We’re continuing our yoga journey on our ‘light’ training days, mastering the basic poses and methods from a beginner’s yoga dvd.
At the end of the practice, we sit, close our eyes and focus on our breath. Our virtual coach prompts us: “When thoughts come to overwhelm, as they often do, and you find yourself suddenly swept away, let your breathing bring you back again and again.”
Sounds simple enough right?! It’s actually a real skill to master. I’ve witnessed some players really struggle just to close their eyes. Closing your eyes in the presence of others can be daunting in itself, then there’s the added task of focusing consciously on yourself to just ‘be’ in the moment. Again, sounds easy? Try it. If you’re anything like me, you’re immediately bombarded with a million different thoughts of a thousand different things, dragging you in every direction other than where you are now. Then the more often you practice, the easier you can control your focus and stay connected in the moment. It really is an important skill.
I hope this doesn’t sound too ‘airy, fairy’ – rather that we’re taking the mentality of the players’ health and ability very seriously. We need to be producing pro-active, open minded and disciplined players. This is one method of training that will benefit these kids not only as footballers but even more as maturing adults.
Namaste and Amen.
Joey
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