Athletes Who
Meditate
It's commonly said that sports are 90 percent mental and only 10 percent physical.
A lack of focus can result in a missed three-point shot, nerves can
cause a gymnast to fall out of her landing, and a momentary lapse in confidence
can easily make the difference between gold and bronze.
So it's no surprise
that some of the best professional athletes in the sports world are turning to
meditation -- which has been shown to reduse stress and improve focus -- to boost their
game and ease the anxiety of high-pressure performances. Athletic greats Joe
Namath, Barry Zito and Arthur Ashe have spoken out about the benefits of
meditation as a tool for athletic success. And even entire teams have been
turning to visualization and mindfulness practices.
Joe Namath
"As a football player, I found that Transcendental Meditation helped me relax, and with a clear mind, I played better."
"As a football player, I found that Transcendental Meditation helped me relax, and with a clear mind, I played better."
(Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle) San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito (second from left), director David Lynch, and actor Russell Brand meditate during the San Francisco Unified School District Quiet Time anniversary at Burton High School in San Francisco on Monday, May 6, 2013. Student Chris Lacayo, right, joins them.
Zito and Brand are among celebrities that use and support the technique.
Brand told the students he “f-ing hated school” when he was their age.
Meditating “helped me access something inside of me that I tried to find in many other ways, through money, fame, sex, drugs,” Brand told the students.
Zito was equally enthusiastic about the technique, save the profanity.
He learned to use transcendental meditation in recent years as a way to turn off the negative comments directed at him on television, on the streets or in bars.
“I stopped putting so much stock in what other people thought of me,” he said. “My inner voice started to get a little louder than every one else.”
Brand told the students he “f-ing hated school” when he was their age.
Meditating “helped me access something inside of me that I tried to find in many other ways, through money, fame, sex, drugs,” Brand told the students.
Zito was equally enthusiastic about the technique, save the profanity.
He learned to use transcendental meditation in recent years as a way to turn off the negative comments directed at him on television, on the streets or in bars.
“I stopped putting so much stock in what other people thought of me,” he said. “My inner voice started to get a little louder than every one else.”
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