Inner Awareness Practice

A simple mental exercise that I have my Strength Within class run through is an inner awareness practice to help athletes figure out their ideal state when approaching a max lift. 

Every athlete is different. So I have each athlete contemplate on what state of mind they perform best at. Some athletes lift best when they are angry and fired up. Some athletes lift best when they have complete confidence. Some athletes lift best when they reach a certain stillness, calmness inside. Whatever it is for them, I have them figure it out for themselves. 

After this awareness exercise, I have them contemplate on what is the best way to bring about this state of mind when the time is needed. If they need to be fired up, do they need to recall a certain past memory that gets them angry, do they need certain music to get amped up? If they need to have complete confidence or whatever state they need to be in, what do they need to get there.

Most of the time, we do things without any awareness of our inner state. We have good days, bad days, and most of the time we have no idea why. This simple awareness practice will help athletes take control of their inner state, see what state they need to be in and how to bring it forth when the time is needed.