Monday, March 8, 2010

Injuries and the Mind

 

2 positive things I learned from injuries:

1. They can be used to teach you how your body is functioning less than efficiently. Having an injury that stopped me from doing what I wanted to do pushed me tro pay close attention to internal signals, to do rehabilitative exercises (I chose Z health and pool work) and get treatments (I chose acupuncture and massage) that made me stronger than I had been in the past.

2. First there is thought, then breath, then action, not the other way around. We often fail, panic, start hyperventilating, and develop a fear or limiting belief.

Having an injury forced me to learn this on a deeper level. First see and feel what it will be like when you are able to do something. (The more intensely you can feel it in your body the better. Also, looking at an actual picture or video of someone accomplishing a particular feat helps me.) Relax your eyes (no tunnel vision) and match your breathing to what you want to accomplish. Then, be relaxed and completely in tune with your body, not in a guarded way, but in a relaxed, I know my body can do this sort of way. Then do it. If your body tells you you can't just stop. Don't put any energy into the "failure." Take a break, maybe for a few minutes or a few days. Erase the tape. Visualize. Do it again.

Never identify yourself as an injured person. You have to learn to not believe you are slow, weak, deconditioned, etc. even though you are perceiving signals from your body saying you are. See yourself where you want to be and ignore everything else. An injury can be profound mental training that can be applied everywhere in your life.

Your body can absolutely regenerate itself. And there is no limitation to your body except the one you put on it.

Maybe #3 should be only hang out with people who support you in this.