If you’re a sportsperson who’s been struggling with anxiety, a lack of focus or low motivation, here’s 6 reasons why athletes should meditate (and you should too). Give it a go and see the change.
Meditation is a powerful practice that has existed for thousands of years. Considered New Age in the West and embraced only by a few outliers, including martial artists, yogis and hippies, it has resided mostly on the fringes.
Until recently, that is.
Thanks to the work of Andrew Huberman, Sam Harris and George Mumford, more and more athletes are embracing meditation as an integral part of their training routine. An increasing body of evidence supports meditation and breathwork as a boon to sports performance.
If you’re an athlete who’s been struggling with anxiety, a lack of focus or low motivation, meditation may be just what you need. It’s a simple practice that takes just 10-15 minutes a day, but will impact your state of mind significantly.
Professional athletes who meditate
More and more athletes are turning to meditation as a way to improve concentration and manage performance anxiety. A few of the greats, who are known for their mental game as well as the physical, include:
1. Kobe Bryant (NBA great) via Thrive. “I meditate every day. I do it in the mornings and I do it for about 10-15 minutes. I think it’s important because it sets me up for the rest of the day. It’s like having an anchor. If I don’t do it I feel like I’m constantly chasing the day, as opposed to being able to be controlled and dictate the day. Not that you’re calling the shots in what comes forward but the fact that I am set and ready for whatever may come my way.”
2. Gabby Douglas (Olympic gymnast). “After the 2016 games I found myself not sleeping because I always felt I had to be doing something, and I felt missing. I felt I always had to fill this void with activity and movement and motion but I have learned to be still and find truth and peace within myself.”
3. Novak Djokovic (Serbian tennis star) via Amuse. “I do [meditation and yoga] out of a need to have an optimal state of mind and peace and calm, and at the same time happiness and joy. Everybody has their ways to reach that state of consciousness where you’re in a good mood and you feel love towards yourself, towards people around you, towards the planet.”
4. Tony Gonzalez (NFL Hall of Famer). “The first thing I do after I wake up is a morning meditation. It’s just as I awake and before I open my eyes. It’s where I’m feeding my gratitude and the love in my heart and opening my heart. A good morning meditation is key. It last about 10 to 15 minutes. Then I get out of bed.”
5. Rickson Gracie (BJJ and MMA legend) via the Jocko Podcast. “Breathing became my best friend. Not only to control my emotions, to keep my heart rate in the best performance, to recoup, to be controlling panic, controlling emotions, become calm, to strategise. Everything coming from this capacity within to control yourself by breathing. I felt that was a great addition to my (Martial Arts) practice and made a huge change in my life.”
6 reasons why athletes should meditate
Here are the main reasons why athletes should meditate:
- Improved focus. Meditation has been shown to increase focus and concentration. This helps athletes to perform better by shutting out distractions and maintaining their intensity for longer.
- Greater composure. Emotions run high in sport and it’s common for athletes to lose their cool as well as their self-confidence under stressful conditions. Meditation and deep breathing exercises can reduce heart rate and feelings of anxiety, while improving emotional control, allowing the athlete to perform in a more relaxed state.
- Enhanced recovery. Training is essential but what athletes do in between sessions is just as important. Meditation is one of the pillars of health which allow athletes to relax, unwind and sleep better. When recovery is good, athletes are able to maintain a high level of performance throughout the season.
- Mental health. Athletes have an air of confidence but many of them suffer from mental health problems that are exacerbated by the psychological demands of sport. Meditation is the practice of awakening, and with the help of a sports psychologist, athletes can learn to observe, understand and manage their emotions better.
- Achieving Flow State. Flow State is when mind, body, and action merge into one. It is a peak state of consciousness, influenced by ones breath, that helps athletes to feel and perform their best.
- Greater sportsmanship. Meditation has been shown to increase empathy and kindness towards others. Through various meditation practices, athletes may learn how to become better sportspeople that strive to elevate the game on and off the pitch.
Subscribe to the Ten Bulls Newsletter for more exercises, insights and special offers that will help you find your flow.
Featured Image: @justdushawn
Read more
The Beginner’s Guide to Meditation