RAISEYOURGAME
YOGA FOR THE
MIND Yoga gives us a way to deal with the mind. The only point to remember is that we cannot control the mind; but through regulating our breathing, we can regulate the functioning of the mind. We all know when we’re angry, we are breathing about 45-65 times a minute, whereas when we’re relaxed, it’s down to 2-4 breaths a minute. Try focussing on any activity when you’re agitated. You cannot even get your putts to drop. While you need to be competitive as a sportsperson, you also need to be calm at ‘clutch’ moments. The yogic art of Pranayama will help you calm down at such times. The first thing is to practice proper breathing while on the golf course. Between your shots, you should practice breathing about 11 slow breaths through the nose. As you inhale, expand the stomach and as you exhale, let your stomach return to its normal position. By the time you have reached your next shot, you will be fresh, relaxed and yet remain focussed! The techniques showed in this article are yogic breathing techniques to calm down and learn to focus. These are specific techniques to help with your golf. The one asana (yogic physical posture) we have shown is an inverted posture that helps the blood from your body move towards your head so that all your mental faculties like focus, memory and creativity are enhanced.
Training the mind is an essential aspect of being a successful golfer. In fact, after your body has become flexible and added core and back strength through yoga, it’s time to start training the mind. While we all feel we know a great deal about our minds, we’re unable to focus it, or stop the deluge of negative thoughts and emotions when we hit a bad shot. The more stressed we get, the more confused we feel and eventually fail to concentrate on the next shot. How many times we’ve seen golfers — pros and amateurs — throw it all away?! TRATHAK WITH A CANDLE (YOGIC FOCUS TECHNIQUE)
• Place a candle at eye level, three feet (90cm) away from you. • Regulate breathing, and then gaze at flame without blinking. • After about a minute, close eyes. Visualise flame between eyebrows. • When the after-image vanishes, open eyes. Repeat 3-5 times.
SARVANGASANA (SHOULDER STAND)
LOCATION COURTESY: EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
• Lie flat on the back, with arms by your side. Slowly raise both legs to a 90-degree angle from the ground. • Lift hips and back off floor and slowly lower legs towards the head, supporting hips with hands. • Slowly shift hands lower down the back, towards shoulders, and bring legs to a 90-degree position. Support weight of the whole body from the shoulders. Body and legs should be in a straight line. Keep chin pressed to chest. • Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing normally. Slowly lower the back and legs to ground, making sure there are no strained or jerky movements.
52 Middle East Golfer JUNE 2009