| Understanding the mind's role in
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| | visualization." Once you've set your
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| motivation and behavior is one of the
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| | goals, it's easy to come up with a list
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| most critical elements in fitness
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| | of the daily habits, behaviors and action
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| success. If you struggle with changing
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| | steps necessary to reach your goal. So
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| habits and behaviors or if you can't get
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| | write down the action steps and visualize
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| motivated, then even the best training
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| | them - the entire process, not just the
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| and nutrition program is not much help.
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| | end result. See yourself food shopping
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| A fascinating fact about your
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| | and grabbing fruits, vegetables and lean
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| subconscious mind is that it's completely
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| | proteins, ordering healthy foods from
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| deductive in nature. In other words, it's
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| | restaurant menus, saying no to sodas and
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| fully capable of working backwards from
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| | drinking water instead, and going to the
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| the end to the means. If you "program"
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| | gym consistently and having killer
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| only the desired outcome successfully
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| | workouts. Some people visualize their
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| into your "mental computer," then your
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| | entire "perfect day" as they would want
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| subconscious will take over and help you
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| | it to unfold. When you do this as
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| find the information and means and carry
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| | vividly, emotionally and in as much
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| out the actions necessary to reach it.
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| | detail as you can, you will be
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| Many people are familiar with
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| | neurologically priming your brain to
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| affirmations and goal-setting as ways to
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| | carry out those behaviors.
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| give instructions to your subconscious
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| | The least known of all mental imagery
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| mind. But perhaps the ultimate mental
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| | techniques is called "physiology
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| training" technique is visualization. In
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| | visualization." An example would be
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| one respect, affirmation and
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| | picturing the fat burning process in your
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| visualization are the same, because when
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| | body or seeing the muscle fibers growing
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| you speak or think an affirmation first,
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| | larger and larger. Using this technique,
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| that triggers a mental image, being as
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| | could it be possible that you might be
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| the human brain "thinks" in pictures.
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| | giving subconscious instructions to your
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| You can use visualization to plant goals
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| | body's cells, organs and tissues?
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| into your subconscious mind. You simply
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| | Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl
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| close your eyes, use your imagination and
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| | Simonton, a physician and cancer
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| mentally create pictures and run movies
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| | researcher who taught his patients (as
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| of your desired results. If repeated
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| | one part of a comprehensive program), how
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| consistently with emotion, mental images
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| | to visualize powerful immune cells
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| are accepted by your subconscious as
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| | devouring the cancer cells. I'm not
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| commands and this helps with changing
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| | suggesting that you can cure cancer or
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| habits, behavior and performance.
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| | materialize a lean and muscular body just
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| Although there are some new and creative
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| | by visualizing, (there's a step in
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| ways to use visualization, (which you are
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| | between thought and manifestation - it's
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| about to learn), this is not a new
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| | called action - a step that many self
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| technique. Visualization has been used
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| | help �experts' forget to mention).
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| formally in the fields of sports
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| | However, thoughts and mental images are
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| psychology and personal development for
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| | the precursors to action and the fact
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| decades and philosophers have discussed
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| | that a mind-body connection definitely
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| it for centuries:
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| | exists makes this an exciting prospect.
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| "If you want to reach your goal, you must
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| | Scientists have established the mind-body
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| 'see the reaching' in your own mind
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| | link in many contexts, and not just by
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| before you actually arrive at your goal."
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| | the existence of a placebo effect.
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| - Zig Ziglar
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| | There's also direct evidence as in the
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| "The use of mental imagery is one of the
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| | way emotional stress can contribute to
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| strongest and most effective strategies
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| | physical disease. The mind does influence
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| for making something happen for you."
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| | the body! The mere fact that a branch of
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| - Dr. Wayne Dyer
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| | science has been devoted to this area is
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| "Perhaps the most effective method of
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| | proof that it deserves critical
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| bringing the subconscious into practical
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| | investigation and is not just the domain
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| action is through the process of making
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| | of infomercial self help gurus. The
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| mental pictures - using the imagination."
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| | science is called psychoneuroimmunology.
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| - Claude Bristol
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| | Using "physiology visualization," you
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| "There is a law in psychology that if you
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| | could, even in the middle of a workout,
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| form a picture in your mind of what you
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| | imagine the fat burning process taking
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| would like to be, and you keep and hold
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| | place, and visualize fat being released
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| that picture there long enough, you will
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| | from adipose tissue storage in your
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| soon become exactly as you have been
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| | abdominal region or elsewhere. You could
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| thinking."
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| | see the free fatty acids entering your
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| - William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist
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| | bloodstream, being carried to the working
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| and Author
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| | muscles and being burned for energy in
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| Despite these glowing endorsements and a
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| | the muscle cells. You could also
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| long track record, some people can't get
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| | visualize the physiology of muscle
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| past feeling that this is just a "hokey"
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| | growth.
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| self-help technique. Rest assured,
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| | To make your imagery as accurate and
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| however, that visualization is an
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| | detailed as possible, my best suggestion
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| effective and time-tested method for
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| | is to refer to an anatomy & physiology
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| increasing personal success that has been
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| | textbook that shows pictures of fat
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| used by some of the highest achievers the
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| | cells, blood vessels, myofibrils, motor
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| world.
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| | units, sarcomeres, and cell organelles
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| The Soviets started to popularize
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| | like the mitochondria, so you know what
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| visualization in sports psychology back
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| | the structures look like. You could also
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| in the 1970's, as detailed in Charles
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| | get more details about the processes by
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| Garfield's landmark book, "Peak
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| | looking up lipolysis, hypertrophy or beta
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| Performance." They dominated in many
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| | oxidation.
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| sports during that period, which
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| | Even if you had no idea what the internal
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| validated visualization anecdotally.
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| | structure and workings of the body were
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| In the last 10-15 years, there has been
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| | like, you could still use this method.
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| some groundbreaking new brain research
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| | Your body responds to mental imagery even
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| which has validated visualization
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| | if it isn't anatomically correct. We know
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| scientifically. Here's something that was
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| | from the field of hypnosis that the
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| written recently by Dr. Richard Restak, a
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| | subconscious mind responds well to
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| neuroscientist and author of 12 books
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| | metaphor � maybe even better than
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| about the human brain:
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| | literal suggestions. Facts and logic are
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| "The process of imagining yourself going
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| | the domain of the conscious mind, while
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| through the motions of a complex musical
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| | emotion and metaphor can slip right past
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| or athletic performance activates brain
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| | the conscious and into the subconscious.
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| areas that improve your performance.
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| | Dr. Simonton often wrote about his young
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| Brain scans have placed such intuitions
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| | patients who created (metaphorical)
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| on a firm neurological basis. Positron
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| | mental images of immune system cells as
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| emission tomography (PET) scans reveal
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| | "knights in shining armor", slaying "the
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| that the mental rehearsal of an action
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| | dragon" of cancer cells.
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| activates the prefontal areas of the
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| | One of your greatest mental powers is
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| brain responsible for the formulation of
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| | imagination. You can visualize anything
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| the appropriate motor programs. In
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| | you want and you can embellish and
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| practical terms, this means you can
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| | exaggerate your imagery as much as you
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| benefit from the use of mental imagery."
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| | want. For example, you could imagine the
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| So much for being a "cheesy" self-help
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| | free fatty acids being burned for energy
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| technique.
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| | in the "cellular powerhouse" - the
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| Although visualization is widely used
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| | mitochondria - and you could imagine the
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| today, even people who are familiar with
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| | mitochondrion as a fiery furnace...
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| it often don't realize its many
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| | "incinerating" the fat! I think it's a
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| applications. Arguably the most common
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| | pretty cool idea to "see" your fat cells
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| use of visualization is by athletes,
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| | shrinking and visualize your body as a
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| musicians and other performers as a form
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| | "fat burning furnace."
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| of "mental rehearsal." Research shows
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| | Should you not believe that there's
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| that "practicing in your mind" is almost
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| | anything to the physiology visualization
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| as effective as practicing physically,
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| | technique, that's ok, because we know
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| and that doing both is more effective
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| | that the subconscious is deductive. Just
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| than either one alone.
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| | give it a goal, tell it what you want and
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| A common use of visualization in the
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| | it will get you there automatically by
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| fitness context is "goal visualization."
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| | altering your attention and behavior.
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| In your mind's eye, you can see yourself
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| | Therefore, we can be confident that
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| having already achieved your physique
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| | physiology visualization will be
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| goal or your ideal goal weight. You can
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| | effective even if only as a subconscious
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| also visualize a specific performance
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| | directive about your desired goal. If
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| goal such as completing a difficult
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| | science someday provides us with
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| workout or a heavy lift like a squat or
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| | conclusive evidence that visualization
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| bench press.
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| | actually does cause cellular -
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| One creative way you can use mental
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| | physiological changes in the body, well,
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| imagery is called "process
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| | that's just all the better.
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