You can do so by any means you desire or know of. You can use the process in my self-hypnosis book, use the free audio at this website to practice or have a look at the following articles as and when you need them; they are basic processes to help you simply open the door of your mind:
Once you have induced hypnosis, move on to the next
step:
Step Two:
Imagine a graphic equaliser or a visual measurement
gauge of some kind in front of you.
Each breath that you breathe, the gauge pushes up to show the amount of effort and energy that you are using.
Take a few moments and just watch the lights going higher, brighter and longer with each breath that you breathe and then dissipates between in breath, so it is going up and down in time with your breathing.
As the gauge moves up, notice that if you breathe out really, fast and hard, the
colours move and just touch upon the red zone. As you breathe usually, it stays green, barely turning amber or orange, but a hard breath gets into the red zone and the lights reach red for a brief moment.
Spend some time to get it absolutely synchronised with your breathing. As you watch it moving in time with your
breathing, rising and falling, tell yourself that you are going deeper and deeper inside of your mind.
Usually, the red zone is associated with impairment or danger, however, with this technique, imagine that the red zone is your untapped strength, it is your potential and be really happy and excited to dip into
that red zone to draw upon strength and power for fleeting moments. Like when you land the hammer on a fairground strength test and it dings the bell for a moment, you can imagine dinging the bell of your own capability.
When you feel as though you have spent enough time deepening your experience in this way, move
on to the next step.
Step Three:
Keep the colourful gauge reflecting your breathing while you now imagine that you are exercising. Imagine yourself engaging in your choice of exercise and as you exercise and breathe, notice how this effects your gauge, it starts to go up and move towards that maximum level. The colours start to encroach upon the maximum level, the red zone that
indicates the upper levels are being reached and you are tapping into your strength potential that perhaps sometimes your body tells you not to do – and let’s be honest, we talk ourselves out of going that extra mile often – yet we are very capable. Remember to only do what is safe and for your own well-being and start to push those boundaries healthily further.
In your mind start to slide the gauge controller upwards in bursts when you need that extra push and imagine yourself feeling fitter, stronger and more energised, at a healthy and safe level of course.
Bring the colourful indicator graphics downwards using
the sliding switch and notice it coming back down into the safe and comfortable zone.
At the moment, using self-hypnosis, we are using this process in self-hypnosis and mentally rehearsing how we use it. We’ll practice this several times in self-hypnosis and develop it as a skill we can use outside of hypnosis and
import into the gym – though we can still use eyes-open self-hypnosis when applying it actively in the gym too….. To illustrate how I time this technique with lifting a weight, I have the gauge in my mind first, I breathe deep and set the gauge, then as I exert myself in dynamic fashion during the lift, I imagine the gauge raising upwards and the strength filling my muscles with energy and I then make the lift, exhaling and imagining the gauge coming back to it’s regular
levels.
Step Four:
Start to notice that you are able to keep the levels of exertion and effort being displayed on your gauge at a constant easier, comfortable level even as you exercise yourself harder and for longer. When you bring it into the green area, imagine that you are energising, healing and revitalising yourself, and notice how effective you are becoming at tapping into the potential and extra strength that exists in the red zone for those dynamic moments of high
exertion.
Let this process push you to go slightly, and healthily further than you would have gone in the past (a point whereby perhaps you’d have stopped in the past) and get comfortable with going beyond that level
Affirm to yourself in your mind, in time with your breathing, something that resonates well with you, for example:
I feel more and more capable of going on for
longer.
I am stronger and stronger, healthier and healthier.
It is easier and easier to find extra strength.
My body loves this exertion and responds
well.
Choose whatever resonates best within your mind and that you like the sound of most. As you say those words to yourself, keeping the graphic gauge at the right levels., your breathing responds well, your muscles respond accordingly and you feel wonderful.
Keep imagining this happening in your mind for a while, get tuned into it, so that when you are actually out exercising, it works powerfully and effectively just as you are imagining it will.
Once you have spent a while on this step, then move on to the next step.
Step Five:
Start to tell yourself that you can use this process when you are actually exercising too and that it starts to have the same effect as you imagine it having now.
Spend some time and get it
absolutely synchronised for you, get the control absolutely as you want it and can affect it, then bring this session to an end with the final step.
Step Six:
Exit hypnosis by taking a deep breath, wiggling your fingers and toes, opening your eyes.
Practice this process. The more you practice it in your mind, the better it becomes and the more useable is
in your exercise activity. Allowing you to alter your perception of how you feel in response to exercise and also helping you to exercise and remain active for longer, mobilise more effort and find more explosive power.
Use it daily for a week, then start applying it when exercising or in any physical activity and
make sure you really do mobilise that extra effort and strength.
