Michael Schumacher, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods and many other top sportsmen and women have achieved greatness through hypnosis and mental coaching, and it's no longer a taboo subject. Across the Atlantic, hypnotherapists work alongside doctors on sports teams.

 

Everyone knows that being a sportsman means maintaining optimal physical condition. But that's only part of an athlete's success. According to a number of studies, sporting performance has more to do with mental than physical ability. This may seem strange to many, but top athletes readily admit that their mind is the variable that can make the difference.

 

MASTERING THE MIND FOR SPORT

 

The most successful athletes are those who control their state of mind, whether in training or, more importantly, in competition. Stress can intrude on important days, distracting the athlete from his or her main objective. Hypnosis enables you to focus on your goal, neutralize negative thoughts and visualize your performance. Mental preparation through hypnosis can play a decisive role in providing athletes with the tools they need to increase their self-confidence and surpass their limits.

 

On the other hand, hypnosis doesn't work miracles; you have to work within your physical capabilities. Some people are naturally more gifted than others, and hypnosis can do nothing for you in this respect.

 

Some athletes are less combative than others, or tend to doubt their abilities more quickly than others. In this psychological aspect, hypnosis is a formidable ally.

 

HOW DOES HYPNOSIS WORK ON ATHLETES?

 

90% of our actions and thoughts are managed by our subconscious. Processing over 2,000 items of information per second, the subconscious mind controls and manages everything that is automatic for us: breathing, walking or blinking. It also stores our beliefs, which can affect our self-image, for example.

 

 The advantage of hypnosis therapy is that it can be adapted to each individual, which makes it well suited to the world of sport, since sportspeople's reactions to their discipline, to effort or to failure differ from one individual to another. The questions that arise during sessions revolve around performance, but also around limits: what do I need to improve, are there psychological blocks or obstacles?

 

HYPNOTHERAPY FOR ATHLETES

 

Hypnosis can improve and strengthen a sportsperson's mental attitude by helping them to relax, eliminate anxieties and increase self-confidence. As each person is different, results vary from athlete to athlete, but in general, athletes can use hypnosis to stay calm, overcome distractions and the fear of losing confidence in their abilities.

 

It's a fantastic mental preparation tool. It will enable the athlete to overcome all these blocks, optimize his or her own resources to the maximum, focus on his or her goals, develop hypervigilance, control his or her heart rate and push his or her determination to the limit. The athlete will work on visualizing his or her performance over and over again to practice the perfect movement and increase motivation tenfold.