Yoga and meditation have been around for over five thousand years, even though it might seem like they are the new trendy practices just now hitting the mainstream. The two go hand-in-hand with meditation being a core element of yoga. Practicing yoga and meditation will help develop a better sense of self and help you be more in tune with your mind, body, and spirit.
There are over 100 styles of yoga. During your yoga journey, you will experience slow-paced classes like Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga, or you will have an opportunity to take things up a notch with styles that have a heavier emphasis on strength and endurance like Vinyasa Yoga or Hot Yoga. While yoga trains your body, meditation trains your mind. Meditation has the ability to help manage anxiety, stress, and other feelings of well-being. Similar to yoga, there are a variety of ways to practice meditation, from guided versus unguided to focusing on your breath through breathing techniques. Regardless of the types you choose, you are bound to experience the many benefits yoga and meditation bring, both physically and mentally.
More and more professional athletes are implementing yoga and meditation into their training routines. The key point here is not that yoga can replace a typical training routine, but rather that it can enhance the training routine. But how can a practice full of stretching and individual meditation improve athletic performance?
Benefits for athletes – mind and body
Yoga is more than “just stretching” and moving from one pose to the next. Consider it a type of therapy for your muscles. Practicing yoga can make every form of training more effective and efficient by improving not only flexibility, but also posture, body mechanics, and awareness.1 Yoga gives the body an opportunity to naturally return to its optimal alignment. By doing so, the body can transmit force much more efficiently and perform better across the board. This sets athletes up for even greater success. Other benefits of yoga include injury prevention, faster recovery, and better endurance. What athlete wouldn’t want to take advantage of these benefits?
NBA stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Kevin Love have all reaped the benefits from a regular yoga practice. LeBron James has practiced yoga for nearly a decade and has credited it as one of the reasons he has had the ability to remain healthy throughout most of his career. The NBA even has a go-to yoga teacher named Kent Katich, who has played a huge role in the growth of the practice off the court.2 Players have seen an increase in endurance, power, flexibility, and focus because of their yoga practices. Training off the court is just as imperative as training on the court.
Other key components of training off the court are meditation and breathing, whether through yoga or practiced on their own. The importance of breathing techniques is sometimes overlooked for athletes. Focusing on your breath and centering your mind can get you relaxed, focused, and ready to go for that next effort or stressful situation during competition. Proper breathing can transform your health and athletic performance for the better. Combine yoga and meditation with breathing exercises and you’ll find your power in the practice and your power in the game. Everything translates back to your breath.
The power of your breath
Something that appears so effortless, yet is so powerful. Your breath carries you through your day. Your life quite literally depends on it. Regularly practicing controlled breathing techniques with meditation can improve many areas of your life for the better, from calming the mind and removing brain fog, to boosting the immune system and increasing energy. The formal practice of controlling your breath in yoga is called pranayama, which translates to the control of life force and is known as the extension of your breath.3
Breathing exercises allow you to downregulate the sympathetic nervous system and manage strong emotions such as fear and anxiety. Your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes shallower and all over the place when you feel yourself starting to become stressed. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to regain your sense of calm and focus.4 Here are a few examples of controlled breathing exercises that you can do anywhere, anytime:
Diaphragmatic breathing technique: This technique, also called belly breathing, is beneficial if you are stressed or anxious. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the diaphragm is the most efficient muscle of breathing. This form of breathing teaches you how to strengthen your diaphragm. Maybe you are stressed out about your game or anxious about an upcoming meeting. Sit in a comfortable position or lay down on your back. Place one hand below your rib cage and the other hand on your chest. Take a deep breath through your nose and allow your diaphragm to fill with air. Keep the hand on your chest as still as possible. Slowly exhale with pursed lips. Continue this cycle of breaths for about 5 to 10 minutes. Slow diaphragmatic breathing is one of the best ways to relax your body and calm your mind.
Alternate nostril breathing technique: In yoga, this breathing technique is called Nadi Shodhana. This technique is focused on lowering stress, increasing alertness, and improving cardiovascular function. Sit in a comfortable position. Place your left hand on your left knee while your right-hand lifts to your nose. First exhale, and then use your thumb to close your right nostril. Inhale through your left nostril. Close the left nostril with your fingers. Open your right nostril and now exhale through the right side. Complete this cycle by opening your left nostril and exhaling through the left nostril. Make sure to rotate between both nostrils during each cycle of breath.
4-7-8 breathing technique: This technique is ideal for bringing your body into a deep state of relaxation. Focus on regulating your breath, rather than on all of the outside noise in the world. Press the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth and exhale. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7 counts, and then exhale very slowly for 8 counts making a whooshing exhale – this should sound oceanic as you work through the cycles of inhaling and exhaling. A new cycle of breath begins once you inhale again. 4 full cycles are recommended.
Spooner’s Christy Shaft, PT, says “Movement is exercise for our body, but stillness is exercise for our mind.” Not sure how to start implementing meditation into your routine? Apps like Calm and Headspace are great resources to get started. Taking the time to focus on your breath and breathe deeply is a great way to safeguard your mental and physical health.
Before beginning your yoga journey, be sure to check in with your physical therapist who can provide you with variations of the most popular yoga poses. There may be certain poses or patterns of movement that should be avoided until you have completed your course of care. If you need to schedule an appointment or feel you might benefit from a complimentary movement assessment prior to beginning your practice, please contact us here: https://www.spoonerpt.com/request-appointment/
References
- Lloyd-Billington, Michael. “6 Athletic Performance Benefits of Yoga & How to Achieve Them.” Onnit Academy, 22 Jan. 2019, www.onnit.com/academy/6-athletic-performance-benefits-of-yoga-how-to-achieve-them/.
- Willis, Zack. “Why NBA Players Like Andre Iguodala and Blake Griffin Do Yoga.” Sportscasting, 17 Oct. 2019, www.sportscasting.com/why-nba-players-like-andre-iguodala-and-blake-griffin-do-yoga/.
- “Pranayama Exercises & Poses.” Yoga Journal, 3 Apr. 2017, www.yogajournal.com/poses/types/pranayama.
- Shakeshaft, Jordan. “How to Breathe Stress and Anxiety Away.” Greatist, Greatist, 9 Mar. 2020, greatist.com/happiness/breathing-exercises-relax#3.-Progressive-muscle-relaxation-.