Eighth Article in a Series

In a previous article we discussed how mental practice with motor imagery (thinking about doing a physical action without actually doing it) can help you perform better physically. Guess what! It can also help boost your mental power! That may seem obvious, but some of the mental benefits might be a little surprising.

Increase focus and concentration. Those whose attention tends to wander or even flit from one thought to another may find that the techniques used in mental practice help them in the ability to focus on many types of daily tasks or processes that require attention. In fact, mental practice employs some of the same techniques as various types of meditation in which the mind and body are refreshed by clearing out extraneous thoughts and focusing on one thing. Mental practice can help increase your power to concentrate.

Relaxation. Mental practice is most efficient when the body is relaxed and at peace. For this reason, part of the protocol for learning mental practice is often training in relaxation, especially progressive relaxation. In progressive relaxation one becomes aware of various muscle groups in the body and then intentionally tightens and relaxes them. Sometimes this is done in a sequential order, perhaps beginning with the feet and gradually working up the legs, torso, arms and hands, with the goal of being able to relax any part of the body at will. Thus, mental practice can help build relaxation skills that can have cross-over benefits for relieving stress in other aspects of life. You can imagine many stressful situations in which it would be a great advantage to just say to your body, “Relax!” and it would relax!

Decrease anxiety during performance.  Those who need to do any kind of public performance can decrease anxiety by doing mental practice before facing the audience. Imagine a musician waiting backstage to perform before a panel of judges who will determine her entry into a prestigious school.  She could pace back and forth with butterflies in her tummy, worrying about all the mistakes she might make, obsessing over her appearance, trying to calm jittery nerves—or she could get into a relaxing position and practice her performance mentally, gaining a sense of calm and assurance that she will perform well. When she goes out on stage she can be relaxed and ready.

Gain control over non-conscious processes.  Some researchers think that motor imagery can assist a person in gaining awareness and control of processes that are usually unconscious. For example, motor imagery may help a person become aware of very small sensations that accompany movement. This was important to me when I was training unresponsive muscles, because I wanted to know if my work was paying off, if I was actually getting somewhere with all of the work and mental practice.  When I could feel even very small sensations, it was an encouragement, a sign that I was making progress. Since multiple sclerosis dulled sensation in some parts of my body, it was good to get information that they were still alive. Chi Kung is especially helpful in achieving this kind sensitivity.

Mental practice helps develop awareness and control over sequential activation of muscles and muscle groups that are normally beyond our consciousness.  I use a lot of motor imagery while practicing my gait on a treadmill—and in thinking about it when I am not actually on the treadmill.  I want to sense sequential activation of specific movements, for example from the foot and up through the calf, the hamstrings, the glutes and into the lower and middle back. Sequential activation helps me develop a smoother gait. Mental practice and focus helps me fine tune my workout and evaluate whether I am achieving my goal. The slow, intentional movements of Chi Kung and Tai Chi are highly effective in developing this type of awareness. 

We know that slowing down the breath also slows down the heart rate and lowers body temperature, all of which are important in reducing stress. Breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and other functions that are normally below the radar of our awareness can all become more conscious and controlled through mental practice, a fact that has been known by practitioners of Tai Chi and Chi Kung for over 4000 years. It’s great to hear that modern “experts” are now making this discovery scientifically and recognizing the benefits for both sports training and rehabilitation.

Copyright by Anna York, 2010