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Ashley Postell tip on finding your moment of Zen in gymnastics
By Administrator
 Tabitha Yim and Ashley Postell were second and third in the U.S. Gymnastics Nationals all-around competition. Both, while young, are very composed for the many nerve-racking apparatus that the sport of gymnastics offers. Tabitha, who also happens to be a budding figure skater, can be seen talking animatedly to herself before an event. Ashley does too and they both breathe deeply. So let's go to the videotape, we've asked two of America's finest young talents, how they relax and how they stay on the balance beam, let's see what they had to say.
Finding your moment of Zen in gymnastics
Step #1 - The trick is to keep breathing ...
Tabitha: What helps me before a competition when I'm nervous is I walk around and I talk to myself and I tell myself my corrections … then I take a deep breath. It's very important just to breathe.
Ashley: I just go over my routines over and over, take a deep breath and say to myself, "Everything is going to be okay."
Hey, while we're at it, let's have two-time national champ Tasha Schwikert weigh in on this one ...
Tasha: After I salute, I close my eyes, take a deep breath and visualize how I want the routine to finish; how happy I'll be if I make it ... every time. The whole close-my-eyes-take-a-deep-breath thing really calms me down before I go.
Step #2 - Run in place ...
Tabitha: Before a vault I like to try and get more pumped up, so I maybe run in place a little bit (begins running in place to illustrate her point); but then before beam I need to stay more focused. That's when I take deep breaths. Beam and bars you take like deep breaths, but before floor and vault, you probably want to like jump around a bit (begins jumping up and down) and get pumped up.
Step #3 - Mentalization ...
Ashley: I just like mentalization kind of like … (laughs)
Hey, that's not a word. Mentalization. You just made up a word.
Ashley: (laughs)
Step #4 - How do you stay on the beam ...
Tabitha: You tell yourself, 'I'm not falling off.'
Ashley: I don't know, I just know how to stay on it (laughs).
Step #5 - When on the beam, stay calm
Tabitha: One of the most important things is to breathe and to stay calm.
Ashley: It's really hard, especially when you're nervous and you shake … it's very hard to, like, stay calm because you're really nervous and you shake everywhere and you lose your balance and stuff.
So what do you do when you start to shake? Ashley: Shake less … I don't know (laughs).
Step #6 - Enjoy yourself in spite of the shaking ...
Ashley: I always tell myself, 'Don't fall.' But if I do, I always try to be pleased with my results … still be happy with what I get out of it.
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