Yes, you read that right, meditation isn’t just for moms or overly busy business people. Even the players of different fields need a little peace and quiet every once in a while. From famous basketball players to Olympic gold medalists, their secret, when asked, is often the same answer—meditation. It is a powerful tool that helps one calm down and find tranquility within oneself.
Much like the body, the mind needs exercise as well. For an athlete to succeed in his chosen sport, he must practice and work to help his body adapt to the game. He must learn the proper execution and the tricks to play the game well. While the body is at work, he often forgets that a healthy mind is just as necessary for him too. The keys to winning a game are typically focus and skill. Skill is something that can be from your physical training; focus, on the other hand, is one that can be achieved by clarity and a healthy mind.
Basketball superstars, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, have openly stated of practicing meditation. The latter usually meditates during timeouts of every game to help himself refocus and get his head back in the game. Both are well-renowned all over the world for being the top players of the industry, and it’s very well easy to get distracted with the loud screams and pre-game jitters. Bryant, having won various medals and awards, uses meditation in order to calm his nerves. This is often the hindrance of a good play for players having much pressure and expectations on their shoulders.
In the Olympic field, beach volleyball gold medalists, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, has dominated the said sport winning 3 times now. For them, meditation isn’t just something you do on the side, they make it a part of their training regimen. It has been proven that meditation helps one reserve more energy and become more resilient. Along with these, is a stronger immune system—few of the many aspects athletes need to attain in order to play the best that they can in their games.
Stress, fear, pain and lack of sleep are many factors that greatly affect athletes. A strong dose of at least one of these can ultimately throw the game off a person. Meditating helps find calmness, as said before, and a healthy amount of this can stabilize one’s emotions. Practicing this before a game can help reduce anxiety and clear the mind of pointless thoughts. Clarity results to focus, and with a good state of mind, you have all the ingredients you need to win any game!
