Top 10 mental strategies to banish equestrian fear and boost horse riding confidence

Top 10 Mental Strategies To Banish Equestrian Fear And Boost Horse Riding Confidence

One thing I have learnt during my struggles to become a better horseback rider is definitely non-negotiable: Whatever it is that you want to achieve with your horse and your riding, there is one fundamental concept you have to accept in all its complexity: you have to exercise you mind with as much diligence as you exercise your body.

There is a vast variety of mental exercises at the thinking rider’s disposal: mental rehearsal, anchoring, resourceful state induction, eradicating limiting beliefs with affirmations, reframing, perceptual positioning and many more at least one to suit every rider, though most riders prefer to use their own combination of techniques. The following ten are some of the greatest confidence boosters for horseback riders.

1. Start by accepting yourself exactly as you are. You are good enough exactly as you are now. That does not mean that there is no room for improvement, just that you are perfectly acceptable in whatever state or condition you are right now. And while you are at it, give your horse a break and accept him too, just as he is now.

2. Mental rehearsal
Athletes every where use this technique to prepare themselves form competitions. Imagining and fine tuning every step of their performance results in a dramatically enhanced outcome.

3. Installing anchors
An anchor is a stimulus that generates a specific state of mind. For example, touching a thumb to an index finger while holding the reins could be an anchor that will make you feel more confident in the saddle.

4. Journaling
Keeping a journal or training can be a powerful confidence booster. When you feel as if your training is going nowhere, you can look back at past achievements to remind yourself that one often feel discouraged just before one’s greatest breakthroughs.

5. Hypnosis
The power of suggestion to the sub-conscious mind can not be neglected. I believe it is an essential supplement to the thinking rider’s mental toolkit.

6. Practice Gratitude
Be grateful for everything you have achieved so far, no matter how small and insignificant a goal it was. Get a gratitude attitude.

7. Goal setting
Your self-esteem, awareness, ability to communicate with horses and people, energy and happiness can all be amplified by your use of goal setting. This type of confidence-building takes time, although the sense of achievement when you reach that elusive star, is an instantaneous confidence booster. So aim for the moon, if you miss it you will still land amongst the stars.

8. Reframing
In reframing you choose what an event will mean to you and how you are going to respond to it emotionally. After a dressage test you can focus intentionally on what went well, instead of every little thing that went wrong. Usually we tend to maximise our blunders, even if they are by far in the minority. Often we are blind and deaf to our own successes.

9. Get rid of limiting beliefs
Most of us have very rigid ideas of who we are, what we can or can’t do, what we do or don’t believe about horses and riding, about instructors and farriers and vets. Very few of us are willing to adjust our beliefs even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Instead of changing our beliefs, we get even more entrenched in our comfort zone, and decide instead to find some one or something else to blame: our horse, for example. Or the weather, another rider, the course planner, the trainer, our instructor etc. etc.

10. Discover your learning style and stage
Your mental fitness determines how efficiently you learn; how easily you remember new information and master new skills. How effectively you can use your brain to achieve the goals you aim for is subject to your level of mental fitness.

Start your mental fitness program today. You get mentally fit in exactly the same way as you get fit physically. By exercising your mental muscles. Daily, preferably. Otherwise as often as you can find time. The fitter you are mentally, the more spectacular the increase in your confidence.

A short guide to istanbul pilates

A Short Guide To Istanbul Pilates

Istanbul comprises of 13 million people and it is well known for its sports and recreational activities. The people of Istanbul are sports enthusiasts and it is true that there are various stadiums and sports field available which enhances the image of Istanbul pilates. It is to be said that there are 18 golf courses in Istanbul and every course is around 45 minutes away from city center. It is a beautiful country and most people are involved in several types of sports activities there. You will be amazed to know that there are around 18 teams only from Istanbul playing in National Premiere League which include Fenerbahce, Besiktas, Buyuksehir Belediye and Galatasaray.
Basketball is another famous Istanbul sports but the article is not all about entire sports. Its all about a special sport which is very famous in Istanbul. It is actually a slimming therapy and for this pilates studios are established in different parts of country. In fact, Taksim is well known for these types of therapy sessions and interestingly it is spread into almost all parts of country. Taksim pilates are well known in Istanbul. The are different types of pilates studios available in Taksim and most of these studios are available in the center of city.
It is a well being program and most people of Istanbul take part in these types of activities. Taksim is a beautiful city located in Istanbul and there are several pilates groups available for the well being of people. It is always recommended to the people that they should do thorough research on the subject before joining any Istanbul pilates. If you have keen interest in these types of recreational activities, then you must visit Istanbul at least once in a lifetime. It is to be said that there are thousands of visitors come every year to enjoy Istanbul pilates.
When it comes to opting for best studio, it is good to do complete research online. It is the only way to find out the best studio for this activity. Taksim is a city is Istanbul and it is well known in all over the world due to the nice nature of their people. The people there provide best hospitality for the visitors and thus it is always to be a good tourist place. Numerous pilates studios are available in Taksim and if you want to visit Taksim pilates, the best season is from May to late October. In this season, the business of pilates studio is on high.
Apart from all, one can get the opportunity to experience Taksim pilates from one of the best instructors. They provide complete training to the interested people and assure their well being. Istanbul pilates are the best place to do these types of exercises if you really want to make the body tight and completely fit. One can find the world class cardio equipments for complete fitness. So, in the end it can be said that one can experience the world class facilities at any of the Istanbul pilates and surely it will be a lifetime memory for you.

How to use your mind to get a desirable bodyshape

How To Use Your Mind To Get A Desirable Bodyshape

Many of you probably know about Napoleon Hill’s runaway bestseller “Think And Grow Rich”. However, the mind principles in the book are not only applicable to the subject of wealth, but are also applicable to everything else in life, such as getting a desirable bodyshape.

So can you just think and get the body shape you have always dreamed of? Of course you can.

Let me elaborate. You see, most of us have our own mindsets developed from life experiences and although some of these mindsets served us well at some point in time, many of them are now obsolete and might even be damaging to you. If you think that I am being audaciously ridiculous by suggesting that, then let me ask you a few questions.

a) Do you believe that no matter how hard you try to lose weight, you just can’t keep the weight off?

b) Do you believe that your body shape is determined by your genetic makeup and thus you can’t do anything to change it?

c) Do you believe that you just do not have the discipline and commitment to get the body shape you want?

d) Do you believe that you are the skinny type and will never be able to gain weight?

If you say YES to any of these questions, then you know what? Then you are right and your bodyshape will stay the same and nothing will change. This is because nothing is going to change if you don’t change your thinking.

If you harbor these negative mindsets, chances are that you will not be doing anything to change your body shape. Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin once said the same thing, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”.

These negative beliefs are the reasons holding you back from achieving the level of fitness and the desirable body shape. At this point, you may also like to think about other negative beliefs you may have in other aspects of your life and learn how to replace negative beliefs with positive ones.

You see no matter how much you may want something, if you have underlying contradictory beliefs about the subject matter of what you want, you will just be sabotaging yourself.

If you believe “dieting” means having to starve yourself or going to gym workout is too much of a hassle, then it will be ridiculous to think that you can get the body shape you desire isn’t it?

Then how did we develop our negative mindsets and thoughts? You see, as we grow up and experienced life, we encounter people, places, things and experiences and we collect information about them through our senses which is then stored in our subconscious mind.

Our subconscious mind is a vast databank of which you refer to every time you consciously think about something so you will know what to “feel” about it and how to react to it.

For example as a child, you may have been bitten by a dog and now, you break out into cold sweat every time you see a dog although the chances of getting bitten by a dog again are almost zero. This is because when you see a dog now, you instinctively access all of your beliefs about dogs which in turn cause you to behave in a certain way towards the animal. The beliefs we have stored in our subconscious mind dictate what how we think which in turn affect what we say and do.

To prove to you that your beliefs drive your life, let us take a look at another example. Do you remember that when you where a kid you probably believed in Santa Claus. There was no way for you that Santa did not exist, because after all, when you wake up on Christmas day, all your presents are in your stocking or under the Christmas tree. That was all the evidence you needed to proof that Santa exist.

As you grew older, new evidence presented itself until those beliefs where replaced with new ones and these new beliefs are now your reality. Your belief system has changed. However, have they changed for the better? Well, some of them yes, and many like those questions I asked earlier about your body shape don’t.

The point is if you really desire to have a desirable bodyshape but is having difficulty acquiring it, then you have start identifying your underlying beliefs and change them if need be.

This could be difficult because many of your limiting beliefs are so ingrained that you don’t even know they exist. There are a few ways you can do this such as by using positive affirmations, meditations and visualization. However from my experience, the easiest and most effective way to get identify and get rid of these negative beliefs is through self hypnosis.

Remember the wise saying “Change your thoughts and change your life”? Therefore, if you want to get that desirable body shape, then start identifying your negative beliefs and replace them with new positive ones into your subconscious mind and soon, your life will change for the better. Your mind is indeed very powerful!

Choosing the right self defense course for you

Choosing The Right Self Defense Course For You

Arguably the best thing a person can learn in order to feel safe and confident is a way to defend themselves. There are training programs in every town that will teach you self defense techniques. But if taking classes to learn self defense techniques is not possible, you can still progress by doing some online research and getting the fundamental principles clear in your mind.

As almost everyone knows, one of the best places to strike an attacker is the groin area. As one of the most effective self defense techniques, kicking, punching, stomping, or even biting, this area will cause the subject so much pain that a couple of seconds will present themselves in which you can escape. While defending yourself, to aim your kicks at your attackers lower body. Falling over while kicking an assailant in the face will not provide the balance and time needed in order to get away.

One of the first rules to remember when being assaulted by a large, strong assailant is that no matter how big and strong someone is, if you take out his kneecap he becomes completely useless. In self defense techniques, this move is particularly effective for stopping large bodies, whose knees will probably be weaker due to the amount of weight they have to support. Still, virtually no one, big or small, cannot stand firm against a broken kneecap.

One of the self defense techniques that will end an attack quickly is the eye gouge. Making the attacker’s eyes useless with cause disorientation as well as fear and pain, and not only will you be able to run away, the attacker is highly unlikely to chase after you as you will have shown yourself to be a wise opponent. Also, don’t hesitate to bite your attacker if the opportunity presents itself. Biting a finger, ear or arm, or the neck, will hurt them, and disorientate them.

As an important part of self defense, good physical fitness is mandatory to increase the likelihood of surviving a hands-on attack. It is also true that going on the offense is sometimes the best form of defense. Passive self defense techniques include choosing lit and busy walking routes to and from home where an attacker will not be as likely to act, walking with a friend or a group, especially at night, and, if driving home in the dark, one of the most simple self defense techniques may be to check the undercarriage and back seat of the car before approaching or opening it.

If you are not confident in you ability to defend yourself, contacting a place that teaches self defense techniques would be a good idea. The rates are very reasonable but, no matter how much money is spent to learn self defense techniques, it is worth it if it saves your life. Once you find a suitable self defense school, you must attend weekly and put in 100% effort. Many people begin to slack off in class. Dont fall into this common trap. The truth is that the training should be the hard part. If you train hard then defending yourself in a real life situation will be easy.

Clothing for gyms or sports – find out some tips

Clothing For Gyms Or Sports – Find Out Some Tips?

Wear something more comfortable which lets you breathe, absorbs sweat and allows you to stretch and manoeuvre at ease. You must find it easy to lift your weights or work out on a treadmill. Make sure the fabric you choose allows for greater flexibility and lets you carry out your gymming activity with out much ado.

Do not feel embarrassed – pick the right accessory for your sports!

You can avoid any embarrassment which would have other wise occurred if your fabric gives in. Tearing of your fabric is quite a common scene in fitness centres in order to avoid this, you must invest a little on your fitness apparel too. You don’t be the next victim and a subject to be jeered and laughed at.

For women, you can choose from:

Tank tops
Leggings
Sports sphagetti wear
Capris
Track suit

For men, you can choose from:

Jersey baggy type
Hooded sweat shirts
Lycra shirts
Sweat Shirts
Workout tank tees
Rag top
Double lining tank
Work out shorts
Bike shorts etc.

Women and men both have a great option these days. Men want to look more macho and women slender and sexy. In order to appeal you, fabric manufacturers have come up with different varieties so that you have a wider choice even in your fitness apparel too. Tank tops and capris, sports sphagetti wear with capris or leggings will look great. You can try out different combinations to look different every day. Get rid of boring combinations and try out different this summer.

Men can try out tank tops too. There are manly tank tops which allow you to comfortably work out in your gym while looking great at the same time. Tank tees with jersey baggy type, bike shorts with jersey rag top will look great. Try out your own combination to look stunning in your fitness centre!

Knitted fabrics are the most common type of fabric for fitness apparel because they are generally more flexible than woven fabrics. Some of the recent fitness apparels are made techie. Fitness apparel range use textile electrodes seamless integrated into the shirts and tops fabric taking away the ‘not so favorable’ look when using HRM and the highly uncomfortable wear feel of conventional chest-strap like HRM devices.
Workout apparel closer fitted to the body actually helps you move a little bit better offering you greater ease of movement. Choose the one that is ideal for your work outs!