[bearwiredpair]

I suffer from the very same condition.

Lots of good advice above.

The more you play the easier it gets.

Do warm up by playing a ring game before hand. If I make mistakes I always look at it as better now than later. If you are ahead then you start the tourny with confidence.

If its ZEN your looking for find something to focus on when you feel the nervousness and self-consciousness comming on. A place on the table where you can zone in and focus. I use a card protector that has a few words of inspiration on it (its a picture of Jules' wallet from Pulp Fiction. "Its the one that says Bad MFer on it") I look at it, count to 5 and then act.

It gets easier and youll get over it. Just keep palying regualarly.