Customer Reviews

Thinking Body, Dancing Mind: Taosports for Extraordinary Performance in Athletics, Business, and Life

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch have put together a truly exceptional sports reference. The book is divided into three peices. First, it teaches the reader a special approach to solving problems. This process includes directed thoughts, afirmations, visualizations and many other techniques to tackle ones goals. Next the book addresses every problem an athlete could possibly encounter in pursuit of world class performance. The authors have disected these obstacles and given several strategies for conquoring them. Finally, the third part of the book (actually about the entire second half) presents all of the phsychological traits which exemplify champion athletes. From detachment to integrity, every last emotion and thought of a champion is addressed in this book. Thinking Body, Dancing Mind is very usefull for beginners who are just learning the basics of their sport. Amazingly, the book takes on an entirely different dimension for world-class athletes, who are struggling for an edge. For these athletes this book can be liked only to the bible.

For those interested in maximizing there performance, Optimum Sports Nutrition by Dr. Micheal Colgan is another great source for athletics.

Perhaps, it was my expectations. But this book marks an extreme disappointment for me. As someone who has interests in both the Tao and sports psychology, I thought that the combination had incredibly potential. In fact other Sports Psychologists like Robert Nideffer in his books Psyched to Win and An Athlete's Guide to Mental Training discuss the benefits of Eastern philosophy on enhanced performance but not in the direct approach promised in this book. But what Jerry Lynch has put together is a quick "fix-it" book which reads more like David Leadbetter's Golf instructional book, "Faults and Fixes", than a book that seeks to address the real connections between the Tao and Sports (or business) performance. The title promises substance. The answers in this book are hollow. For example, they describe a meditative exercise on Candle focusing (p.64) as such: "this is an easy, quick way to strengthen your ability to focus and be present in the moment, in the Beginner's mind". He goes on in one paragraph to tell the reader to stare at the candle exclude all thoughts and if the mind wanders just go back to the flame. Well, for anyone who has seriously considered and attempted meditation we could only wish it was this simple. Commiting yourself to improving your performance in sports or business through improving your mental skills/approach takes knowledge, practice and skill. It is never "quick and easy" just as teaching you to hit 300 yard drives down the middle of the fairway is not in any way "quick and easy". There are a number of concepts and ideas that are useful in this book especially for a novice to both the Tao and Sports Psychology. But if you are familiar, you'll be much better off reading the Tao te Ching for yourself and also reading Nideffer's books mentioned above or Terry Orlick's In Pursuit of Excellence if you are interested in Sports Psychology/Enhanced Performance through Mental Training

This book addresses most of the stumbling blocks many athletes encounter in their quest for excellence. It then suggests specific guidelines for achieving not only performance excellence but also an internal sense of calm and satisfaction with the effort and accomplishment.
The format is succinct and easily used as a reference when specific concepts need to be reviewed. It is not a deeply theoretical book. Rather, it is a very practical and, in my experience, highly effective friend. It has totally changed my approach to my sport (and to my life) with wonderful results.

I am in graduate school for Sports Psychology and this book hits at the heart of what works for athletes. This is an Eastern-thinking text, so if you do not agree with that philosophy, you will not like this book.
Not only can this book be a reference for the athlete, it is also a reference book for living. I love this book.

This is perhaps my all-time favorite book. The concepts and exercises will help you with every area in your life where you want to accomplish a goal. As a musician I found it to be wonderful and refreshing. It goes right along with "The Inner Game of Music'" and "A Soprano on her Head." Replacing the sports performance scenes with musical performing situations is a no-brainer. It's incredibly helpful to us performers who tend to be very down on ourselves and notoriously dim about mindset, self-talk, etc..

Thinking Body, Dancing Mind: Taosports for Extraordinary Performance in Athletics, Business, and Life

ANNOTATION
Written by a sports psychologist and a renowned T'ai Chi master, here is a guide to enriching all of life's pursuits through the practice of its simple mental tools and wisdom. Using stories of success from athletes and businesspeople, the authors present techniques and exercises to promote relaxation and enhance performance.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
Why fight your way to the top when you can rise to it? Let go of the obsession to win - and you will be victorious. Acknowledge your vulnerabilities - and turn them into strengths. Find the courage to risk failure - and begin your journey to success.
That is the secret of the TaoAthlete, and in this remarkable book t'ai chi expert Chugliange Al Huang and renowned professional and Olympic sports psychologist Jerry Lynch teach you the time honored principles of successful performance - whether on the playing field, in the office, or in your relationships. By mastering the unique strategies and mental exercises of the TaoAthlete, you'll unlock the extraordinary powers of body, mind, and spirit that will lead you to victory in any field of endeavor.

Not only did this book inspire me to evaluate my attitudes towards sports, but I began to think even more about my attitudes towards work and my personal life.

I bought this for my son for Christmas and he was very excited. It was in excellent condition. Can't believe it only cost me $0.01.

This book provides a philosophy that focuses on you, your attitudes and how you can help yourself (and others) through a positive thought process. Have you had doubts about your ability to complete a task or a competition? This book may be as useful for you as it has been for me. I recommend this book and have given it as a gift on several occasions.

A wonderful source of information for all performers about how to healthily improve their performance when the chips are down, especially musicians. I recommend it to all of my students.