The Importance of Meditation & Relaxation 

by Teige West

I know the word “meditation” may make your eyes roll back and give you visions of New Agey-type people sitting cross-legged on sustainably-sourced woven mats, but don’t run away yet. Meditation is, like mindfulness, a useful exercise for athletes. In fact, many, many professional and junior athletes use some form of meditation as part of their daily routine. Research has shown that meditation can improve focus, sleep, confidence, and can reduce stress; and, the best part, this practice gives you an excuse to have quiet, alone time, which you probably desperately need in your schedule.

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Meditation is often linked with spirituality; many religions have some practice that is, or is similar to, inward focus. Of course, if that is how you choose to use meditation, then that’s great. But beyond spirituality, setting aside quiet time for inner contemplation can help you decrease your anxieties and stress.

A previous Hurdles First article discussed the importance of mindfulness, and there is quite a bit of overlap between meditation and mindfulness. Mindfulness is being present in the moment and is broader and more encompassing; mindfulness practices can be in the form of a creative project, an exercise (such as hiking), reading, listening, breathing, or any exercise focused on being in the present moment. Meditation is one-pointed, intentional focus on one thing. Mindfulness is about the here and now, while meditation is about one, distinction thing; admittedly, the difference between these two ideas is a confusing distinction, and the two concepts do overlap. But for the purposes of this article, we are going to think of meditation as an exercise where you focus intently on a chosen sound, repeated word or your breathing.

Meditation is popular with athletes is because you have many different commitments that pull you in multiple directions. A heavy schedule can create such a high level of anxiety that you find yourself thinking about training while working, or thinking about finances while training, which prevents you from fully giving yourself to the task at hand. Meditation is the practice of intense focus, and research has demonstrated that practitioners are better able to handle negative thoughts, better control their anxiety, and improved concentration in all areas of life. While meditation does require scheduled time, it is an exercise that can be performed in any quiet environment, and is thus, more flexible that many aspects of your training.

Below you will find a standard beginning meditation exercise. Try to find a comfortable, quiet space for this activity. Many people who use contemplation techniques find that early morning, before beginning the day, is a great time because the mind isn’t fully awake grasping at thoughts and worries. Try to wear comfortable clothes and find a dimly room. Many purists believe that you can only meditate while in a cross-legged sitting position, but if you need to lay down or sit another way to be less distracted, do so.

When you first begin the practice of meditation, your mind will wander, and that’s normal. Acknowledge the thoughts as they pass through your mind, but avoid reacting to those thoughts. Let them pass through, and if you do have any emotional reaction, take note of how you respond to these thoughts and then go back to your inward focus. It may help you in the beginning to try either a Mantra or Repeated Sound Meditation, which is where you either say some mantra out loud (choose a positive, calm word, such as “calm,” “relax” or “peace”) or you play a looped audio of a word or sound (such as a gong or a strummed note).

Exercise #1: Sitting Meditation

1. Find a comfortable position in a quiet environment.
2. Breathe deeply, using belly breathing instead of shallow, chest breathing. Pay attention to the inhale and exhale; you can try a counting breath to help you focus. A popular count is the 4-6, where you inhale while counting to 4 and then exhale while counting to 6. You may need to increase to decrease your counts—whatever is most comfortable for you.
3. Bring your focus to whatever you have chosen—a sound, your breathing, or a repeated word. This is difficult and takes practice, especially in our world where multi-tasking is so important. You may get frustrated when your thoughts wander, but again, keep your first meditations short. Keep your breathing regular and deep.
4. Try to do it every day at the same time; start with a short duration and work your way up so as not to get frustrated or bored at the beginning.

Exercise #2: Relax the body

1. Follow the first two steps of the above meditation: find a quiet space and focus on deep breathing. This meditation is most successful if done laying rather than sitting.
2. The idea of this meditation is to bring your focus to your body, and your experience within your physical self. Start at your feet and work upward toward your head.
3. First, focus on your feet and ankles. Move them gently, rotating your feet, moving your toes. Now gently clench your muscles, tightening them as much as you can without pain. Which muscles are sore? Which ones feel even tighter? Hold for 10 seconds and then gently relax. Now, move to your calves. Tighten those muscles, hold and relax. Move up the body, tightening individual groups of muscles and then relaxing them. Finally, when you reach your head, squeeze your eyes hard, hold and relax.
4. Do this every day, especially at night before bedtime. This exercise relaxes your body and helps you discover where you hold stress, or where you may be sore from training. Remember to breathe deeply throughout.

Exercise #3: Walking & Breathing Meditation

This exercise is perfect for people who have a hard time being still and find that they relax better while moving. Additionally, if you are considering trying cadence breathing in your competition or training, this exercise is a good way to begin because it requires focused breathing during movement.

1. Find a quiet place where you can walk freely down a path. A place outside that isn’t heavily traveled is ideal, and where you won’t know many people and be interrupted. Dress comfortably.
2. Begin walking at a slow, comfortable pace, noticing your stride. Pay attention to how your foot strikes the ground, pushes off, moves forward and strikes the ground again. Breathe deeply and find a comfortable rhythm between your foot strikes and your breathing. Notice how many steps that you comfortably take when you inhale and then when you exhale. Try to pattern your walking to that rhythm, so if you take 3 steps to each inhale and 4 to each exhale, then concentrate on walking in that rhythm.
3. Try to walk for 15 minutes with this focused pattern of breathing and walking. When thoughts come into your mind, as they naturally will, acknowledge them and refocus on your breathing.

Other Types of Meditation

There are many options for anyone who is interested in meditation. Tai chi and yoga are both types of moving meditation, and most areas have classes in these, so check a local gym or community center. There is also a type of breathing meditation called Qi Gong that is gaining popularity and may also be taught in your area. If classes aren’t accessible to you, there are other options. There are online videos, smartphone apps, podcasts and books that give detailed instructions on almost every type of meditation out there. Just search for “guided meditations” and you will find a nice selection of free or cheap options.

Meditation is an exercise that takes practice. Inner contemplation is not easy, and can be frustrating at first, but keep trying. If you find that meditation just isn’t your cup of tea, try to work other types of relaxation into your schedule. You train at a high level, and you most likely have a full schedule of commitments, so you absolutely deserve relaxation time. All athletes will tell you that rest is crucial to performance.

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