How to Overcome Tumbling Fears (Or Any Mental Blocks) in Gymnastics
(Also Cheerleaders)
Looking to Take Your Gymnastics Routines to the Next Level?
Or Do You Experience Mental Blocks During Reverse Tumbling Movements, such as Back Handsprings or Back Tucks?
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Gymnastics blocks are common, at all levels - but since the 90's, I have used hypnosis to help release fear and improve results.
Fear is just a natural self-protection mechanism, which can occur during back handsprings, back tucks, back walk overs, on the beam, fly way dismounts from the bar, and the list goes on - plus often after a fall.
The past few decades - gymnasts, cheerleaders, coaches and parents contacted me each week about these issues (including re-building confidence after injuries or falls). During that time, mental training - the easiest, most convenient and affordable of all options available - has achieved consistently excellent results in this area.
Sadly motivation or pep talks do not help tumbling fears and mental blocks - as they are an unconscious, or sub-conscious, reaction.
Consistency only returns by dealing with the fears at the very source - the subconscious mind.
Other methods will only create temporary improvement - because they do not work at the very core, or control panel, of the body's movement.
Mental training, using a potent combination of visualization and hypnosis, has shown to give gymnasts the inner confidence and belief to conquer anxiety in tumbling and reverse movements, and even the most difficult elements, skills and routines (and also in cheerleading).
The best gymnastic performances are performed on 'auto-pilot' (a mental state commonly called 'The Zone' - which delivers the highest possible standard of performance) which allows movements to flow easily, effortlessly and naturally.
The subconscious mind controls this process.
However, gymnasts know only too well that if they dwell on their previous failed attempts, doubts, worries, fears and negative thoughts - these often prevent this auto-pilot process from working properly. These can often sabotage areas such as backwards tumbling passes - eg. back handsprings - as well as other elements, routines, skills, confidence - not to mention cause emotional distress, anxiety and slumps in form.
Most often, negative thoughts simply create fear - which prevents gymnasts reaching their highest levels.
Tumbling blocks, along with most other gym issues, can be overcome using a combination of mental training methods - such as visualization, positive affirmations and hypnotic suggestion, which target the fear at the very source.
Visualization involves regularly, and vividly imagining yourself successfully sticking tumbling passes, while positive affirmations or hypnotic suggestion work at releasing the anxiety deep at the subconscious level, while you are in a relaxed state.
While gymnasts or cheerleaders may struggle with the mental block to physically practice these moves, the same does not apply to the mental side. The imagination easily creates a range of powerful images of successful elements, routines, tumbling passes etc which it stores in the memory bank, which the body accesses during actual physical performance.
