I never tried it before. Then again, I was much younger and didn’t feel the need.
But when I got into my 50’s, I noticed some changes that I wanted to see if I could reverse with mental imagery.
I began to picture myself being younger, leaner, more flexible, quicker and stronger.
And I refused to think or tell myself or others, “I’m too old.”
Over time I noticed my interests changing.
I started practicing Chen style tai chi again. I first began training in this style in my 20’s, but left it by the wayside when I took up other martial arts and fitness programs. Chen style tai chi is quite vigorous and demanding, with very low stances, placing more stress than other styles on the hips and knees.
Yet, with each passing year I began moving better than before. I moved faster and with greater agility.
As my visualization practice continued, I decided to get leaner again. I knocked off a bunch of excess weight I’d come to justify over the years, getting back to my 1997 fighting weight at the world championships, in Beijing, China.
The other night I was in the sauna at a local gym. A man from Luoyang, China, began speaking with me.
He asked, “How old are you?”
“I am 56 years young,” I replied.
“Same age as me,” he offered.
The man then inquired about my practice. He wanted to know if I’ve ever been to the Shaolin Temple in China.
“Many times,” I told him.
He placed his hands together and crossed his legs in what he thinks of as an example of Shaolin meditation.
“Do you practice this type of meditation?” he asked.
“No, I don’t,” I said. “I visualize and meditate in different positions. Not that one.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.
I stood and showed him one of the positions I use when visualizing.
“Oh, I see,” he smiled.
Then he stood up and bent his legs about two inches. He began to falter and lose balance almost immediately.
“Ugh,” he laughed. “I’m too old. I can’t.”
He opened the door to the sauna and headed for the pool.
Think of this. Two people in the same sauna. One thinks he’s old and the other thinks he’s young.
One gradually loses his ability to move – the other gradually gains ability.
And the difference starts and continues onward with the words and images each person uses on a daily basis.
Tell yourself you are getting old and you will lose energy and age much faster.
Tell yourself you are getting younger and you will gain energy and the power of momentum to achieve your objectives.
You really do become what you visualize and imagine yourself to be.
See it. Feel it. Be it.
Matt Furey
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