The Inner Athlete: Realizing Your Fullest Potential

by Dan Millman

Book Overview

A wise book that looks at the psychology behind the search for athletic excellence, The Inner Athlete shows anyone how to improve skills, accelerate learning, and unleash their athletic potential. The... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0913299979
• ISBN13: 9780913299975
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Stillpoint Publishing
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Life changing

This was one of the most life changing books I have ever read. Highly recommend it.

Dan Millman expounds on an integrated philosphy of training.

Dan Millman pulls valuable concepts from a variety of disciplines. This book does not delve into specific training methods, but rather expounds a philosophy of training. The author integrates concepts from sports psychology, physiology, and the martial arts. The Inner Athlete contains several enlightening perspectives on different aspects of athletic training. I have been following his suggested modifications for stretching exercises for about two weeks, with excellent results. This book will be valuable for any athlete, regardless of level of attainment.

I never thought it could be that simple !!

What a great book...I am interested in all kinds of sports and have always believed that sport should be more than just physical training and with this book I found someone who shares my thoughts....From the book: Dedicate your training to your life and not your life to your training...When you read this book you will realize that the truth has always been in you, you just did not see it. Learn to see and let your heart lead the way. I love this book.

A must for the aspiring athlete regardless of your sport

I finished the book and instantly wanted to start reading it again. Dan has helped me with my own nemisis by reminding me that being stuck on a skill is a result of not having developed the requisite skills and strengths. But the concept that I love the most and has been that of building strength by relaxing the opposing muscles so you spend less time fighting yourself. As we all learn about life through sport (well, many of us anyway) I have discovered that it is not just in athletics that I tense all the wrong muscles. I have begun seeing how in my life I fight myself and by just relaxing the right areas of my life I have been able to handle much greater degrees of stress with a peace and equanimity this book helped me to realize. This is one of those books I'll read over and over again and gain something new from each and every time. And my poor friends are all sick to death of having me quote it to them as they come to me with their struggles.

From clutz to world-class...

This book is an easy read, as are all of Dan Millman's books. I read the first edition of The Inner Athlete 6 years ago at the age of 20. It inspired me to enrol in a beginner's gymnastics class for adults, probably because I wanted to be just like Dan. It proved to be a life-changing decision. I had retained some of Dan's advice, such as the Law of Accommodation - how our body more readily produces results when we don't place demands or set goals. I stuck to practicing the fundamentals, and was satisfied with doing handstands and simple drills that I understood were the foundations of talent. Those who had started the class at the same time as I had began practicing handsprings after only a few weeks. After a year, my classmates were still struggling with their handsprings. It didn't look like much fun, as they were sprawling on their butts half the time. Those who felt discouraged moved on to working on back-flips. In the meantime, I was getting better at handstands and my muscles were growing more supple. I would watch my classmates intently during practice. I paid close attention to the instructors who tried to help them, but I stayed on the sidelines and flirted with girls. When I wasn't doing that I stuck to my drills, stretching, and handstands, which I also incorporated into my morning exercise routine at home. Then one day a guest instructor from Russia who was impressed with my ability to do handstands insisted that I do a handspring. I declined at first, but he insisted. Not wanting to be rude, I went through the motions for about 10 minutes with him. Finally, he sent me flying in a handspring that had me airborne for what seemed like an eternity. I was astonished and after a few tries I managed to do it without help. Within a week I was turning handsprings as well as the instructors. I was utterly amazed. My classmates were less enthused. Two of them quit shortly afterward. I bumped into one of them a few months later. She said she was "too busy" to come to practice. She had worked really hard, and I felt bad because I think my sudden improvement had discouraged her. Little did she know that my new-found ability was a natural result to having applied Dan's advice on Developing Talent. I think anyone who applies the wisdom in Dan's book will develop wonderful results over time. Some people attribute such success to patience and persistence. That may be true, but that is to oversimplify. You need knowledge of how the process of skill-learning works and you need a good teacher. The Inner Athlete provides you with helpful keys that you can apply to almost any endeavour that involves skill training. Thanks to the simple logic in this book, I have unlocked a world that had been closed to me for so long. I cherish the memories of the times when I moved like a total spaz. If only you had seen me at my first piano-lesson, my introduction to jazz-ballet or on my first day at swim school. I now enjoy a hig