Customer Reviews

Inner Skiing: Revised Edition

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I have been reading this book for about twenty years(first publication was November 1977); it was the first of two Inner Game books which, although differing in details, both transformed my attitude to and my performance in the sports I love. I was fortunate to have been given it by a patient who was an Inner Game instructor (or rather, facilitator). If Inner Skiing has only now (1997) become widely available, thanks to the Internet, a generation of British skiers has lost out; for years it has been available only in the USA and to members of Inner Game workshops. With examples from life and from Inner Skiing workshops which are encouraging, inspiring, and often emotionally touching, the book helps skiers of all standards to confront their fears and to tap into the mind's and the body's unconscious store of knowledge and skills; the fears of "flying", falling, speed, injury, failure, and the fear of looking stupid; the knowledge locked into Gallwey's Self 2, a Self which, he teaches us, is ours too. Where his Self 1 is trying, tense, unsure, scared and controlling, Self 2 is free, relaxed, effortless, powerful, and instinctive. Gallwey and his co-author Bob Kriegel, a more experienced skier than he and a psychologist, equip their readers with simple but highly effective keys to Self 2, enabling us increasingly to find in skiing the exhilaration of the breakthrough run, and unlocking the confidence without which the sport can be an exercise in anxiety. Most of us in the UK only get to ski once a year. I reread Inner Skiing annually as an essential pre-ski exercise, and if I don't read every word I never fail to take a dose of inspiration from the paragraph in the last chapter which begins "Inside us all is a mountain with no top and no bottom. The skiing there is perfect. The snow is made of pure peace and there is not a trace of Self 1 interference.................Skiing this inner mountain has the power to satisfy the human longing to know oneself and the reason for which one was born." You may guess from this that Timothy Gallwey's is the inner game of life, with applications far beyond the realms of sport, as his other writing attests. Dr. Basil Lee, London, England.

I rad Inner Skiing about 6-7 years ago, and it changed my skiing life. Most everything written about skiing (and other sports, as far as I can tell) is about technique, tricks, how-to's and so on. Inner Skiing is about being a skier - about the fundamental relationship we have to the snow, the mountain, the skis and ourselves.

Discovering who I am as a skier (and what my fears, my doubts, my anxieties look like) have exploded this sport for me. This book works on the emotional, intellectual and physical levels - I use the discovery tools on myself, and with my students, and get incredible results.

Even if you don't ski, this book is great - I've used some of his approaches in many areas of my life. They're fun, they're doable, and they help me focus on what's really there, not what I imagine. And beyond that, they open up incredible opportunities to play, explore and have a great time on the slopes or off.

The earlier edition of the book poo-pood technique - I don't agree with that, and my sense is the book took a bit of a hit for that. There's things to learn about skiing, and taking lessons from a great instructor will make a huge difference whether it's your first day or you've been at it for decades. Nonetheless, I recommend this as book #1 for anyone who wants to ski, or who wants something more from their skiing. ANd for the instructors out there - read it!

I received the first edition as a present at Christmas 1977 from my mother, a pioneering 1940's skier who hung up her skis long ago. I had just come from living 2 years in Grenoble and I was a pretty good "technique" skier. I looked at the title and cover, thought to myself "Oh great, more Zen mumbo jumbo from the 'hot tub - peacock feathers - I'm so into myself' set", thanked her politely, and shoved the book into my ski dufflebag and promptly forgot about it. A few weeks later, I was eating breakfast in my little Tahoe cabin, and I cracked the book open and read the first twenty pages. Those pages resonated with me all day on the slopes -- when I got home, I spent the entire evening and half the night with the book. As other reviewers have said, it forever changed my skiing life and even spilled over into my "real" world life as well. Since this book really is "Zen and the Art of Skiing", I'll stop here because the first rule of Zen is it cannot be explained in words, only in the doing. In the past 30 years, I have given this book as a gift several times, with always the same rather earth-shaking positive reaction. I'm here at Amazon to pick up a copy for my teenage son (can't find my old dog-eared copy, but it's around somewhere). I recommend this book for any age and any level of skiing, from beginner to "everyone watches when s/he comes down the hill". If you're a beginner, you'll avoid a lot of "noise" in getting to the pleasure of skiing. If you're an expert, you'll marvel at how much additional pleasure you can get from skiing just by eliminating some baggage. And, like me, you'll become an Inner Skiing evangelist, spreading this book around like Johnny Skiing-seed. Buy the book -- you're in for a real treat!

Unlike most of the ski books I read, this book helped me zero in on my attitudes-- all the little mental numbers I did on myself while trying to improve or just enjoy skiing. It helped me focus on areas I had problems with, without heaping criticism on myself. It changed the way I learned by teaching me constructive things to replace that inner critic with. "You look so loose and relaxed," an instructor who had worked with me before commented. This book shows you how to allow yourself to learn unencumbered by fears. Things I read here helped me when I learned to inline skate, and pavement is a lot rougher than snow.

I take this book skiing with me whenever I go. I've internalised the concepts by now, but there are still some gems of ideas that are worth refreshing.

There are a little too many examples of taking students out to the slopes and seeing a breakthrough - anecdotal stories, but they do illustrate a valid point and are worth sticking to.

Bottom line is, you can teach yourself if you trust yourself and learn to receive feedback from your own body. You just have to work on shutting up the 'Self 2' that continually barks comments, judgements, technical tips, abuse or detrimental thoughts all the time.

I tend to push myself in most sports, but this book helped me channel that energy into something more constructive and pragmatic. I also teach my kids the techniques here and it has changed my whole outlook on how to learn and teach skiing, but also in other sports.

I like this book better than the Inner Golf Game, but there is a lot of cross-over in concepts.

Inner Skiing unlocks the mental aspect that is so necessary to master the sport of skiing. Mental confidence is a big factor in any sport, but for skiing the factor is huge. Inner Skiing reveals many of the secrets needed to unlock the mental aspect that is hiding in most of us. I read the first edition in the late seventies, when I was learning to ski and found it very helpful. Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet

A selection of phrases that come to mind after reading this book - well written, insightful, down to earth, will definitely help my skiing. I will read this again and again. The light bulb above the head went on !

Have his original edition. Thought the new edition would contain new info. Does - but small print. All his books are excellent.

I can only recommend this book. I have been fighting fear on the slopes for three years. This book seems to have freed me of fear. Thanks a lot!

Physical weakness has plagued me for over three years. This book is giving me the confidence to trust my body all over again. Due to agoraphobia I have become weak. After starting this book I am now giving my body the credit it deserves. He suggests dealing with doubt,worry,and fear.

Take a good slow look at this book. If it helps, let me know. Steve