Neurological research has shown that watching someone else perform an action activates the exact same areas in the brain of the watcher as in the brain of the doer. More than that, imagining oneself performing an action can actually train the muscles involved in the action, and count towards the formation of muscle memory.
Before you get too excited, I’m not saying you should lie back and do nothing, but we can consolidate our practice with the use of imagery, and on a day when physical practice may not be possible, we could meditate and mentally go through exercises. This notion can also help us move forward, whereby we physically practice a series of exercises and mentally practice others that we don’t yet have the capacity for.
We can also use this principle within a physical practice. For example, in a yin class we may not be able to reach the toes in a seated forward fold, but we could take the posture to our own comfortable edge and inwardly ‘see’ ourselves folding further, progressing our potential without risk of over stretching and causing injury.
This process uses mirror neurons, and studies have shown the physiological benefit of this type of mental imagery to be up to 30% of the benefit obtained from actually performing the activity!
As you may expect, the efficiency of visualisation depends largely on the degree of specificity and detail imagined. Professional sportspeople often visualise from a muscular or even cellular level, with Arnold Schwarzenegger claiming that he obtained his desired muscle size and shape 10 times faster using visualisation alongside his physical training.
I’m sure there’s few of us who would ever be aiming for that level of muscle gain, but it highlights the massive potential using visualisation can bring to improving the mobility and strength of people who may be limited in the type and amount of training they can comfortably participate in.
Click here to read how visualisation can also be utilised in meditation and breathwork sessions for chronic pain.
Click here to read how we can use the principles adopted by professional sportspeople to further enhance our practice.