7 Ways Meditation Will Improve Your Game
(approx reading: 2 mins)
Our Brain controls all of what we do and, for sportsmen – how we play. Unfortunately, we often take it for granted, probably because the brain is the behind-the-scenes guy. Physicality and skills are perceived as functions of our brawn and not brain. However, a well-functioning, stress free and mindful brain can improve aspects of your game that no amount of physical training can. Scientific studies have backed claims of various sportsmen who have benefited from meditation. Here are a few reasons why you should meditate.
1. Focus better
There is a ton of information that your surrounding offers your brain to process every moment. This is fed into the brain constantly through sensory stimuli. Some is important and most is not. Overload of data makes the brain slow down. One way we try to overcome this is by reducing stimuli (for example crowds are requested to be quiet between points in tennis). But often, external factors are not in our hands. Meditation helps your brain get trained to let the stimuli flow without disturbing your focus. A study paper in Psychological Science shows that intensive meditation can help people focus their attention and sustain it even on boring tasks.
2. Conquer Pain
The somatosensory cortex is a part of the brain which contains a map of the body. A research study by Dr.Fadel Zeidan has shown that post 80 minutes of meditation the somatosensory cortex did not activate as much when a body part was deliberately hurt mildly. This suggests that meditation reduces the pain by actually reducing the sensation. And the reported effects were significantly better than placebos, painkillers and drugs.
3. Reduce Stress
The amygdala is a part of your brain responsible for emotional processing of positive and negative stimuli. Studies suggest that the amygdala response to emotional stimuli is lower when the subject is in a meditative state of mindful-attention. Meditation brings about enduring changes in your amygdala. So instead of breaking your racquet after losing a crucial point, you shall spend time thinking how to win the next one.
4. Be Resilient
Losing is a part of learning. In order to bounce back, one needs to focus on improving techniques and fitness rather than ruminate over past losses. With better focus and reduced stress, it becomes easier to detach from negative thoughts that keep you from achieving your goals.
5. Be creative
In its attempt to automate things our brain programs responses to certain situations and stimuli. We then tend to react in exactly the same way (without thinking creatively). Meditation helps us pay attention to minor sensations and details. This is called mindfulness. It helps us break out of habitual, often ineffective patterns of thinking and acting. For sportsmen, this means not reacting the same way to a situation, say, every short ball in cricket. This will add more dimensions to your game making you difficult to predict.
6. Sleep better
With greater emotional stability and lower pre-sleep arousal (measured cognitive and physical anxiety symptoms), meditation will help you sleep better. No matter how your day was – you will learn to react calmly and sleep when you have to. This helps your body rest enough for the coming days’ activities.
7. Analyze better
Meditation helps people see themselves through non-judgmental observation and attention. Non-judgmental observation helps you know your strength and weaknesses without any negative feelings. They also help you figure out your opponents’ game plan – a critical piece of analysis that can help you strategize accurately and on the go.
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