I’d like to open our training for 2019 with a review of my Principles of Effortless Motion which I have put together for you following a lifetime’s training in Tai Chi and almost two decades of research into how simple Tai Chi principles when applied to complex movement skills in sport and the performing arts, can result in effortless performance, especially when the pressure’s on.
To benefit from these principles you don’t need to learn Tai Chi, just put some time each week into practising some simple drills and exercises taken from the art and which are proven to help develop greater physical and mental awareness, bring your mental game and technical ability in sync and get you into the flow-state of relaxed concentration.
Recently I came across this quote from Aristotle that states “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation”. For me, it sums up my entire approach to life which has been based on some form of daily training since 1987.
If you too are inspired by what can be achieved when small yet consistent habits like awareness of breathing, stance keeping and slow motion drills are practiced daily, then you’ll want to knuckle down and make 2019 the year you commit to Chi-Performance – it takes the theory of ‘marginal gains’ (attributed to Sir Dave Brailsford, British Cycling / Team Sky) to a whole other level!
Here’s the first of 13 principles upon which (according to my research) effortless movement is always based:
- The mind and body must work in unison to achieve effortless motion.
If you’ve been following my work you’ll know that Buddhist meditation (the art of focusing on the breathing) forms the bedrock of my training method as it’s proven categorically to reduce mental interference and allow the signals about intended motion to bypass the analytical mind and go directly to the brain’s motor-system.
In this scenario the resulting movement will always be smooth, fluid and precise as the mind stays connected to the body rather than going into analytical thinking mode, allowing for natural rhythm and tempo to be executed whether you’re serving for the match, performing in front of the judges or about to go perform on stage.
To help you make a commitment to daily meditation practice, I’m offering a FREE, no obligation coaching call any time in January, to help you get started on your training or to develop your practice if you’re already an experienced meditator.
It’s only by making meditation a daily habit that you can use your breathing to activate the quiet mind when you’re in competition or any other high pressure situation.
Here’s how the training helped one student overcome the crippling effects of performance anxiety during her gymnastics routines:
“Our daughter is an elite gymnast and had built up a psychological barrier to performing some of her gymnastics elements, so we requested Jayne’s help. The coaching provided by Jayne helped our daughter to understand and break down this barrier after a short time, allowing her to continue practising the skills she had been avoiding. We appreciated Jayne’s unique and holistic approach, combining breathing techniques with confidence-building visualization tools. Our daughter now has a new-found ability not only for her current skills but also when tackling new skills and the challenges of competition.” Mark and Anna Rosteck
