Athletic Life Coaching: Teaching Beyond Belief Educational Series

Walking Through Your Fears after Injury: Athletes Living Beyond Belief By Gina Tricamo, M-HYT
Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases power to the weak. Even youth grow tired and exhausted, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

How do athletes get back in the game when an unexpected setback occurs through physical injury? This question is rehearsed over and over in the mind (the functional processing of the brain) as one struggles to deal with the present dilemma of physical, many times severe, pain and disability. Compounding the physical duress is the psychological dishearten feeling of depression and lacking faith of a timely recovery. With a positive attitude, affirming support system, knowledge of the injury and faith that work patience, an injury can be overcome without turning your world upside down. Through acceptance and surrender to the things that cannot be change, you can begin to change your approach to healing and wholeness with the end result of a full recovery!

Session Outline: 1. Learn to assess your injury and accept responsibility 2. How to approach injures with proper steps 3. Overcome psychological challenges 4. Practicing positive affirmations/visualization 5. Yoga/ Integrated Therapies and Sports 6. Experience beyond belief faith in recovery 7. Re-entrance back into the game

Hebrew 12:11-13 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and week knees.

Coping with a sport injury requires both physical and psychological rehabilitation. Most sports injuries focus only on the physical component of the injury. However, it is important to look at all fours developmental domains of the soul esteem the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual to help an athlete have timely healing and wholeness. The injury itself can also be viewed as an opportunity to develop characteristics of inner strength from the untimely set back and become a more confident, resilient and thriving athlete.

Learn how to assess your injury Learn about your injury as much as possible. Many times being in extreme pain is debilitating and it can be difficult to focus on what is being explained to you. It is important to take someone you trust with you as a support system to write down your concerns and the information being provided in and around your injury.

I have used an assessment tool diagram of the body front, back and side views. Place an X in the areas that are being impacted by the injury. This will help the Practitioner also understand more clearly what you are experiencing in all areas of the body. An injury localized in one area can manifest more intensely in other areas of the body as well. Knowing the pathways of pain and discomfort gives the doctor or therapist a better sense of how to treat the injury (see attached diagram). Ask the following questions of your doctor, therapist, trainer or coach until you have a clearer understanding of the injury: What is my diagnosis (what type of injury do I have)? How long will recovery take? What is the purpose of the treatment I am receiving? What alternative treatments are available? What are the side effects of treatment? What should I expect during rehab? What alternative workouts can I safely do? What are the warning signs that I am getting worse?

Knowledge is empowerment! By understanding the injury and knowing what to expect during the rehabilitation process you will feel less anxious and a greater sense of control in what could feel like a very uncontrollable dilemma. The serenity prayer says for us to accept the things we cannot change, to change the things we can and the wisdom to know the difference. It is important to accept the responsibility for the injury. This is not to say that the cause of the injury is in anyway your fault. What is means is that you exercise the wisdom to accept in this particular moment you have an injury and you are the only one that can fully determine the outcome.

By taking responsibility for your recovery process you will shift your thoughts from dwelling on the past (or blaming the injury to an outside factor) to finding a greater source of peace of mind which will aid in a speedier healing.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by meditation and petition, with gratitude, present your request to God.

How to approach injures with the following proper steps: In-place Support System You do not have to do recovery alone! It is a very common behavior to isolate from teammates, coaches and friends. In spite of those emotional struggles of self-worth it is important to maintain relationships during your recovery. Coaches, therapist and good friends can be the best listener as you work through and vent your anger. They can offer advice and encouragement not to give up! Just knowing that you dont have to face the injury alone can be a really big comfort. If youre physical able to hang out in the locker room, suit up and sit on the side lines and/or be visible, you are taking the necessary steps to fight your way back to wholeness. Set Goals short term (ST) and long term (LT) goals facilitate faster healing. A ST goal may entail being still and resting for a period of time, rather than using brute force and compounding more injury. View your injury as a challenge, rather than an end-of-world crisis. The ST goal will be focused on recovery rather than performance. Jim Rohn, author and motivational speaker, stated, If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plans, your plans will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us. Monitoring Progress - this will motivate you to keep moving forward, no matter how small or slow the steps

appear in the first phase of recovery after the injury. By journaling your goals you will become more motivated as you notice small improvements in the rehab process. You will become more confident as you observe you are getting better and improving. Goal setting strategies should be integrated into all rehabilitation programs. By monitoring and charting the athletes progress, attention is directed towards marked and measurable outcome. It is important to know when you have reached the goals set during rehabilitation process. For example: Chart that indicates a noted increase in the time spent working in the fitness center over time Goal: Spending an extra 20 minutes in the fitness center over time Effect: A measured increase in muscular strength over time Goal: Adding 10kg to lifting exercises that work the injured body part Effect: An increase in the number of repetitions on recovery exercises over time Goal: An increase of 10 more repetitions on recovery exercises over time Effect: An increase in the number of recovery exercises over time, with exercises becoming increasingly demanding Goal: The addition of 1 new exercise every week Effect: Increased performance over time Find an Empowerment Agent someone who will compassionately coach you during rehab. There are Spiritual Life Coaches on campus, teachers, counselors or anyone who is positive. Stay away from negative people who give the message of doomsday!!! Your Surround-

Sound should be one of positive affirmations and a hope that does not disappoint! Work Closely with Personal Therapist your medical doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, and/or holistic therapist can help you set realistic goals that are aligned with each stage of healing. Most athletes have a tendency to try to speed-up recovery by doing too much too soon! To accept you are injured and have limitations is a critical step in recovery. Maintain your Wellness and Fitness while injured - an injury is not an illness, in most cases. Yes, there are symptoms like feeling nausea from the pain, lack of appetite due to pain and or more stress on the working areas of the body from over compensating. It is important to captivate what is working and build upon it! Depending on the level of injury and energy, modification will assist in the rehab. Alternative training, such as yoga therapy, will maintain strength and flexibility in the bodys systems. Water aerobics helps to take the stress and shock off the body and create ease in movement. Your therapist can work with you uniquely to facilitate a range of movement that is beneficial, but not intrusive to the healing process. Practicing breath-work induces relaxation and meditation provides stress reduction, facilitate focus, clarity, harmony and balance in the homeostasis on your body, mind, intellect and spirit. Overcome psychological challenges coping with an injury not only requires physical rehab, but also psychological rehab. Unfortunately, many times this area is overlooked in the recovery phase, yet it has a tremendous impact on getting back into the game! Athletes react to injury with a wide range of emotions which may include denial, anger, fears and depression. Often, the

injury creates resentment when the fairness-card is pulled out of the deck! It doesnt seem fair to be so broken when the athlete was physically active and healthy. It is important to acknowledge these emotions and accept the circumstance. Coming into the place of surrender opens the mind to wake up and move from negative thoughts to more positive strategies to cope with such a physical setback. As you move towards your recovery with acceptance and enter into a positive outlook, there is a release from the emotional tension that gifts the athlete with the ability to focus, become emotionally flexible, and resilient.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarityit turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melodie Beattie

The Psychology of Gratitude is a very powerful methodology in healing the whole person. One of my favorite experts on the brain imaging and functions is Dr. Amen, M.D., a clinical neuroscientist and psychiatrist. The following is a discussion on the powerful effects of though processing on the brain and associating gratitude to recovery. In his book, Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brains Maximum Potential; Magnificent Mind At Any Age, Dr. Amen states, When you bring your attention to the things you are grateful for in your life, your brain actually works better. He conducted a study with Psychologist Noelle Nelson by scanning her brain twice. The first was after appreciate meditation, and the second was after fear-based meditation.

After the second scanning of fear-based thoughts the results indicated, seriously decreased activity in two parts of the brain. The cerebellum, in the back of the brain, was completely shut down. The cerebellum, which is known as the little brain, is known to be involved in physical coordination, such as walking and playing sports. This area is also involved in processing speed. The discussion further revealed, when the cerebellum experiences low activity, people tend to be clumsier and less likely to think their ways out of problems. They think and process information more slowly and they get confused more easily. Dr. Amen attributed these fear-based thought processing to the athletic slump, when an athletes negative thinking of failing actually creates that outcome scenario. His evidence base brain scan exposed how negative thinking actually shut downs the coordination part of the brain. The other area of the brain that was affected was the temporal lobes that are involved with mood, memory, and temper control. Problems in this part of the brain are associated with some form of depression and also dark thoughts, violence, and memory problems. When practicing gratitude thought processing these areas of the brain stabilized and reflected healthy waves. Dr. Amen believes that practicing gratitude helps the brain to heal. He created an exercise to counter-balance negative thoughts, writing out five things one is grateful for every day. The act of writing helps to solidify the thoughts in the brain. It was indicated that depression was lifted; there was

a sense of being more optimistic, more progress towards ST/LT goals, and a greater sense of well-being. Brain Exercise: Write out 5 things you are grateful for today 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind having a fresh, mental and spiritual attitude. Ephesian 4:23

Practicing positive affirmations/visualization - What separate an elite athlete from an average athlete is the way they deal with their injury and unfortunate setbacks. Although the athlete is not performing during this period on the sidelines, there still is lots of work that can be done to improve their game and speed up the recovery process. By utilizing key mental tools, the athlete has the ability to get back playing at their best performance. To get the most out of your daily rehabilitation, it is important to remain focused, work with progressive endurance, and maintain a positive attitude. Growing research indicates faster healing process by using specific mental skills such as: positive affirmations imagery techniques to create mental visualization

 feelings and sensations connected to the desired outcome as though it is happening or has already happened In order to combine all of these key mental tools it is important to first understand what they are and the techniques used specifically for athlete facing injury and moving towards recovery.

One key mental tool is guided imagery, or visualization, combined with mental rehearsal. Psychologist and therapists help individuals visualize or rehearse a desired event. It involves using all of the senses to create an imagined experience that feel real. By tapping into the sensations of the scenes and creating a very real experience there is a positive desired outcome. Step by Step Use of Imagery: Sit in a comfortable place where you will not be disturbed Relax your body and take several long, slow breaths Close your eyes and create a vivid and convincing image (this image can be one you have previously experienced, or one you simply desire) If you become distracted or find your mind wondering on other thoughts, simply acknowledge it and let it go Focus on your breathing if you lose the image Maintain a positive attitude and affirmations Imagine the sights, sounds, tastes, feelings and even smells of the experience Take mental notes of as much detail of the scene as possible (what you are wearing, what you are hearing, the colors, the smell in the air, how you are feeling)

 If your visualization session is not going the way you desire, simply open your eyes and start over with your breath work Always end a visualization session with a positive image and affirmations Athletes have many opportunities to try various imagery or visualization techniques. From injury recovery to improved sports performance, these techniques are showing promise as a standard part of an athletes training program. Various studies have shown visualization is one of the most effective tools to use during an injury. Because the injured athlete cannot train physically they often turn to visualization in order to rehearse and practice their sport. Three applications of visualization specifically tailored for the injured athlete have been outlined as followed: Application 1: Emotional Rehearsal The first application of visualization is emotional rehearsal. During injuries emotional rehearsal can be used to generate internal states of positivity and general feelings of optimism. The emotional rehearsal technique involves self-indulging in experiences that makes the athlete feel good. Here are a couple of sport related situations that can be rehearsed in order to create resourceful and positive states: Reminiscing over past sport successes Imagining an ideal future in sports (perhaps involving the athlete winning some of the highest accolades available) Outline below is the typical sequence of steps taken in order to reminisce over past sporting achievements. Initially the athlete

should try doing this for 10 minutes, looking to increase this duration over time. Close your eyes Take a few deep breathes in order to become completely relaxed and comfortable Allow your mind to drift back to one of your sporting performances Once you have located a time, begin internally recreating the experience Imagine that you are watching your performance on a giant widescreen TV Pay attention to every visual detail of the experience, making sure that the image is rich in color and it is 3D If the image is stillturn it into a movie with motion/movement If the image is distant bring it as close to you as possible, to the point where everything on your imaginary screen is as clear as possible Notice the sounds that were occurring during your past success Make sure that the sounds are as clear and as lifelike as possible Combine the sounds and moving images so it becomes no different to watching a film at the cinema Allow your internal sights and sounds to generate all of the good feelings that you felt at the time Indulge in these feelings Here are a couple of interventions that will help to increase the effectiveness of this intervention: Play music while you use this visualization technique

 Use it just before you go to sleep (the mind is highly receptive just before falling asleep) During an injury this application of visualization keeps the athlete feeling positive and optimistic. Learning to generate positive internal states will always help to attract positive results. Application 2: Physical Rehearsal The second application of visualization for the injured athlete is physical rehearsal. During injuries physical rehearsal allows the mental practice of the physical techniques of the injured athletes sport. The brain does not distinguish the difference between reality and fantasy. Consequently one can take advantage of this by mentally rehearsing the physical actions of your sport, without having to move a single muscle. The British Olympic Golden Medalist, Steve Backley, was a prolific user of visualization. He sustained many reoccurring injuries during his athletic career. He attributed his success by using physical rehearsal was on the sidelines due to injuries. He would visualize himself throwing the javelin over and over again, to the point where he actually felt like he was performing in the heat of an international competition. The following is a typical approach to apply physical rehearsal techniques. Like the emotional rehearsal, begin by doing this for 10 minutes, gradually increasing increments of time. Gentle close your eyes Begin to inhale and exhale deeply and experience relaxed state Imagine you are sitting in front of a large cinema screen and you are watching yourself perform

 Slowly drift into the image within yourself, no longer watching but now participating in such a way you can see everything from your own eyes Notice the physical sensation of your sport activity. Pay attention to how each of your technical actions feels Examine your body position, noticing how you carry your body when you are performing at your best Sharpen up all of your visual senses to appear clear, vivid and full of color Introduce all of the sounds that you would experience if you were actually performing Rehearse you physical performance over and over again in your mind, pulling together all the sights, sounds and feelings of the physical action of your sport Take a few deep breath and gently open your eyes Like any sport activity practice is important. The more you practice the physical rehearsal the more effective it becomes Application 3: Fast Healing The third application is used to promote a faster healing process through imagery. Research has indicated that mind and body are intrinsically inter-linked; due to this connection, visualization is a powerful aid in recovery. The brain shifts from the stress brain wave, beta, into the calming, alpha brain waves. You can use many creative approaches to facilitate healing in the body through healing meditation. The following offers one type of visualization technique. Once again, start off with 10 minutes sessions and build upon the length of time each session. Gently close your eyes Begin breath work and enter into a relaxed state

 Allow your focus to internally drift towards the injured part of your body When you are physically aware of the injured area begin to imagine a bright healing light moving across the injured body part Create an image of your body part becoming stronger and healthier as this healing light continues to shine on the injury Notice a positive internal feeling the light is creating. Observe the better you feel, the brighter the light becomes Take time to create an internal image of the healing light mending the wound After 10 minutes slowly open your eyes and take a few more deep breaths This healing visualization exercise should be done regularly during injury rehab. Below are suggestions of times you can integrate healing imagery: Before you go to sleep When you wake up In the shower or bathtub During rest periods during the day During sports massages, physiotherapy, acupuncture, etc. While you are eating (visualizing the nutritional value of the food nourishing the wound/injury)

Yoga/Integrated Therapies and Sports Athletes who are gifted to excel in various types of sports represent an elite group of humanity. Their developed qualities require long hours of commitment and dedication, discipline and fortitude to continue above and beyond any and all challenges. There are tremendous rewards involved in loyalty to the team, coaches and global sport fans.

Inevitable, maintaining the integrity and stamina of the demands of an athletes performance, day in and day out, results in the occurrence of injuries either during hard and long hours of practice or during the sport event itself. We have looked over various mental methodologies to overcome the obstacles that create anxiety and fear of getting back into the game after trauma to the body. In this section we will explore therapeutic and holistic approaches that secure wholeness and wellness during and after the recovery period. Western medication may appear to speed up the recovery but the side effects and inadequacy of a full recovery can set up the athlete for a longer and more painful rehab period. Yoga therapy is viewed by many health practitioners as an ideal method for protecting the mind and body of the athlete. The ordinary player finds yoga useful to overcome physical challenges brought on by the activity of their game. The professional athlete, however, discovers the value of yoga practice to reach their aspired goals and maintain peak physical and mental performance. The everyday wear on the body from rigorous performances causes extreme stress and damage to the athletes physical well-being. One of the main concerns yoga therapist are aware of is that sport activities rely on usage of one part of the body repetitively, creating asymmetry (imbalance) and overuse of that body part. Not only is there physiological stress, but psychological stress as well. Dr. Krishna Raman, author and head of the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgeon in India, writes extensively on the integration of yoga and western medicine for prevention and cure. He has provided in depth discussion on yoga for the athlete to provide healing and recovery

during injuries and continued peak performances through the athletes career. He breaks down each sport and the types of injuries that occurs and provides resolution through the practice of yoga. Let us look at some of the basic facts of the types of injuries that occurs in the athletes body: -athletes suffer frequent strains and aches of the muscular system -athletes muscles endure intense, repetitive, jerky stretching that irritates the tissues and sinews -muscles contract and remain shorter than it was at first and become hard and unyielding (often referred as muscle imbalance) -repetitive training exhausts glycogen storage in muscles and creates a buildup of lactic acid in excess -due to stronger forces generated during the athletes performance during events the risk is higher for repetitive tears of tendons, ligaments and muscles -female athletes endure special problems due to their different bodily structure -injury in the lower back, cervical spine, hip joints, knee cartilage, calf cramps, foot and ankles inflammations -broken bones
Ezekiel 37:5-6, 9-10 God, the Master, told the dry bones, Watch this: Ill bring the breath of life to you and youll come to life. Ill attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. Youll come alive and youll realize that I am GodCome breath. Breath lifethe breath entered them and they came alive! They stood on their feet, a huge army.

The simple act of incorporating Breath Work and Meditation can radically switch up the homeostasis of the athletes body mass and mental stamina! When an injured athlete begins yoga practice it is important to demystify the idea that yoga is a quick fix to healing. Yoga is, however, a consistent and progressive approach to getting back into the sport with commitment and dedication to allow time to heal and experience deeper changes to take place in the body and mind. A key factor to note is that Yoga is not about competition, which is a complete different concept that has been engrained into the psyche of the athlete. By taking time to explore the injured area, letting go of the competitive nature, surrender into the process of alignment, focus and coming simple as you can manage in a personal and intimate way, athletes discover the healing power of yoga. Some of the reasons athletes come to a yoga class: Overuse injury Extreme tightness that may cause new injuries Tight shoulders and hips Rotator cuff problems Damage to the hamstrings Herniated disc Sprains and broken bones

A well-known Yoga Therapist for athletes, Beryl Bender Birch, stated, Its very easy to injure an elite athlete by coming on too heavy-handed. Theyre strong and very tight. Its like a guitar string that youve tightened up and tighten up to get the highest possible resonance. But then you just turn it the tiniest bit and it explodes. Does that sound familiar?

The Approach: Gentle movement Encouraging modifications (using blocks and straps) Individualize poses for specific injuries Avoid certain poses to not create more injury Work on alignment of the primary lines Gentle touch in adjustments Make it a personal practice After recovery continue yoga practice to maintain flexibility Meditation is powerful, enjoy your Savasana!

Integrated Holistic Therapies that complement and enhance the healing process is maintaining a nutritional diet. When pain is extremely intense the appetite is suppressed. Stay hydrated!!! An excellent source of natural electrolytes is coconut water! Eat foods or take supplements high in B12 complex, magnesium and potassium, and amino acids. Chiropractic adjustments are very beneficial in regaining alignment. Once again take into consideration the extent of injury. With herniated disc adjustment need to be avoided, however your practitioner has other methodologies available to relieve the stressors in the injured area. Acupuncture is very beneficial in moving energy to the injured area and creating new cell growth to damaged area. It releases lactic acid and reduces stress throughout the whole systems. Oils and herbs have tremendous healing attribute. Lavender oil reduces inflammation and stress. I highly recommend the Wie Laboratories WHITTIE PATCH. It is a combination of over 21 herbs that shrink herniated disc and inflammation and restore the vertebras to healthy stamina.

Experience beyond belief faith in recovery You just have to believe in yourself no matter what! How many times have we been told these words regarding belief when struggling with challenges or dilemmas? In the world of sports the importance of having belief is regularly emphasized. However, belief alone is not as powerful as believing beyond belief!

Definition of Belief: The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another person or group That which is directly related to the events surrounding a person seeing is believing as evidence to prove or disprove your beliefs To best explain this concept is the example in competitive sports, where the athletes belief in their ability is usually dependent on how well they are performing. If the athlete is performing well, positive beliefs about their abilities are reinforced, Yeah, awesome job. On the other hand during times of defeat and setback, belief in the athletes sporting abilities is likely to be damaged. For example, if an athlete continues to play badly for a significant period of time then it becomes increasingly difficult for them to create high levels of belief in their abilities due to lack of evidence and outcome. So here is the perplexing concern If belief is dictated by performance, then the argument is that belief alone holds no or little value of its own, as it is only a commentary of how well the athlete is performing at any given moment.

Here is the question that exposes a more profound understanding of Belief! Is it possible for the athlete to have a deep rooted belief in their abilities even when they are performing badly? The answer is yes, however it is an intuitive experience that moves an athlete forward from belief to beyond belief in the realm of faith!
Faith is believing in the absence of success. Nideffer (1992)

This concept of beyond belief faith knows that whatever your sport throws at you, the athlete still achieve professional goals. The real power of faith comes from its unmovable properties. While belief alone depends on what is actually happening in the arena of sports, faith remains fixed in placed, irrespective of the surround circumstances. During times of lost, injury or unforeseen circumstances faithful athletes are able to remain confident and committed to their cause, while athletes that only hold to the belief alone system allow the quality of their performances to be dictated on how their feel from the outcome.

FLOW CHART: HOW FAITH IMPACT PERFORMANCE WHEN ATHLETE MAKES A SERIES OF MISTAKES IN THE PLAYING FIELD

Flow Chart #1: Series of mistakes ======= creates a lack of belief (no faith)========= unmanageable feelings of selfdoubt= start playing conservatively======= opponent takes control of the game========= increased chance of losing Flow Chart #2: Series of mistakes===== unmoved level of beyond belief (high level of faith)======manageable feelings of doubt======== playing with assertiveness and courage============ regain dominance in the game======= increased chance of winning The flow chart demonstrates that beyond belief faithful athletes never compromise who they are and how they play in the face of challenges and touch situations. Testimony of the power of faith in action: In 2001m the Croatian tennis player Goran Ivanisevic won the grand slam Wimbledon, despite being entered in the tournament as a Wild-Card. Before 2001, no Wild-Card had ever won Wimbledon! Ivanisevic was given little or no chance of winning the title that he had desired throughout his career, having lost in the final three times prior to that year. He entered the tournament following two disastrously bad seasons in 1999 and 2000, during which his world ranking slumped from 12 to 97! Much had been speculated about the reasons for Ivanisevics unprecedented success that year. After being quizzed about his unlikely achievement, Ivanisevic attributed his success at Wimbledon that year to a deep rooted sense of faith.

He talked of how he made a pact with God to give him one more chance of winning the title that had eluded him throughout his illustrious career. Apparently from the onset of the tournament with all the evidence pointing towards him being out of form and at the end of his career, in his own words he still know that he was going to lift the trophy. Ivanisevics experience highlights how having faith in your abilities moves the athlete beyond the realm of believing and into the realm of knowing in faith! If you can cultivate an unmoving sense of faith in your abilities as a professional, any challenges can be met.
Matthew 17:20 The simple truth is that if you have a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed size, you would tell this mountain, Move! and it would move. There is nothing you wouldnt be able to tackle.

Re-entrance back into the game The inspiration and hope is to encourage Athletes to walk through the fears, traumas, discouragement into a state of unforced energy of grace! Think of the time to heal as a grace period, time afforded you to pull back in order to move forward and rise up in character from the life experience. Keep in mind that every aspect of growth comes from the recognition that your character is being built from every situation, dilemma and encounter set before you. With this knowledge you are to press forward, with fortitude, in faith. You will be an athlete living beyond belief! Group Exercise: Share your personal experience and concerns with one another, get REAL! Break up into groups of 6 people and create a Plan of Action using the materials from todays workshop. Be prepared to share with the larger group! End the share with 6 statements of gratitude!

Breath, Visualization and Meditation Exercise: We will conclude todays session with a few minutes of contemplative focus to receive the healing power of Light and Love.
The greatest effort in sports came when the mind is as still as a lake. Timothy Gallwey Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary. Ray Knight Let be and be still, and know recognize and understand that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Cited References: Teaching Yoga to Athletes by Sage Rountree How to Use Imagery and Self-Hypnosis for Sports by Elizabeth Quinn Bible and Motivational Quotes For Athletes, Sports, Sport Teams, Player, Coaches, Runners Dealing with injuries: The Psychological Approach by Mind Sport, 2007 Integration of Yoga and Western Medicine for Prevention and Cure by Dr. Krishna Raman