Andy Murray’s performance during last Sunday’s Australian Open tennis final has been the subject of much controversy. Speaking on the BBC John Lloyd claimed that there is “no excuse” for a player of Murray’s calibre displaying such negativity in terms of his body language, failing to control his temper, smashing his racket and yelling at his team and Pat Cash has described Murray’s behaviour as a “meltdown”.
So how can Murray turn things around? As we all know, the difference between a champion and the runner-up is always dependent on who can perform under pressure and the ancient art of Meditation may be just the mental game training Murray needs. Here’s why:
- Meditation reduces mental interference – the first effect of focusing on the breath is that it reduces the internal chatter and restores mental equilibrium along with helping to calm and neutralize the emotions. Fans of the Inner Game approach will know this formula well: Talent minus mental interference equals the zone.
- Meditation helps control bio-chemistry – a dramatic change is physiology occurs when you focus on your breathing and quieten your mind; this is known as the Relaxation Response which is conducive to getting in the zone or flow-state. When anxiety, anger, frustration, tension or any extreme emotion are allowed to take hold, there is acute disruption to the chemical balance of your brain and nervous-system which induces the Stress Response. Meditation helps to reverse these effects, increases oxygen uptake, floods the system with endorphins, lowers the heart-rate, relaxes the muscles and restores the mind~body connection.
- Meditation helps deliver fluid motion under pressure – Zen meditators and practitioners of internal martial arts such as Tai Chi understand that stillness is the master of motion. Internal stillness and a quiet mind are absolutely paramount to enabling the body to produce fluid, powerful and effortless motion. When the mind is busy, when an athlete thinks too much or tries too hard, the analytical part of the brain (pre-frontal cortex) interrupts the signal to the motor-system, disrupting timing and also affecting which muscles (fast or slow-twitch) fire and in what sequence. A quiet mind produces fluid motion every time.
- Djokovic is doing it!
Novak Djokovic, world number one and winner of his fifth Australian Open title is well known to attend a Buddhist Centre in Wimbledon Village when contesting for the most coveted tennis prize of them all. With all the evidence coming out from Neuroscience in the last couple of decades, meditation is becoming something that can’t be overlooked in championship sports. Arthur Ashe, who famously coined the term “being in the zone” meditated during change of ends and Phil Jackson, one of the all-time winning coaches in the NBA, has been using meditation for years with his players and won 11 NBA championships.
It doesn’t matter what sport you play, any athlete can benefit from the positive benefits of meditation.
Contact me now to start practicing Meditation and improving your sport today!
