Legendary basketball player and coach Phil Jackson was introduced to hypnosis as a training tool by his brother when he was recovering from a shoulder injury pitching in college baseball.
Basketball obviously won out over baseball but the lessons learned there applied to the entire rest of his incredible career.
“[My brother] suggested self-hypnosis to get my rhythm back once the injury had healed… I was wary of giving up control of my mind, even if it was just an experiment…But my brother… found a way to break down my resistance. Eventually my shoulder improved and the night before my return game I agreed to let Joe show me some auto-suggestion techniques… to reprogram my subconscious.
The next day I pitched one of my best games ever. Normally I tried to overpower hitters with my heater, the more reckless I would become, giving up almost as many walks as strikeouts. This time, however, I didn’t try to force anything – I focused on the act of throwing the ball and letting the motion flow naturally. Not only did the nagging pain in my shoulder miraculously disappear, but I also experienced something new for me – near perfect control.
This was my introduction to the hidden power of the mind and what I could accomplish if I could turn down the chattering in my head and simply trust my body’s innate wisdom.”
– Phil Jackson, Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior
From that point onward he consistently used self hypnosis, visualization techniques and meditation to focus his mind on being fully resourceful in the present moment of a lightning fast game.
Why not get the edge that is quietly waiting for you in your unconscious mind?
Sports hypnosis for mental toughness
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