I think we are all on the same page. Often when you practice something the hardest it doesn't want to happen. Then a day later when the unconscious takes over the correct movement suddenly appears. As for "being in the zone" when we don't need to think but just be and react and everything has fallen into place, yeah, that's the best. Still I will use a golf analogy. Every good golfer and instructor knows that if you are thinking about your swing you might as well walk off the course because you WILL NOT play well. Yet all the best players use a swing key in almost every swing and it is the same throughout that day (and sometimes for weeks months or even careers). This is pretty much what I am talking about, and every really good skier I have known or spoken with has one or two different thoughts that they use as keys when they hit extremely challengng terrain. At its best a swing key/ a form thought can be the thing that actually releases the mind so that we can enter the zone. However if it leads us into a place where the mind takes over and some form of relaxing and doing disappears, the wrong thing has occurred. As with anything in life, finding that balance is so important, and essential to ski freely and well at the same time.
Again for me, those keys not only help release my mind, but the form that they help produce immediately diminishes my fear.
Having said all this, I have to admit that my tendency is to be always working on something. But those powder days where I just charge and all I thnk about is how fast I can get off the lift again, those are really special days as well. Where's the snow!!
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