When we think of fitness, we naturally think of the physical aspects — running, weightlifting, swimming, maybe even yoga or stretching—all of which are excellent conditionings for the body. And yet, it’s also important to remember that part of us that is the macro influencer over all of these activities and every single experience within our day—our MIND. 

Our MIND is powerful and our ‘quality of mind’ has the potential to self-sabotage or bring us into alignment with our highest potential/best self.

 In the realm of athletic pursuits, mental strategies like breathing, mindfulness, visualization, positive self-talk, focus and recovery exercises have been scientifically proven to enhance an athlete’s ability for peak performance and long term sustainability. Being a great athlete requires a mastery of the mental game, as well as, excellent physical abilities. 

 "I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.”  --Michael Phelps 

 All athletes, no matter how physically capable, can struggle to be successful if they have mental barriers like self-doubt, low confidence, anxiety, overwhelm, and distraction that become forefront during competition. This is often the reason an athlete does well  in training but underperforms in competition environments.

 Mental fitness training prepares the mind so athletes can train and perform optimally, both mentally and physically; it's a game changer that transforms good athletes into exceptional athletes.

In my experience, most people believe that mental training is important but struggle with what to do or how to incorporate it.

 Here’s 3 simple mental fitness practices that can be easily integrated into your equestrian training: 

1. Awareness of the Body is vital in equestrian sports to communicate and give proper aids. Mindfulness is an instant activation for body awareness. Breathing in I feel my my shoulders and upper back. Breathing out I feel my fingertips touching the reins. Breathing in I feel my torso in alignment with my seat that's touching the saddle. Breathing out I feel my feet in my stirrups.  This exercise and mindfulness, in general, is also the most effective strategy to manage anticipatory and performance anxiety. 
2.  Visualize the best possible outcome of your next training or show. Positive thinking can make a monumental difference in your training and performance because the brain actually does not know the difference in imagining and the real deal. It's an effective way to train through the obstacles that may appear in the arena so that when you actually do go down centerline, your mind and body are at ease.

3. Celebrate the little wins! In the same way, a dressage horse learns tempis one flying change at a time, set small goals that propel you toward your larger ones. Success is a process, not just an end goal and it happens incrementally. Celebrate the milestones and give yourself the respect you deserve! This helps us to remember to connect daily with the joy of the sport. 

When we learn how to engage our mind to have positive influence over our activities, our goals, and our life, as a whole, we enter into a new realm of potential.