The Easier Solution ADHD is a very rapidly growing part of the health care industry. The symptoms are varied, including: irritability, hyperactivity and behavioral problems. Get Your ZZZZZZ's Naturally Insomnia - according to the dictionary is a chronic inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for an adequate length of time. We've all experienced this at least sometime in our lives. Immunological Profile In Postpartum Women Post-delivery, the whole of immune system is restored to normalcy during puerparium. One of the extensively studied immunological markers is the assessment of CA- 125. How Essential Oils Differ From Dried Herbs Essential Oils are the heartbeat of the plant kingdom, and are perhaps the most exciting life-giving substance we have in the world today. They represent in plants what blood represents in humankind - life! This heartbeat is the energy that was created to deliver the nutrients into every cell of the body. Quick Tip for Runners Who Have Knee Pain Running with knees that hurt and are not getting better trough time is no fun, and being addicted to running doesn't help either.Fortunately, pain isn't always a definite sign of tissue damage; instead it can be protective pain that is coming from entities called myofascial trigger points.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2010 |
