Sports | Analysis

Hi, and welcome to the analysis pack, and to day one. Now, the ability to review and learn from each session, whether it's a training session or a competition, is key to our development in sport. And if you take a moment to think of the qualities required for analysis, we're talking about objectivity, instead of subjectivity, a more responsive mind, rather than a reactive mind, and a mind which is open, curious, actually interested in learning. It's not a mind that's judging or critical, kind of defining the event as successful or a failure in some way. Instead, it's looking at it more from the point of what can I learn from that? What can I take from it and actually build into the next time I perform? So, in this particular pack, in this exercise, we're gonna look at how to bring the mind to a place of rest, where it's not reactive, where it's not overly critical, and instead it's able to observe the event clearly, rationally, objectively, and actually make it a useful part of our training. But right now, if you take a moment to get comfortable, to set yourself up in the usual way. As always, I'll guide you through the exercise as we go. But just starting with the eyes open, a nice, soft focus, and when you're ready, just taking some big, deep breaths. And with the next out breath, just gently closing the eyes, just allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm, in and out through the nose, as you just feel the weight of the body pressing down, the sensation of the feet on the floor, and just starting to notice all the different sounds around you now. And as you just bring the attention to the body now, just starting to notice how the body's feeling, noticing if there's a particular mood or emotion around today. And then starting at the top of the head, just gently scanning down through the body. Being clear about how the body feels, what's comfortable, what's uncomfortable, as you move down towards the toes. And as you become more aware of those sensations in the body, just starting to notice the movement of the breath as well. Sort of begin with in a very general way, just noticing where in the body you feel that movement and whether the breath's long or short, deep or shallow. And as you continue to follow the breath, no matter where about you feel that movement, just gonna imagine now sinking down into that place, so it may be the chest, diaphragm, stomach, wherever you feel that movement is most obvious. And the sensation is almost as though when you lie down on a very comfy bed, big, thick duvet, as though you're just sort of sinking down into it. Notice the feeling as you just allow the mind to sink into that space. Still focusing on the breath, staying with that movement. You can...