Meditation
Aim- Athlete Z will need to go through Meditation to
re-energise himself for the upcoming games, this week is Meditation which means
he will have to perform certain Meditation tasks to help him to overcome fatigue
and be ready for match days after tough training sessions.
Meditation Programme
It is another week which means there is another training
programme for Athlete Z to take on. This Week is a real treat for the Athlete
as he can enjoy himself Meditate! Not bad for a training programme!
Every athlete would agree that energy is a key ingredient to
success in sport. Food, restful sleep, breath and meditation are the four
sources of energy. The amount of energy gained from meditation is greater than
that from sleep with 20 minutes of meditation equal to 8 hours of deep sleep.
Meditation is probably the most powerful technique known to relieve stress and
anxiety and restore health.
Meditation can be very helpful in harmonizing Athlete Z’s mind.
It can help his muscles relax and fight stress, depression and anxiety and
boosts tolerance levels. Meditating regularly can relax the muscles and reduce
blood pressure. A good meditation routine will help him stay focused and
objective and will give his mind a much needed break so he can be fresh when it
comes to match days raring to go.
Below is a training programme for the Meditation for Athlete
Z to complete for a week before he plays his match:
1 Yogic Stretching:
Yogic stretching is different from the western concept of
exercise and is essential to beginning your meditation because it frees excess
energy, allowing the mind to relax with ease. Take IMPACT Action: Perform 5-10
rounds of posture sequences (learned under the guidance of a trained yoga
teacher) such as Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) in which each posture is
synchronized with the breath.
2 Pranayam (Yogic Breath):
Pranayam is breath control that noticeably shifts mood and
energy and purifies the mind. Importance is given to the breath because the
lungs can remove as many as 250 toxins and impurities from the body simply
through the regular practice of pranayam. Take IMPACT Action: Spend 10 minutes
performing yogic breathing exercises (learned under the guidance of a teacher);
yogic breath has been practiced for thousands of years, and has been shown to
improve cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, and increase concentration,
attention and memory.
3 Create Personal Space:
It’s important to create a comfortable, personal space where
you sit each day to meditate. Practicing in the same space builds up an
uplifting atmospheric vibration; you can surround this space with inspiring
images. Take IMPACT Action: Sit comfortably with your spine erect, on a chair
or cross-legged on the floor, whatever is most relaxing for you. Do not lie
down. Sit to meditate for 20 minutes, twice daily.
4 Be Regular with Your Practice:
Practice makes perfect. When you practice regularly, you
train your mind to associate with that calm, meditative state. Take IMPACT
Action: Do your best to practice at the same time each day, and for the same
length of time. If you feel restless, stick with it, observe the restlessness
and complete the 20 minutes.
5 Your Meditation Mantra:
“I am nothing, I want nothing, I do nothing”: Meditation can
be boring because, for once in your life, you are not wanting to do or think
anything. Nor will your meditation work if you sit with the intention of wanting
something from your practice. Take IMPACT Action: Sit with an attitude of
gratitude. Thoughts will come and go; don’t try to chase them away or control
them — simply observing without any resistance will bring your mind and body
much-needed rest and relaxation. Remember, thoughts when observed will
naturally dissolve; they are like waves in an ocean, they come and go.
6 Reduce Caffeine, Alcohol and Processed Foods:
The benefits of a good meditation practice are limited if
diet and nutrition are not addressed. Caffeine can disrupt sleep and cause
anxiety and restlessness, alcohol can impair balance and steadiness and deplete
key electrolytes and minerals vital to nerve and muscle co-ordination and
processed food is infused with chemicals and preservatives. Take IMPACT Action:
Reduce your intake of caffeine and alcoholic beverages and eat plenty of fresh,
unprocessed foods.
7 Value Your Practice:
It is important to
honour your meditation practice and give it the same priority you give your
daily sports training routine. Take IMPACT Action: Turn off your phone and
anything else that might distract you. Be 100 per cent with your meditation,
approach it with reverence and do it with awareness.
Athlete Z says:
This has been a real treat for me to perform Meditation and
this is what I will carry on doing every week as this has really freshened my
mind and stay focused on my tasks both at college and football. I feel really
energised and I was raring to go for my game which we won 2-0 and I had well,
not the best game ever but it was a decent performance from me, I was fully
focused and had the energy and concentration to play 75mins in full throttle
without worrying about a thing just enjoying the game. That is exactly what I did
during the match, I ran up and down the whole pitch running at least 6km in
that game. Attacking wise I was sharp and quick and defensively working back I was
good too. I had a very mature performance and my breathing during the game was
getting easier as I felt really fit through these meditation techniques as even
the muscles in my body weren’t cramping too. This was overall a very successful
week for me as meditation is something I will keep with me forever, I will definitely
be meditating every week to keep on task and stay fresh, even feel good about
myself!
Conclusion
To conclude this week I believe it has been a very good week
for Athlete Z as he has flourished during his games and most importantly
started to believe in himself more and feeling fresh and good about life in
general. Athlete Z is really impressed and has really reduced all the other
stress factors in his everyday life. As he keeps on doing this every week it
will get better and better. This was for only one week and he felt a
difference, so meditating every week can really enable Athlete Z to feel good
and keep performing at high levels worrying about nothing hopefully and that is
a huge bonus for him if he can enjoy playing football without being stressed
and just play the game he loves.
P7 Planned.
ReplyDeleteThe concept and technique of Meditation has been described in very good detail. You have outlined the many uses and benefits the athlete can gain by employing the technique. You have also introduced specifically Yogic Stretching and Breathig giving your athletes guidance about how to do this. I think the position on the programme has also been well selected as the athlete needs to have developed their breathing control prior to doing this and this was addressed in your Relaxation week. ( Well structured)
M3: Monitored: You have got some feedback about the technique used this week from the athlete.