Athlete, the habit of meditation is one of the most powerful things you can learn. Amazingly, it’s also just as simple. With the Meditation Coach feature launch, we invite you to join us in building a meditation practice.
Meditation nicely complements the yoga-based movement training in the Skill Yoga app and adds a mental layer to the physical training. Today, it becomes even more important to manage your well-being holistically, and to train your body and mind together. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do here. Let’s find out more!
What is meditation?
Meditation is a mind and body practice that has long been used to reap mental and physical benefits. Meditation essentially means focusing the mind on the breath, a particular subject, body area, or a mental image, whilst trying to not let anything disturb you. The key principle of meditation is choosing the focal point of your attention and not letting your mind be dragged around by random thoughts. You can do this sitting in any position that’s comfortable for you but sitting with the back upright is best for focus. You can do it anywhere, at any time and it will always have immediate benefits.
A simple yet powerful habit, many Athletes consider meditation an absolute game-changer. A large part of your athletic training happens in your mind – from sticking to your training schedule, showing up even when you don’t feel like it, to experiencing a high from an achievement. When you train your brain, it will inevitably help you not only progress, it will also reduce any negative thought patterns that may be holding you back.
The important thing is, there are multiple rewards in dedicating even short periods of time to mindfulness and meditation. Through our new Meditation feature launch, you are given the perfect aid to build a daily meditation practice.
Why build a meditation practice
There are many reasons to build a daily meditation practice that extend beyond your daily life and merge in well with your sport or training. Let’s go over some of these reasons:
- Meditation relieves stress and helps you to relax
- It improves your recovery time.
- Mindfulness helps you to savor life, change habits, live simply and slowly, and be present in everything you do.
- Meditation has been shown to have mental benefits, such as improved focus, happiness, memory, self-control, academic performance and more.
- Some research on meditation has indicated that it may have other health benefits, including improved metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and a stronger immune system.
READ MORE: MEDITATION, BRAIN FUNCTION AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
How to build a meditation routine
- Sit comfortably – A comfortable seat is the starting point for building a meditation practice. Additionally, you should find a position that works for you be it cross-legged, on your heels or on a chair. Want to add a cushion, a folded blanket? That’s also good!
- Start small and go from there – Committing just 5 minutes a day to building your meditation practice can have a profound effect on your wellbeing and get you started.
- Pick a time and trigger – Routine is a great tool for building habits and training the mind. Picking a time and trigger that leads you into meditation is a great way to go about it. Early morning, post-workout or middle of the workday all work as good triggers.
- Find a quiet spot – Focus is essential. It’s normal to have thoughts and it happens to absolutely everyone Whenever a thought pops up, label it as ‘thinking’ and send it away. However, minimizing distractions like noises, interruptions can help build focus
- Let go of your expectations – Come in with no expectations and take it one step at a time. Don’t think of your practice as a quick-fix or a self-improvement program. Feel the differences as they appear.
How can the Skill Yoga Meditation Coach help
- Update the app for the Meditation Coach
- Go through the onboarding
- Find the right program for you
- Select whether you want to do 5 or 10 mins
- Meditate daily with your Skill Yoga Meditation Coach
See you on the mat, Athlete!