prompted me to think about my own switch: challenge is good. it’s an opportunity to learn how to scale stress and responsibilities. would I rather have an easy life devoid of obstacles ?

intro: flow state as the end goal

Concentration is the act of focusing one's attention. As the mind is allowed to focus on a single object, it stills. As the mind is kept in the present, it becomes calm

The book argues for "the art of relaxed concentration above all other skills" and illustrates its thesis and techniques through the game of tennis. When the mind is not focused, common symptoms arise:

It's not that I don't know what to do, it's that I don't do what I know

or:

When I'm practicing, I play very well, but when I get into a match, I fall apart

The goal of concentration is to reach a flow state or "mindlessness":

There seems to be an intuitive sense that the mind is transcended or at least in part rendered inoperative. Athletes in most sports use similar phrases, and the best of them know that their peak performance never comes when they're thinking about it. [...] [The athlete] is conscious, but not thinking, not over-trying. [...] The hot streak usually continues until he starts thinking about it and tries to maintain it; as soon as he attempts to exercise control, he loses it.

The author draws a parallel to the autonomic system: "automatic functions are working without interference from thoughts" (e.g. breathing).

the cause: trying too hard causes tightening

The book introduces to persona, self 1 - which represents our conscious self, the one that gives orders - and self 2 - which is our unconscious self; the union of our body, brain plasticity that seems to autonomously learn:

the key to better tennis-or better anything-lies in improving the relationship between the conscious teller, Self 1, and the unconscious, automatic doer, Self 2. [...] Self 1 does not trust Self 2, even though the unconscious, automatic self is extremely competent.

Self 1 tends to give orders. By taking the reins instead of letting self 2 act, "Self 1 has produced tension and muscle conflict in the body. He is responsible for the error, but he heaps the blame on Self 2 and then, by condemning it further, undermines his own confidence in Self 2". "If you tell yourself often enough that you are a poor server, a kind of hypnotic process takes place. It's as if Self 2 is being given a role to play". "You become what you think".

This fixation is caused by ego: "Self 1, the ego-mind, wants to take responsibility for making things better. He wants the credit for playing an important role in things. He also worries and suffers a lot when things don't go his way." It is the mistrust of Self 2 which causes both the interference called "trying too hard" and that of too much self-instruction. Trying too hard causes tightening: "The more important the point, the more Self 1 will try to control the shot, and this is exactly when tightening up occurs"

Self 1 does have a role, in that it should give an objective for self 2 to attain, and let it reach it: "The main job of Self 1, the conscious ego-mind, is to set goals, that is, to communicate to Self 2 what he wants from it and then to let Self 2 do it"

Trusting your body in tennis means letting your body hit the ball. The key word is "let". You trust in the competence of your body and its brain, and you let it swing the racket. Self 1 stays out of it". For example, if you wish to keep your racket flat, "it is important not to make any conscious effort to keep the racket flat.

As a way to distract self 1, the author (who is a tennis trainer) tells his students to focus their attention on the seams of the ball: "during the last set of balls, Self 1 was fully occupied in watching the seams of the ball. As a result, Self 2 was able to do its own thing unimpaired".

instruct self 2 with images of the result

The language that self 2 is most responsive to is not words, but images: "images are better than words, showing better than telling, too much instruction worse than none, and that conscious trying often produces negative results".

The author suggests to:

• "learn to program your computer Self 2 with images rather than instructing yourself with words"
• "learning to trust thyself (Self 2) to do what you (Self 1) ask of it. This means letting self 2 hit the ball"
• "To Self 2, a picture is worth a thousand words. It learns by watching the actions of others, as well as by performing actions itself. Almost all tennis players have experienced playing over their heads after watching championship tennis on television"
• "What is the native language of Self 2? Certainly not words! Words were not learned by Self 2 until several years after birth. No, the native tongue of Self 2 is imagery: sensory images"
• "give Self 2 a clear visual image of the results you desire"

observe with intent but without judgement

learning to see "non-judgmentally" - that is, to see what is happening rather than merely noticing how well or how badly it is happening

Awareness of what is, without judgment, relaxing, and is the best precondition for change [...] Negative judgment of the results of one's efforts tends to make one try even harder; positive evaluation tends to make one try to force oneself into the same pattern on the next shot. Both positive and negative thinking inhibit spontaneity

The author puts an emphasis on observing with intention (e.g. knowing where your racket is) rather than judgment. He calls it "noncritical attention". Observing without judgment does not mean barely paying attention.

Use descriptive but nonjudgmental words to describe the events you see

Instead of giving specific instructions:

"[the trainer] might simply ask [the player] to put his attention on where his racket head is at the moment the ball bounces on his side of the net. [...] As the player finally lets himself observe his racket with detachment and interest, he can feel what it is actually doing and his awareness increases".

The author points out three ways to "program" self 2:

• programming by identity: act out being a pro player. Imagine that you are a pro player and your body will act in accordance.
• programming for form: give yourself an image to imitate (e.g. a pro player on TV)
• programming for results: visualize a result and let self 2 attain it

It is most important not to make any conscious efforts. Observing with intent acts as a feedback mechanism for self 2.

resist any temptation to try to hit the ball harder. Simply let your serve begin to serve itself. Having asked for more power, just let it happen. See if your body has figured out how to produce what you want

don't break habits, start new ones

• "It is much more difficult to break a habit when there is no adequate replacement for it."
• A child doesn't dig his way out of his old grooves; he simply starts new ones
• A child doesn't have to break the habit of crawling, because he doesn't think he has a habit. He simply leaves it as he finds walking an easier way to get around

Focusing on the now

it is also necessary to learn to focus awareness in the now. This simply means tuning into what is happening in the present. The greatest lapses in concentration come when we allow our minds to project what is about to happen or to dwell on what has already happened

Being in the now casts more light on what is currently happening and increases our awareness of our position, racket, etc...

When a tennis player is "on his game," he's not thinking about how, when, or even where to hit the ball. He's not trying to hit the ball, and after the shot he doesn't think about how badly or how well he made contact

In tennis there are only one or two elements to be aware of visually, but there are many things to feel. Expanding sensory knowledge of your body will greatly speed the process of developing skill [... but] Remember: it is almost impossible to feel or see anything well if you are thinking about how you should be moving

By increasing the effective power of awareness, concentration allows us to throw more light on whatever we value knowing, and to that extent enables us to know and enjoy it more

The author suggests a few techniques to keep your mind in the here and now:

• "Every time your mind starts to leak away, simply bring it gently back [...] When such a mental process starts, try to stop it as soon as you recognize what is happening. The mind must be brought back to the here and now."
• focus attention on breathing: "I know of no better way to begin to deal with anxiety than to place the mind on one's breathing process. Anxiety is fear about what may happen in the future, and it occurs only when the mind is imagining what the future may bring [...] When I am waiting near the service line, about to receive a powerful serve, I absorb my mind as deeply as it will go into my breath; in this way I have found I can reach my peak of alertness while remaining calm"
• focus on the seams of the ball: "all your attention solely on the ball. Be engrossed in the seams of the ball as you throw the ball into the air so that you are sure that your mind is not telling your body what to do."
• "Another way to deal with the uncontrolled mind is to simply observe it."

long for the process, not the outcome

Winning is overcoming obstacles to reach a goal, but the value in winning is only as great as the value of the goal reached. Reaching the goal itself may not be as valuable as the experience that can come in making a supreme effort to overcome the obstacles involved. The process can be more rewarding than the victory itself

Instead of being concerned about winning, the author suggests being concerned about making the effort to win, to overcome a challenge. In a tennis game, you actually cooperate by competing with your opponent. Once you understand that it is only by getting challenged that you can improve, you start looking forward to a tough competition:

only by playing the role of your enemy does [your opponent] become your true friend. Only by competing with you does he in fact cooperate!

[...]

This attitude can make a lot of changes in the way you approach a tennis match. In the first place, instead of hoping your opponent is going to double-fault, you actually wish that he'll get his first serve in

The author draws a parallel to yoga:

It happens when one lets go of attachment to the results of one's actions and allows the increased energy to come to bear on the action itself. In the language of karma yoga, this is called action without attachment to the fruits of action

higher consciousness

And associates concentration to a higher state of consciousness:

But when most of our conscious energy is brought to bear on the present with a sincere desire to understand what is before us, then something called "higher consciousness" occurs.

The degree to which you appreciate life grows with the degree that you are conscious of it:

it is our state of consciousness which is the determining factor in our appreciation of the beautiful, the true, or the loving.