For the past ten years, meditation has been gaining more and more followers around the world. This practice, which is currently at its most popular, has already been practised by several sportsmen such as Arnold Schwarzenegger or Novak Djokovic.
The number of scientists interested in its benefits is increasing rapidly. An experiment was recently carried out on medical students. It consisted of having the subjects follow a meditation and yoga programme for a few weeks.
The results were quite satisfactory, as it was found that the individuals studied were less stressed than usual and felt better. Also, there was an increase in self-confidence and personal well-being. So what is meditation? What are the benefits for athletes?
What is meditation?
It is a very ancient practice which consists of maintaining the mental and spiritual health of a person. Originating in Buddhist belief, it leads individuals who practice it to introspect and thus reflect on their own actions and thoughts. While physical activities and sports are used to maintain the body, meditation is used to preserve the mind. It is a method of liberating the mind and promoting personal well-being. The aim is to link body and mind.
Benefits of meditation for athletes
Many athletes have reported incorporating meditation into their training programme. Indeed, combining meditation and sport has many benefits
Reduction of stress and anxiety
In sport, participants are often encouraged to push themselves and their limits. They are constantly under pressure, which can reduce their performance in the long run. According to a study, practising a few minutes of daily meditation for top sportsmen and women can help avoid health problems, somatic distress, stress and anxiety. Meditation has been shown to reduce the volume of the amygdala area in the brain, which is responsible for fear and stress. It also decreases the release of the stress hormone. This is why meditation would be a good way to prevent this type of symptom in athletes.
Improving concentration
When practising a sport, there are external distractions that reduce concentration. These include crowd noise, mistakes made that disturb the mind, frustration with refereeing decisions, etc. These can lead to poor performance and a lack of concentration. These things can lead to poor performance and sometimes cause defeat or failure. Regular meditation work can teach the athlete to ignore these and focus on the present moment. Keeping the focus on the current movement is fundamental in terms of sport.
The ability to overcome pain
A recent study has shown that the practice of meditation helps a person to reduce their sensitivity to pain. During the experiment, the reaction of individuals who practiced meditation for 4 days was measured. The results were that they reported less pain. In a world where pain is experienced by practitioners in every workout, meditation could be very beneficial.
Self-confidence
There are certain moments when one is discouraged, for lack of good results. Mediation is then of great importance insofar as it helps to suppress negative thoughts, to have a better vision of oneself and the world in general.
The forms of meditation
Meditation has many techniques, which are applied according to the results sought. However, all types of meditation are based on a breathing exercise and are performed in a certain posture. Here is a closer look at the most common techniques.
Mindfulness meditation
It consists in being aware of the present moment , of one's environment, of one's physical state in an objective way. This allows the mind to get rid of any bad thoughts and thus to limit stress.
Vipassana meditation
This is a very old meditation technique, which is based on breathing. It invites one to concentrate and observe each new physical and mental phenomenon that appears as well as personal sensations, which develops concentration and attention.
Transcendental meditation
It is a method of relaxation and development of the mind based on the use of mantras, which are words or expressions that are repeated many times, for example "Ohm". It would allow to have a "pure consciousness" and thus improve the everyday life.
Zen meditation
The objective of this practice is to improve our vision of the world and of ourselves following a great reflection and an advanced observation. The posture is the most important thing in this type of meditation.
How to meditate?
To enjoy the full benefits of meditation, it must be practiced in a restful, quiet and calm place, where there is as little noise as possible. This is what will make it possible to be at ease and confident. It is also necessary that the position chosen is comfortable. Also, it is recommended that you practice meditation at a fixed time for the same length of time every day.
