Prologue
Body Mind Mastery in the Arena of Daily Life
In each of us are heroes;
speak to them and they will come forth.
Anonymous
The announcer’s voice quivers with excitement as the video begins to play: “Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to see a feat performed for the first time by David Seale — a feat requiring total concentration, daring, and coordination. What you are about to observe did not happen overnight but was the result of months of preparation. Here he goes!”
A figure appears on the screen. David looks relaxed and confident, about to begin a complex series of movements and balances. He stands momentarily poised on the brink; then, with eyes locked straight ahead, his mind focused completely on the task at hand, he begins to move. His body remains relaxed as he engages the first move.
Suddenly, with a tremor, he starts to fall. Quickly, David catches himself, and without wasting a moment on anger or fear stands again and continues toward his goal, his face serene yet concentrated.
As he nears the goal David has another near miss but again regains his balance. He reaches out, his face beaming. After a final moment of suspense, those watching breathe out and applaud with delight as ten-month-old David Seale, master athlete, grasps his mother’s outstretched arms. Recorded by his father’s camcorder, David has walked his first steps across the living room rug.
You, too, were a body mind master in infancy: your mind focused on the present moment, free of concern or anxiety; your body relaxed, sensitive, elastic, and aligned with gravity; your emotions spontaneous and uninhibited. Even now, you contain the potential for body mind mastery. Within you, a natural athlete is waiting to be born.
We begin life with nearly unlimited potential. But then we lose touch with many of our childhood skills, through limiting beliefs, emotional conflict, and physical tensions. Body Mind Mastery provides the means to reclaim your clarity, serenity, and power — creating success not only in the realm of sports but in the larger game of life.
Introduction
The short lives of the laurel wreaths worn by the ancient Olympic champions remind us that victory is fleeting, that moments of glory quickly fade. Even those who shine in their chosen field still confront the challenges of everyday life — relationships, study, and career. What approach to training best prepares us for emotional and psychological challenges in the arena of daily life?
In our tunnel-vision quest for competitive excellence, scores, statistics, and victories too easily become the goal of training. But by focusing too much on striving, we too easily forget why we’re striving — to experience the satisfaction of stretching ourselves toward our full potential. Our sport or game can become a path to a greater goal or larger contest, a doorway to personal growth, a bridge to our fullest human potential. This book helps us build such a bridge.
I wrote Body Mind Mastery to share my insights from decades of world-class training, research, observation, intuition, and teaching — to illuminate the spiritual benefits of any form of skill training, be it sports, dance, music, or martial arts. Whether you are a world-class competitor, weekend player, or fitness enthusiast, this book will help you overcome self-created hurdles and reawaken the natural athlete — the body mind master — inside you. Body Mind Mastery provides a clear map to a less stressful, more meaningful approach to practicing sport and life. It’s not about dedicating your life to your training but about dedicating your training to your life.
Creating Success in Sport and Life
This book is completely revised and updated guidebook (formerly titled The Warrior Athlete, then The Inner Athlete). It reveals how your training in golf, tennis, other sports, dance, martial arts, or music, can accelerate skill learning, increase talent, and enhance the quality of your everyday life.
Comments by Dan:
Body Mind Mastery has been called a classic in the field of holistic sports training. A result of my years of training as a world-class athlete, and coaching at Stanford and elsewhere, this book is my gift to golfers, tennis players, dancers, musicians, and martial artists everywhere. Whether one is a beginner or master, this book outlines a new way of training –a way to develop talent while remembering the higher purpose and hidden benefits of training.
I’ve received letters from opera teachers, dog and horse trainers, and many musicians to relate how the principles, practices, and perspectives in this book have radically improved their attitudes and skills. Even for top athletes, this book offers reminders about the hidden purpose and potential. Ultimately, it’s not about dedicating your life to your training; it’s about dedicating your training to your life.
If you, or someone you know, engages in a sport or game, they will find Body Mind Mastery an encouraging guidebook for putting more into their game, and getting more out of life.