Amy Kuitse writes: We have all read articles about the affects of body, mind & soul on our performance and how it can positively effect the outcome of our races. We go to yoga classes, meditate, and visualize ourselves riding strong, and running smoothly all the way through the finish. Have you ever considered though, what the effect of body, mind & soul could have on healing?

The thought of body, mind & soul when it comes to dealing with injury is a little more foreign to most of us. How do you go from the ultimate high of crossing the finish line at Kona one year to having your season come to a screeching halt because of a herniated cervical disc and an iron deficiency? You spend time with doctors, and physical therapists. You deal with the concern of your family, who wonder if you will make the right decision to allow yourself to heal. Their bigger question is... "How will she/he handle this emotionally?"

Initially it feels questionable if you will handle things well, but as you move beyond the bargaining & denial and accept what is going on, you find that you hold the most powerful set of tools within you to deal with an injury... YOUR body, mind, & soul.

So, the re-aligning of these powerful tools to help you heal begins. You can approach this process a lot like you do race preparation. First, a gradual return to the sports that you love becomes part of therapy. As the saying goes, “What the mind conceives, the body achieves.” If you REALLY believe that you will heal, you will give yourself a chance to get better sooner. Right now some of you are saying, “Well of course I’ll heal,” but do you believe that how we heal and what we believe in our soul is within our power?

We need to tell ourselves throughout this process to relax, stay focused, and do the rehabilitative exercises completely. Almost like a race, our mind controls what we want our body to do and within our soul we have to believe that we are getting better everyday. Create a plan and set goals, just like you would do for your racing season. Find something positive in your healing process each day just like you find something positive in each key workout and race. Above all else, find out if you have in your soul a true passion for the sport. Do you drive yourself to train because you want to, or because you “have” to?

When we are forced to step back from being a triathlete, something that is a big part of our life, we are forced to dig down and fight in a different kind of way then our typical fight to the finish line. If we take a look at those things that help us through tough training phases and key performances we will find that we can use many of these same tools to deal with injuries... Body, Mind, & Soul.

This is one of the most powerful healing tools we have. Make the belief in Body, Mind & Soul part of your healing process just like you make it part of your training and racing. Don’t be afraid to let your mind heal your body and to believe in that process deep in your soul. Is this a bunch of mumbo jumbo? I hope you won’t find yourself in a situation to have to test it, but if you do... know that you have an incredibly powerful tool at your disposable 24/7 and it does not cost you a thing to use. Just... Your Body, Mind & Soul!