In continuation of this blog’s previous discussion on how to utilize popular visualization methods found in sports psychology for the purpose of visualizing birth, and in the spirit of the Olympic Games, I’m posting an interesting article on Michael Phelps.  Phelps claims that visualization is the key to his athletic success, speaking about how his strong mental visualizations of a perfect swim the night before a race are intimately tied to the wins that follow.

The article discusses other amazing athletes who have also credited their success to the visualization techniques they use (basketball player Michael Jordan, and Olympic figure skater Randy Gardner).

These same exact techniques may be helpful in visualizing birth and in birthing babies.  One of the most important visualization techniques that my doula, Stacy Hattori, encouraged me to use prior to the birth of my second child was to envision my child already born and to recall vividly the moments of happiness that had followed after the natural birth of my first child, Kieran.  You may read more about that visualization technique in this previous post, Envisioning the Child Already Born.

Please follow this space for more to come on the use of sports psychology in the visualization of birth!  In the meantime, check out this helpful article about Michael Phelps:

“Visualization” the Secret to 15 Olympic Gold Medals According to Michael Phelps and Mind Movies Co-Founder Natalie Ledwell

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 02, 2012

Mental visualization is the secret to success for Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who today became the most decorated Olympian in history with 19 Olympic medals. A record-breaking 15 of Phelps’ 19 medals are gold medals.

Despite some media speculation that he wouldn’t be able to remain focused enough to break the Olympic record, Phelps continues to demonstrate that he knows what it takes to continuously beat the fastest, strongest and most disciplined swimmers in the world. And according to Phelps, his success stems from first visualizing himself winning each race before he even steps foot in the pool.

In fact, Phelps claims he’s been visualizing since he was seven years old, watching what he calls “his videotape” of the perfect swim in his mind each night before going to sleep to mentally map out his ideal swim for the next day.

“I like to think of myself as a normal person who has a passion, has a goal and a dream and goes out and does it,” Phelps told The Daily Telegraph. “Throughout my career, nobody has been able to stand in my way. I have gone through ups and downs. Nobody is going to put a limit on what I’m doing. I’m going to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. That is how I have always worked. If I want something I am going to go and get it.”

Law of Attraction guru Natalie Ledwell said that many athletes attribute their success to what they call ‘sports visualization.’ Olympic figure skater Randy Gardner and basketball star Michael Jordan have also credited their success to visualization, defined by Wikipedia as “the practice of seeking to affect the outer world by changing one’s thoughts and expectations.”

“When people learn how to use visualization, they gain the ability to mentally condition themselves for unstoppable success all kinds of life events and goals, just like Michael Phelps,” said Ledwell. “Yes, you can use this for sports, but visualization has also proven extremely effective for goals around losing weight, earning more money and much more.”

A celebrated speaker and author, Ledwell is also the co-founder of San Diego-based Mind Movies, a personal development company dedicated to helping others bring the full power of visualization and the Law of Attraction into their lives. Over 900,000 people worldwide have already received Ledwell’s free pre-made Mind Movies, which are dynamic, moving video vision boards that help users visualize and achieve their goals faster and easier than they ever thought possible.

To find out more about Mind Movies and download 6 free pre-made Mind Movies, visit:http://mindmoviestv.com

About Mind Movies:

Founded in 2008, Mind Movie’s mission is to help empower people from all over the world to visualize their goals and manifest their greatest dreams and desires. Mind Movies has touched the lives of over 900,000 people around the world and is headquartered in downtown San Diego, California.

Company Contact Information:

Mind Movies
Media Relations
113 West G Street #122
San Diego, CA 92101
http://mindmoviestv.com