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WORKSHOP ON “NLP BASICS”1

BRUCE BONNETT I. A few NLP2 (neurolinguistic programming) “basics” (which may be a little confusing, right?!?!) A. “NLP is a tool to understand how the language of our mind creates and runs the patterns we have in life. Once we have this understanding, we can apply a variety of NLP processes to enhance, change or alter our patterns of thought, behaviour and emotion.” https://www.heidiheron.com/03/back-to-the-basics-what-is-nlp/ B. “How Does NLP Work? Here’s one way of looking at it. NLP techniques sometimes use a fair amount of conscious participation to work with the unconscious. Let’s look at an NLP visual swish pattern as an example. With a visual swish, we might first find an image that is triggering a “bad” feeling in a client. The client is unlikely to be consciously aware of that image before we get them to recognize it. We then take them consciously through the steps of

1 Emphasis on “basics.” Bruce never did the Neuro-Linguistic Programming certification course. So, today’s workshop will just cover some basic ideas from NLP. If any of you attending today’s workshops has done the certification course, feel free to jump in if Bruce gets something wrong or does not cover something you think should be part of a simple “NLP Basics” overview. Thanks! 2 “What the hell is NLP? First of all, NLP is an abbreviation of neurolinguistic programming - which is a terrible, terrible name for this stuff. It's a strange combination of words that leads people to think all manner of bizarre things, and attracts perfectly fair criticism from neuropsychologists and the like. The name seemed like a good idea in the mid 1970s when the guys who created the field needed a name for it, and now after a few decades of use we're pretty much stuck with it. Such is life.” http://www.nlpmelbourne.com.au/index.php/what-is-nlp

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the swish, having them create a resource image, shrink it down, swish etc. We do this until whenever the client thinks about the situation that’s been bothering them, they automatically get the new image and a new feeling to go along with it! So, we’ve used conscious participation to get at and change an unconscious pattern. We can do this with a swish pattern because we understand the mechanics of the way pictures affect feelings.” http://www.hypnosis101.com/hypnosis-tips/hypnosis-nlp/ C. “One of the NLP presuppositions is that “The Map is not the Territory” and that the internal representations which we make about an event are not necessarily the event itself. What we believe to be fact is only our internal perception of reality. Typically, what happens when we experience an External Event is that our mind . . . runs the event through our internal processing and our sensory input channels. These 5 senses are” [visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and taste]. As we process the event, we Delete, Distort and Generalize the information according to the elements that filter our perception such as language, beliefs, values, decisions, meta programs and memories. We then make an Internal Representation of the event. This will include our internal pictures, sounds, inner dialogue and our feelings. Our Behavior is therefore a result of how we filter information3 and respond to the events in our daily life.” HMI, 201-2, NLP-1. 3 “Hypnosis, with its long and checkered history in medicine and entertainment, is receiving some new respect from neuroscientists. Recent brain studies of people who are susceptible to suggestion indicate that when they act on the suggestions their brains show profound changes in how they process information. The suggestions, researchers report, literally change what people see, hear, feel and believe to be true. Now, Dr. Posner and others said, new research on hypnosis and suggestion is providing a new view into the cogs and wheels of normal brain function. One area that it may have illuminated is the processing of sensory data. Information from the eyes, ears and body is carried to primary sensory regions in the brain. From there, it is carried to so-called higher regions where interpretation occurs.

For example, photons bouncing off a flower first reach the eye, where they are turned into a pattern that is sent to the primary visual cortex. There, the rough shape of the flower is recognized. The pattern is next sent to a higher -- in terms of function -- region, where color is recognized, and then to a higher region, where the flower's identity is encoded along with other knowledge about the

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D. “Most people understand language as how we communicate with words. Understanding language patterns using NLP allows us to take into consideration not only the spoken word but also the verbal and nonverbal patterns. Language consists of how we hear a person’s words, tone of voice, and also what we observe in their body language. This includes facial expressions, eye contact, and even breathing patterns.” HMI 201-2, NLP-1. E. “Resistance in a client is a sign of a lack of rapport. There are no resistant clients, only inflexible communicators. Effective communicators accept and utilize all communication strategies presented to them.” HMI, 201-2, NLP-1. F. “People have all the Resources they need to succeed and to achieve their desired outcomes. There are no unresourceful people, only unresourceful states.” HMI, 201-2, NLP-1. G. “There is only feedback. There is no failure, only feedback.” HMI, 201-2, NLP-1. H. “NLP is the study of what works and the study of subjective experience. It is the “HOW” people do what they do, not the “WHY” of the behavioral model of the mind. It is the science of modeling the patterns of human behavior.” HMI, 201-2, NLP-1. particular bloom. The same processing stream, from lower to higher regions, exists for sounds, touch and other sensory information. Researchers call this direction of flow feedforward. As raw sensory data is carried to a part of the brain that creates a comprehensible, conscious impression, the data is moving from bottom to top.

Bundles of nerve cells dedicated to each sense carry sensory information. The surprise is the amount of traffic the other way, from top to bottom, called feedback. There are 10 times as many nerve fibers carrying information down as there are carrying it up. These extensive feedback circuits mean that consciousness, what people see, hear, feel and believe, is based on what neuroscientists call "top down processing." What you see is not always what you get, because what you see depends on a framework built by experience that stands ready to interpret the raw information -- as a flower or a hammer or a face.

The top-down structure explains a lot. If the construction of reality has so much top-down processing, that would make sense of the powers of placebos (a sugar pill will make you feel better), nocebos (a witch doctor will make you ill), talk therapy and meditation. If the top is convinced, the bottom level of data will be overruled.

This brain structure would also explain hypnosis, which is all about creating such formidable top-down processing that suggestions overcome reality.” Published: November 22, 2005 This Is Your Brain Under Hypnosis http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/science/22hypno.html

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II. Let’s try looking at NLP from a different angle. How is NLP different from hypnotherapy?

A. “All those reflections brought me to describe their difference as follow: during a hypnotherapy session, the client is very passive whilst the therapist does most of the work; as with NLP, the client is actively engaged in doing some exercises to reprogram their brain whilst their conscious mind is still very active. Actually, some NLP techniques could very well be taken for hypnotherapy ones, as the creators of NLP modelled hypnotherapists…so there’s a fine line between those two methods and I would conclude by saying that their alliance helps the conscious mind to reprogram the unconscious one at a deeper level. And as two heads are better than one, two different approaches combined are more effective than each taken separately.”

http://www.highgateholisticclinic.com/blog/nlp-or-hypnotherapy/

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B. “A Common Purpose. So, let’s start with the purposes of Hypnosis and NLP. Maybe that will help. In my biz, NLP and hypnosis are both used to help folks get what they want. Since most people have already consciously tried to get what they want before they come to see us, we can surmise they need help with processes that either are out of their consciousness or that they are aware of but can’t change (like habits). As the programming that runs habits runs unconsciously too, it seems it’s all about getting to the unconscious and doing the reprogramming there. OK, cool.”

http://www.hypnosis101.com/hypnosis-tips/hypnosis-nlp/

C. “Just like using the swish pattern shifted the internal imagery. You’ve got to get those internal thoughts to shift, either way. In fact, you can’t change the feelings without changing the internal representations. With the NLP swish pattern, you can do it directly, almost mechanically. You’re working directly in the coding system of the brain. With hypnosis, you’re often telling the unconscious what to do and leaving the how to do it out. When it works, it means the unconscious figured it out.” http://www.hypnosis101.com/hypnosis-tips/hypnosis-nlp/ D. “Okay, so we know what hypnosis is. Some may even go so far as to say that hypnosis exists even without us realizing it. Is watching TV a “wakeful state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility”? Gee… maybe that’s why TV commercials that work, work well! How does it vary from NLP? It’s very important to note that NLP focuses a lot on linguistic elements that influence neurological processes. In other words, to study anything in human communication that actually influences other people’s behaviors and actions would constitute part of NLP. The formal definition of NLP is, of course, the study of human excellence, more commonly known as “modeling”. In this sense, NLP is actually more of a meta tool rather than an application. After all, hypnosis, among other forms of psychotherapy, has its research and foundations in working with people for the specific

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purpose of reaching a therapeutic goal. NLP is not necessarily about therapy. NLP can still be applied across contexts – business applications, leadership, persuasion, innovation, team building, health… and the reason why they span such a broad spectrum is simply because NLP is the tool that enables an individual to study the fields in question. Think of NLP like a magnifying glass, and hypnosis (or any other fields of study) like a thick chunk of tiny text that needs to be deciphered.” http://www.worldofnlp.com/learn-nlp-the-difference-between-nlp-and-hypnosis/ E. “In a nutshell, you could consider both hypnosis and NLP at some level to be doing the same sort of thing, just in different ways.

In hypnosis, the subject goes into trance, so that the hypnotist can speak directly to their unconscious without the conscious interfering or the critical faculty blocking the suggestions.

In NLP, rather than use trance, the conscious and critical faculty are bypassed by engaging the unconscious in different ways, effectively talking with the unconscious in its own native “language” (engaging the senses).

Obviously, there is a lot more to both of them, but that’s it in a VERY rough nutshell. The two are related.”

https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-hypnotism-and-NLP

F. “Both have to do with suggestibility. With hypnosis, the subject is guided into a state of deepened relaxation, concentration, and imagination — it is possible for them to stay in this state for long periods of time and do some pretty amazing stuff.

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With Neuro-Linguistic Programming, various words, phrases, and techniques are used to direct and influence the subject’s perception of free choice, trigger subconscious recall, and sometimes reinforce reward/punishment via cues.” https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-hypnotism-and-NLP G. “Many hypnotherapists train in NLP to help improve their ability to communicate more effectively with their clients as well as to help their clients communicate more effectively with themselves.” https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/content/nlp.html

H. “You can do NLP techniques inside hypnosis. A swish pattern can be done in a trance, so can other NLP techniques.”

http://www.hypnosis101.com/hypnosis-tips/hypnosis-nlp/

I. Incorporating NLP in Hypnotherapy

By Lisa M. Duranza

Information Gathering - With each person I watched for words that were descriptive of their representational systems. Such as "I feel that." or "When I am faced with the problem…" I watch their body language and mirrored them; I do find it difficult to pace their breathing unless it is something obvious like a sigh.

Client #1

Goal (Problem) - Reduce drinking and reduce overeating.

Intervention - Time Line

Past was her left; Present was center (not touching her); Future was her right.

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I left each where it was. Her description of her past was, "compulsive, unhappy, angry, groggy, disappointed, confused, smell of wine and food." I asked her to imagine that she had achieved her goal, move it to the future, and she described it as red, green, colorful, calmer, no smell or taste. I had her self-anchor this on her right wrist."

Method - Swish Pattern Positive picture was of her in an evening dress that presently is too tight. Negative picture was of her overeating and anxious. She was able to eventually see only the positive picture. In the middle of this, she suddenly says that the faces of two people at her work who she dislikes popped up. I had her see the stressful situation and put mismatched music to it and the result was it seemed comical. (I learned this method from NLP The Technology of Achievement.)

Follow-up -

This was recent, and I have not seen her since the last session.

Next - Get feedback on how she is doing and proceed with another goal or do more intervention with the current goal if there is still a problem.

Client #2

Goal - To spend more time with her creative projects of music, dance, art, and acting.

Intervention - Time Line - Past was behind her (a sealed cave, blue-ray, slate, with water.)

Present was in from of her, like a mirror image (moth-eaten, cobwebby, sour, acrid smell, slimy and stinky, moaning sounds.); Past was herself currently - Amazing!!! All I did was ask her to move the future from behind her to in front of her. Suddenly it was opened, she walked in with a torch, red colors, treasures, instruments, a boyfriend, flute sounds, smells of warm incense, sap smells, she is in a blue dress, riding a horse, and there are gemstones and crystals. I asked her to put the past behind her and it became a smaller cave, brown and black, far away. I asked her to look at the present self, which now has become a mirror of her body waving. I asked her to put this inside herself, and she cried with joy, feeling comfortable and integrated. She was amazed at this process.

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Follow up - This was recent, and I have not seen her since the last session.

Next - Get feedback on how she was doing and proceed with another goal or do more intervention with current goal if there is still a problem.

Client #3

Goal - A relaxation session.

Intervention - New Behavior Generator

I went through the process with him, and his anchor word of his choosing was "calm". He emerged feeling wonderful, complimenting me for my work.

Follow up - This was recent, and I have not seen him since my last session.

Next - Get feedback on how he was doing and proceed with another goal or do more intervention with the current goal if there is still a problem.

Client #4

Goal - He had tinnitus but came to me for other things. As a child, a friend, who is his current friend, boxed him in the ears during a fight. In the process, I thought I would work in some therapy for the tinnitus, but I did not ask him if he wanted this to improve.

Intervention - Changing Personal History

Follow up - Last time, I asked, he still had ringing in the ears.

Next - I may use the same or other techniques of NLP, or even REIKI, before I do anything, I may ask his subconscious mind if it is ready to release the ringing (problem).

http://www.nfnlp.com/nlpinhypnotherapy_duranza.htm

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It’s always a good idea to take a break when feeling confused or overwhelmed. So, Bruce was reading some new online articles about his favorite professional hockey team, the Pittsburgh Penguins—and its captain/best player Sidney Crosby

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“The subtle secret to Sidney Crosby’s greatness”, April 30, 2018.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-subtle-secret-to-sidney-crosbys-greatness/2018/04/30/785a9d28-4c7c-11e8-b725-92c89fe3ca4c_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.df04b732c74f As he enters his 30s, Sidney Crosby still stands atop the NHL. Did he believe hockey instinct could be honed through repetition? “Mmm,” Crosby said. “Maybe.” He mulled his answer, a clue to how one of the greatest hockey players ever views the game. Crosby, 30, is playing at his highest level in these Stanley Cup playoffs, having recorded seven goals and eight assists in eight games, controlling games either through muscular stickhandling or planting himself in front of the net. . . .If the Penguins win a third straight Stanley Cup — a distinction no team has earned since the New York Islanders captured their fourth consecutive title 35 years ago — Crosby will again be the engine. . . . The sport is growing faster and younger, and Crosby is doing neither, probably in the former case and certainly in the latter. Still, those inside the game have no doubts about his eminence. “I truly believe he’s the best player in the world,” NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick said.

The quality that allows Crosby to remain atop the league, coaches and teammates say, is his unique work ethic, an ability to specify subtle areas for improvement and work with meticulous precision until they match the other elite elements of his game. While his natural ability — powerful skating, pistol-quick hands, uncommon feel — made him a phenom, his creative, distinct capacity for work has enabled him to stay atop the NHL. “He’s a generational talent,” Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan said. “He does things that you can’t teach, and that’s part of what makes him what he is. What

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separates him from other elite players is his appetite to be the best and his willingness and his drive to be the best.”

Craig Adams, now retired, . . . noticed a habit: If Crosby missed a scoring chance one night, he would replicate the situation the next day in practice. “He’s able to pick things he thinks he needs to get better at, and he’s very deliberate at practicing those things and working on those things all the time,” Adams said. “He’s methodical about doing that on a daily basis.” Former Penguins coach Dan Bylsma recalled one night when a puck bounced off the end boards and toward Crosby, who was standing in front of the net. Crosby missed the scoring chance, and it ate at him. The next day, Crosby discussed the play with coaches, then asked for pucks to be smacked off the end boards in identical fashion. “He’ll do it 100 times, until it becomes second nature,” former teammate Pascal Dupuis said. “Trust me, he can analyze his own game better than anybody else. When he sees something of his own game that’s not where he thinks it should be, he works on it and works on it until he gets really good at it. As far as him getting better, I’ve never seen anybody else doing it that way.” Late this season and into the playoffs, Crosby scored a spate of what can only be called fall-off-your-couch-and-scream goals, whacking pucks out of the air and past goalies, in one instance after an aerial tip to himself. They appeared to be feats of improvisational genius, the product of instinct and divine hand-eye coordination. To an extent, perhaps, they were. “I don’t know,” Crosby said. “It’s just instincts.” Teammates believe otherwise. Bylsma remembered watching Crosby work on batting pucks and said the likelihood the goals were a result of practice was “100 percent.”“He does practice weird stuff like that,” Niskanen said. “He’s naturally very intelligent. Really, I think his on-ice awareness is so high, he knows where the puck is at all times. A lot of guys don’t have the awareness to even try something like that.” “Some guys are talented, but they use their talent and that’s it,” Dupuis said. “He’s talented, and he wants to be there every day. He feels like the better version of Sidney Crosby, it’s going to be tomorrow. ‘Tomorrow, I’ll be better. Tomorrow, I’ll be better.’”

Wait a minute!!! That sounds a little like NLP, doesn’t it? (Being aware of HOW you are doing things, realizing changes you would like to make, setting very specific goals for change, rehearsing in

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reality and mentally, modeling excellence, trying new things until you get it right, etc.) III. So, maybe the sports world can help us REALLY understand NLP basics – in a more concrete and practical way

A. “Using NLP In Sports” November 16, 2014 http://www.helford2000.co.uk/using-nlp-in-sport/ The art/science of NLP is often said that it could have been designed for use in sport! Think about it. In the world of professional sport what is the difference between the person who comes first in a competition and the person who comes third, or fifth or eight? Is it talent? Is it technique? Is it physical ability? Is it mind-set? It is usually a combination of the above with mind-set becoming more important the closer you get to that winning spot. There are plenty of examples of people who have perhaps, not had the most talent, but have risen to the top because of their mind-set. Think of Ian Poulter from the golfing world or the great Michael Schumacher from motor racing. Neither of those men are/were the most gifted, or talented within their sport yet both have achieved great things due to their unrivalled mind-set. If we look at the professional world of golf and use an example. A couple of years ago Rory McIlroy won the European Tour. The difference between him and the person who came 90th on the European Tour that year was 2 shots per round. 2 shots! It is much easier to find those two shots per round from the mind-set of the golfer than through technique changes. The reason why NLP in

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sport can be used so effectively, is that it gives us tools to understand the mental processes that the sports person goes through in each element of their sport, identify any problems and then change the processes to give a better result for the client. The big picture is that a golfer’s game can be broken down into tee shots, long iron shots (long distances), medium iron shots (medium distances), short iron shots (short distances), recovery shots (when they are in trouble), sand shots (bunkers) and putting on the greens. Each of those will have a series of strategies behind each shot. Now a strategy is a sequence of ‘things’ that you do in your head. For example, you might see a picture, then get a feeling, then say something to yourself and then hit the ball. On average a golfer will have something between 5 and 7 strategies running before every type of shot. However, if they are having a problem in a particular area of their game, say their short game, what is normally the case is that the sequence of strategies that they are running for their short game is different from all the other elements of their game that are working well. Hence, we look for the anomaly, the strategy that is different, and utilising a strategy installation technique, we change that strategy resulting in instant improvement to that element.” B. “How to improve your sports performance”, http://watchfit.com/exercise/how-to-enhance-sports-performance-nlp-training/ “Through the study of NLP, you can develop your awareness of your thought patterns, your behaviors and your language to ensure that everything positively supports and contributes towards successful performances. 2 NLP techniques to help you improve your sports performances.

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[#1] Well-Formed Outcomes The first step that will make a difference to your performances is becoming clearer on the outcome you want to achieve. (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely[goals]). Using these questions, you create a richer, vibrant and more meaningful outcome. 1. What do you want? State in positive terms. 2. How will you know when you have achieved it? What will you see, hear and feel? 3. Where, when and with whom do you want it? 4. Where, when and with whom do you not want it? 5. What resources do you need to get it? 6. What will happen when you get it? How will getting it benefit you? 7. How will achieving this goal affect other aspects of your life? [#2] Visualization Visualization, also referred to as mental rehearsal, is a technique where you mentally (rather than literally) rehearse your performance and imagine how things will flow from start to finish. Much like actors rehearse their lines and practice before opening night, you can rehearse your sports performance to help improve your performance abilities. This is a powerful technique because your unconscious mind does not distinguish the difference between what is real or what is imagined. If you have ever woken up in the middle of the night from a scary dream with your heart pounding and on high alert, you know how real it seems. To do this mental rehearsal for your sports performance, imagine watching a movie of yourself doing your performance. See what you will see, hear what you will hear and even imagine feeling what you will feel. Add as much detail as possible, and even include brightness, colour, tastes and smells. When you arrive at the big

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day, your brain will think ‘I’ve been here, I’ve done that, and I know what to do’ and will play out the movie that you’ve imagined so many times before. In conclusion, there are many other NLP techniques that can make a positive difference to your performances in sports and elsewhere in life. C. Bruce’s client: Stanford University Baseball Player Wayne Taylor

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+wayne+taylor+walk+off&view=detail&mid=0E3BE210ECBB5607B3250E3BE210ECBB5607B325&FORM=VIRE (youtube video of Bruce’s client getting game winning home run in national championship college baseball tournament – exactly what Bruce had client visualize in hypnosis down to the precise details! Ask Bruce to play on his kindle or Iphone if you want to see…) Article about Bruce’s client: “NCAA super regionals: Wayne Taylor is the hero once again for Stanford” By David Lombardi, @Pac12Network Newsroom Jun 7, 2014, http://pac-12.com/article/2014/06/07/ncaa-super-regionals-wayne-taylor-hero-once-again-stanford

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“Stanford 5, Vanderbilt 4 Entering Saturday's elimination game, Stanford had been 0-5 in super regional games played in the Southeast since 2011. The Cardinal finally got that monkey off their back, but it certainly wasn't easy. Wayne Taylor, who has become one of Stanford's all-time great postseason heroes, pushed his team past the Commodores with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. That's when Taylor launched his second massive home run of the past week (he blasted a go-ahead shot in the eighth inning against Indiana last Sunday) to force a decisive game 3 tomorrow at noon PT”

D. Another article about NLP and sports

“Neurolinguistic programming techniques in sports training for enhancing performance capacity “

http://pm3.ro/pdf/53/RO/14%20-%20grosu%20212-218.pdf Faculty of Physical Education and Sport,” Babeş-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca 2013, March 8.

“Abstract. In this study, we wish to emphasize the importance of communication between coaches and athletes in order to increase athletic performance.

Aims. To find the favorite communication channel of each athlete. Verbs of action, motion, processes, etc. establish reality more clearly. Neurolinguistic programming has a real arsenal of effective techniques capable of generating rapid changes in the athlete’s performance, in increasing performance capacity. Neurolinguistic programming uses ideomotor representations, accompanied by

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visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, olfactory sensations felt by the athlete to describe certain movements.

Methods. Applying a questionnaire by the authors Bandler & Thomson, Garner & Jacobson to the Olympic judo team of Romania.

Conclusions. It is very important for the technical staff [and coaches] to understand the best way to communicate with each athlete by applying neurolinguistic programming techniques, so that athletes can reach optimal results in major national and international competitions.”

E. And one final article about NLP and sports “Sport psychology and use of neuro linguistic programming (NLP)” Jeremy and Cohen, Rhonda (2009). Journal of Health, Social and Environmental Issues, 10 (1). pp. 5-12. ISSN 1478-5692 http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/15740/1/NLP%20article%20Lazarus%20and%20Cohen%20.pdf (copy of this entire article is attached at end of this handout) One excerpt: “In utilizing NLP, Robbins showed [professional tennis player] Andre Agassi (former 1992 Wimbledon champion) a video of his 1992 5-set victory over Goran Ivanisevic. Robbins drew Agassi’s attention to when both players were walking out onto the court. Robbins asked him what he was thinking (noticing Agassi’s purposeful stride onto the court). Agassi replied words to the effect of ‘I’m gonna whoop you, you don’t stand a chance.’ Robbins played a video clip for Agassi of a match in the mid 1990’s when the same two players played each other (and Agassi’s world rank had dropped significantly). Robbins noticed a different physiology in Agassi and asked him what he was thinking at that point. Agassi replied with words to the effect of “I’m remembering the

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last time he beat me and hoping it’s not going to be that bad today!” One of the first pieces of coaching that Robbins gave Agassi was to change his posture.” IV. So, finally, Bruce understands NLP Basics – and even found his favorite two ways to describe NLP FIRST DESCRIPTION OF NLP: “NLP can be defined as a series of techniques utilizing the language of the mind (the “Neuro Linguistic” element) to program success or to change patterns of behavior so that individuals can achieve greater success. The Usefulness of NLP. NLP techniques have three main benefits: -they aid communication; -they are a series of techniques to change behaviors and beliefs; -they are a series of techniques to help model excellence.” “Sport psychology and use of neuro linguistic programming (NLP) in sport.” Lazarus, Jeremy and Cohen, Rhonda (2009) Journal of Health, Social and Environmental Issues, 10 (1). pp. 5-12.

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SECOND DESCRIPTION OF NLP:

“Well... in a nutshell: NLP is a way of turning any seemingly 'natural talent' into a teachable skill. When we think of someone as gifted or talented in some way, it's because there's something that person does extraordinarily well. They can do something that other people can't - or that other people can't do as well, as easily or as quickly.

Maybe that person has a gift for selling life insurance, or getting small children to eat vegetables, or playing poker. Maybe it's drawing caricatures, coping with grief, remembering names, or resolving conflicts between extremely stubborn people.

Whatever it is, most of the time people with extraordinary talents are unaware of the key differences in their thinking and behavior that form the basis of that talent. Those key differences are typically things they do instinctively, intuitively or unconsciously - mental and behavioural patterns that are outside of their own conscious awareness. NLP is a methodology for extracting and reproducing those key patterns - so that an ability that was once thought of as an innate talent or gift becomes a transferable skill.” http://www.nlpmelbourne.com.au/index.php/what-is-nlp

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KEEP PRACTICING!

If Bruce sees you are not using the practice time in this workshop to practice, he will assume you have mastered all of the techniques in this handout. So, do not be surprised if Bruce then calls you up to the front of the class and asks you to demonstrate to the class one of these techniques!!!