The Power of Intention
A lesson from sports champions: The power of intention changes reality. Your health. Your career. Your world.
"Seven weeks before Muhammad Ali met World Heavyweight Champion George Foreman for their “rumble in the jungle” at Kinshasa in 1975, Ali practiced his punches as if he couldn’t care less, taking a few desultory swipes at his sparring partner as if distractedly popping a bag. Mostly he’d lie against the ropes and allow his opponent to pound away at him from every angle.
In the latter years of his boxing career, Ali spent much of his training time learning how to take punches. He studied how to shift his head by just a hair a microsecond before the connection was made, or where in his body he could mentally deflect the punch so that it would no longer hurt. He was not training his body to win. He was training his mind not to lose, at the point when deep fatigue sets in around the 12th round and most boxers cave in. Ali’s most important work was being done, not in the ring, but in his armchair. He was fighting the fight in his head.
This is how Ali remained “the greatest.” He drew upon the power of intention for strength in the ring. And I think we could all learn something from him. After poring over data from many people who use the power of intention successfully in their own lives, I believe the art of intention can enhance our performance in many activities, and even affect our health."
This is a fascinating article. Our brains may not distinguish between a well-designed mental rehearsal vs. the action. Ali was a master of mental rehearsal. We underestimate the power of our minds.
Auther is Lynne McTaggart
This article appeared in Ode Magazine, issue: 40
A lesson from sports champions: The power of intention changes reality. Your health. Your career. Your world.
"Seven weeks before Muhammad Ali met World Heavyweight Champion George Foreman for their “rumble in the jungle” at Kinshasa in 1975, Ali practiced his punches as if he couldn’t care less, taking a few desultory swipes at his sparring partner as if distractedly popping a bag. Mostly he’d lie against the ropes and allow his opponent to pound away at him from every angle.
In the latter years of his boxing career, Ali spent much of his training time learning how to take punches. He studied how to shift his head by just a hair a microsecond before the connection was made, or where in his body he could mentally deflect the punch so that it would no longer hurt. He was not training his body to win. He was training his mind not to lose, at the point when deep fatigue sets in around the 12th round and most boxers cave in. Ali’s most important work was being done, not in the ring, but in his armchair. He was fighting the fight in his head.
This is how Ali remained “the greatest.” He drew upon the power of intention for strength in the ring. And I think we could all learn something from him. After poring over data from many people who use the power of intention successfully in their own lives, I believe the art of intention can enhance our performance in many activities, and even affect our health."
This is a fascinating article. Our brains may not distinguish between a well-designed mental rehearsal vs. the action. Ali was a master of mental rehearsal. We underestimate the power of our minds.
Auther is Lynne McTaggart
This article appeared in Ode Magazine, issue: 40
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