Had some great fun with the Milton Model (named after famed hypnotherapist Milton Erickson) and before you read the rest of this article I just wanted to mention that.
One of the main components of visualization you must look at is association versus dissociation.
That is taking the first person view or a 3rd person view as you’re visualizing.
For the most part when it comes to physical training I would advise going with the first person view. That is you’re inside your own body and moving like you move. The more you practice this the more real it becomes.
And when you can create something real in your mind, your body truly won’t know the difference between this imagined thing and the real thing. Even the muscles of your body fire, with an athlete’s visualization of exercises and movements.
There are times when you want to be able to step out of your body and see the picture far away and even behind glass, but practicing moves in your head usually isn’t that time.
I haven’t been using visualization much recently. But I did my workout last night and thought I’d use it once again.
During my practice I hit a hand balancing move I couldn’t before, a straddle to a shoulder stand, after visualizing it successfully.
Then when rock climbing my friend and I were having a tough time with a new route. I visualized climbing it and myself hanging from the top happy I had made it. The next attempt I did just that.
Really this stuff is just the tip of the iceberg in what you can do with visualization. But starting here alone will give you great results.