I have known Rory for about three years, and during this time he has rapidly become one of the World’s top poker players, or ‘one of the least bad’, as he would say. Poker is a huge test of mind control, and Rory has made exceptional progress in this critical area.
We met again last week for a chat and Rory was keen to learn more about Havening. During our chat he explained the importance of maintaining an impassive or neutral posture to conceal his thoughts from the other players. His left arm and hand have no role in poker, with the danger that they can easily develop unconscious movements.
Rory then showed me a photograph of his playing posture, how he has eliminated unconscious arm movements, and shielded himself from the other players too. He also added that sometimes he will stroke his shoulder and finds it calming. And so it should be, because he has worked out a self-havening technique without knowing (until now) anything about Havening.
Try it yourself. Cross your arms, put a hand on each shoulder, and stroke down your arms. It is calming, probably due to a reptilian reflex, and a movement that a mother would instinctively use to calm her child.
Let me know how you get on.
