Visualization is how you enter a "Flow State"

 

Michael Phelps was introduced to visualization as a child.

 

His mother would read him a book to help him fall asleep.

 

This book would go through an induction technique used in meditation.

 

It's where you focus on each body part, become aware of how it feels, and relax it.

 

Michael Phelps is the goat of swimming. He says the biggest thing that separates him from the competition is his mental game.

 

"When I get ready to compete I'm able to shut my mind off entirely. I can listen to my music and be in the moment because I've already ran through every possible scenario 100 times. My body knows what to do". - Phelps

 

Remember your thoughts become your reality.

 

If you've ran a trick or line in your mind over 100 times, your mind and body think it's reality.

Thus relating muscle memory to the movement.

 

Most people understand the importance of visualization. But they don't know how to use it.

 

You hear it all the time "just visualize it".

 

Great, that's easier said than done.

 

Visualizing, like anything is a skill. It's not only with competing or tricks, but visualizing your future, ideal life, or how you want a situation to go.

 

Some athletes think it founds fufu.

 

Other athletes would rather spend their time in the gym or training on the hill.

 

Both of those are important of course.

 

But if you really want to see results and excel quicker than others, visualization is key.

 

If you have a big imagination this can make the process easier & more real.

 

But a lot will get lost, view it as a waste of time, and give up on it.

 

This is a result of impatience.

 

Which also means they were never fully committed to begin with.

They were just expecting quick results without being willing to put in the work.

 

Visualization won't only improve your comp results.

It helps you land more tricks quicker, prevent injury, and feel confident.

 

The goal here isn't just to have you understand the importance of visualization.

It's to learn how to use it and steps to make it easier for you.

 

To enter Flow is to shut your mind off.

 

Michael Phelps says he can turn his mind off when he gets into a competition because he's imagined every possible outcome.

 

That's the Start, Middle, End.

 

That's:

How the comp could go.

How you don't want it to go.

And in a perfect world how the comp should go.

 

In the end it comes to preparation.

If you're not preparing yourself before the comp (or throwing the new trick) you're not gonna get a result you deserve.

 

That's why you put in the work in the off season, and mentally train. So when you get to the top of a run you're not worried.

 

Because you know you've done everything in your power to prepare.

 

This is how you kill your performance anxiety and stay relaxed.

 

This is what allows you to enter a flow state.

 

This is how world records are broke.

 

And in the end all you can control is your performance, not how others perform.

 

How Visualization Works.

 

When practicing visualization you want it to be like watching a movie in your mind.

 

Get comfortable and put yourself in a relaxed state.

 

Close your eyes and focus on your breath for a moment, this starts to take your brain from a beta to alpha state.

 

Beta is the main brain wave state we live in when we're awake.

 

When we shut our eyes and start focusing on our breath it immediately takes away our sight sense

 

This automatically takes your brain from focused on the outer world, to focused on your inner world. Slowing your brain waves.

 

As your brain waves begin slowing down your brain transitions from a Beta state to an Alpha state.

 

An Alpha state occurs when we're entering meditation, laying down for bed, or in a lucid state like daydreaming.

 

By relaxing and entering into an Alpha state to visualize, your mind has trouble distinguishing the physical reality vs your mental reality.

 

Let's look at exactly why visualization works below.

 

The key to visualization:

1. Put yourself in a relaxed state (induction). Then like watching a movie in your mind (of the outcome you want).

2. It has to be very vivid.

3. It has to be rehearsed many many times.

4. The reason it works is because the brain cannot distinguish between something that’s mentally vivid and something that’s real.

5. By the time you step up to the gate you’ve ran this course hundreds of times in your mind before you even physically do.

6. So then all you have to do is shut everything down and go on auto pilot - This is a Flow State

 

Makes sense as to why it would work, right?

 

The top sports psychologist Michael Gervais's acronym & technique for practicing visualization.

 

PETTEP 80/20 Rule

The best way to start is by not overcomplicating this process.

(for ease these will all relate to competing, however you can use the same principles when trying new tricks)

 

Ask yourself what are the most likely scenarios I'll face in a comp?

What skills/tricks will I most likely be using?

 

Michael Gervais uses a 2 step processes with the 80/20 rule and recommends all athlete to use it.

 

Step 1:

This rule means you spend 20% of your time visualizing yourself overcoming negative scenarios.

While you spend 80% of your time visualizing positive (ideal) scenarios.

If you were visualizing for 30 minutes before a comp.

You'd spend 5 minutes visualizing yourself overcoming any negative scenarios.

And 25 minutes visualizing your ideal scenario.

 

Step 2:

Step 2 is to engage all your senses while visualizing these scenarios.

 

You can use the analogy PETTEP to do this good.

 

It's easy to remember this analogy because it's simply PET spelled forward & backwards.

 

PETTEP:

Physical sensations (imagine how your body will feel while perform specific skills)

Environment (imagine the environment in which you'll be competing)

Task (the specific skills/tricks you'll be performing)

Timing (performing your trick or scenario at the real speed you'll be performing in the comp)

Emotion (imagine the emotions you'll feel & thoughts you'll experience)

Perspective (refers to imagining the comp from a first person or third person perspective)

 

This acronym doesn't have to be used to a T, but it's good to have as an anchor to return to when you aren't sure what to visualize.

 

Overcoming negative scenarios:

This can be a tough one to think up.

 

A good starting point is imagining yourself overcoming challenges, common mistakes, and feelings.

 

Let's run through an example:

 

A common mistake when competing in Slopestyle would be messing up a trick in the beginning or middle of your run.

 

Let's close our eyes and imagine this happening.

 

Instead of letting this effect your mind negatively for the rest of the comp, imagine how you're gonna ski out of this and lace every trick that follows.

 

You might imagine the spike in adrenaline from almost falling.

 

Breathing heavy and feeling your legs burn.

 

And then letting go, as you come into your next feature.

 

Imagine yourself pushing through and lacing that next trick exactly how you've been practicing it, over and over.

 

Repeat this for mistakes that are likely to happen or scenarios you may fear.

 

For any of these scenarios imagine yourself reacting in the best way possible.

 

Remaining calm, stoic, and focused on the next feature.

 

While blocking out any criticism from yourself, parents, friends or coaches.

 

Once you've spent 5 minutes focusing on overcoming negative scenarios, shift your focus to positive scenarios:

Example:

 

Close your eyes and imagine dropping from the top of the run.

 

The feeling of snow under your skis.

 

Coming into the first feature perfectly and executing your first trick.

 

Stomping it, absolutely set up for the next feature perfectly.

 

This is when you'll really focus on the PETTEP acronym for imagining exactly how your perfect run will feel.

 

If you see yourself feeling nervous before a comp or trick.

Imagine yourself overcoming this feeling by focusing on your breathing or using positive self talk.

 

 

Use That Imagination.

This should help you understand the importance of visualizing.

And how to visualize better.

 

Let's run thru all that (because I know it was a lot).

• Michael Phelps was taught visualization from a young age and it led him to become the goat of swimming.

• Most people understand the importance of visualization but not how to do it properly.

• You must be relaxed to visualize your outcome like a movie (and trick your mind into believing it's already happened).

• Visualize all possibilities using the 80/20 rule.

• Use the acronym PETTEP when you need a reminder of how to visualize.

• PETTEP (Physical, Environment, Task, Timing, Emotion, Perspective)

• Turn off & enter a flow state.

• Feel that elevated emotion you’ll feel when you land your trick or win that contest.

• Preparation sets winners apart from the rest.

 

Winter is coming and we want to help more athlete stomp new tricks, land sponsors, and look steezy.

 

If you wanna join a sick community.

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Peace,

Slope Academy