Downhill Skiing - The Mind-Body Connection

Today, you'll be introduced to the three essentials of a proper mind set, namely, motivation, visualization, and focus. Get mentally tough in these areas and your confidence level will soar. In addition, you'll be able to jettison any anxieties you may have about expert skiing.

The expert skier understands the virtues of building a strong body, but he or she also needs the right mind set for skiing. You need to be well-prepared for the mind games that are associated with skiing in the expert zones where the control of one's mind is often as important as the strength of one's body.

Yes, there is definitely a mind-body connection in skiing! You won't need a treatise on the latest break through in the psychological aspects of fear to conquer steeps, trees, and moguls. The old adage, you have nothing to fear but fear itself, applies to expert skiing as well. The right mind set will serve to get you psyched up, keep your anxieties in check, and let you focus completely on the task at hand.

The Three Essentials of a Proper Mind Set

Motivation, visualization, and focus are three of the essential skills the expert skier needs to master the subconscious mind and become tougher mentally. Let's consider each one of these requirements in turn.

Motivation

Being motivated will put you in control of your thoughts. You need to tell yourself over and over that you're in charge, not the ski hill. This will help you to develop a positive attitude so you can reach your goals for the season.

Visualization

Visualization is another technique that you can use to prepare yourself for that tough mogul run or steep slope. You need to learn how to visualize or form a mental picture of the complete run before you start. In addition, learning to relax will serve to keep a lid on your anxieties. Ski racers and aerialists often use these methods just before the beginning of a race or competition.

Focus

Focusing allows you to break up the run into smaller tasks so you can zoom in on the next two or three turns. This eliminates the fear of the complete run, and also serves to keep your head up and eyes looking ahead at the next obstacle in your path.

The lesson entitled The Right Mind Set in the Skills of the Expert Skier expands on the three essentials so you know how, when, and where to apply the techniques. Ski coaches, instructors and sports psychologists all agree that mental conditioning can go a long way toward making you the skier you always wanted to be. You learned in the previous articles about stretching and exercising how to train your body to be stronger. In this lesson, you'll find out that you can do the same thing with your mind.

Complete Course

The above article was an introduction to the techniques that are required to establish the proper mind set for skiing in the expert zones. For those who aspire to become expert skiers, refer to Skills of the Expert Skier (http://www.becomeanexpertskier.com/skicourselp.html) for details about the course, lessons, and registration.

Single Lessons

However, if you just want to find out how to apply the above mind techniques, check out our Single Lessons site (http://skilessons.becomeanexpertskier.com/index.html), where you'll find Lesson #3: The Right Mind Set ready for download.

About the Author

Jim Safianuk is the writer and publisher of the sixteen-lesson web-based training course entitled Skills of the Expert Skier. He is also the owner of Become An Expert Skier (http://www.becomeanexpertskier.com). The site was established in 2003 to act as a hub for the adult, recreational, downhill skiing community. If you're interested in becoming an expert skier and/or you need more information about their online ski lessons, modules, and courses, send an e-mail to jims@becomeanexpertskier.com.

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