The yogi tennis player
by Nityananda Atman
by Nityananda Atman
Tennis is considered mostly
(90%) as a mental game. But as we see, even today most of tennis players don´t spend enough time (if at all) for a daily well programming psychological
preparation.
Past decades most time of
the practice were spent for the physical technical and tactical preparation.
There was no special programming or practice for psychological preparation. The
psychological preparation was based on personal experience and the advices of
the trainer based mainly on his experience.
Last two decades there is a
great development in the psychology of sports. Nowadays there are many sports
psychologists that can give advices and methods for the development of mental
skills. There are also many books that are referred to the mental skills and
its training.
The systematic psychological training
is a great step in sports and according my point of view it will play a great
role in sports the next decades. Sport psychology will take little by little
its place in the daily practice.
Of course the psychological training must be also practiced during the physical, technical and tactical training and not only in the 2 or 3 daily sessions which are programmed for psychologiacal skills. For example concentration, tranquility, self-awareness, self-observation, affirmation, visualization, positive thinking etc. must be exercised during all daily practice and according my point of view during all day.
Of course the psychological training must be also practiced during the physical, technical and tactical training and not only in the 2 or 3 daily sessions which are programmed for psychologiacal skills. For example concentration, tranquility, self-awareness, self-observation, affirmation, visualization, positive thinking etc. must be exercised during all daily practice and according my point of view during all day.
The main goal of sport
psychology is to help athletes develop all the mental and emotional skills
that will enable them achieve the highest possible level of performance. TenniSat in addition to the high performance has as ultimate goal the Self-actualization.
TennisSat aims through the
psychological training to the integral development of tennis player which will help the player to a high performance as well as to be
healthy, balanced and harmonious at all level of existence.
Tennis carrier is very short
and fleeting. Of course is a very beautiful journey but it has its own
limitations and above all (even the best possible career) cannot fulfill the
deepest craving in man which is the experience of freedom, bliss,
peace and completeness.
If we are identified with the lower aspects of our existence (body, mind senses) and don't realize that we
are something more than these, ie.
consciousness and one with the cosmic consciousness, will never be content and
satisfied. There is no external condition or success that can give us eternal
happiness, peace and wholeness. We can enjoy temporarly moments of success which normally are followed by moments of insatisfaction, uneasiness, incompletness and suffering.
TenniSat use all modern and
ancient psychological techniques and methods and tennis game itself in order to
enable the inner development and the highest realization of life.
Who is a yogi?
Yogi is not a religious person. Yogi is the one who has raised
his mind beyond the pairs of opposites such as pleasure-pain, success-failure,
like-dislike, attraction-repulsion, love-hatred, etc. Yogi is he who abides consciously in
his essence, the Consciousness or Awareness and has realized its identity with That Consciousness; viz. that he is the Consciousness itself expressed temporarily through a body and a mind.
When the mind becomes sattvic, pure, steady and one pointed we can easily focus it in our heart, the center of our existence. When the mind is absorbed in the heart we experience unalloyed bliss, freedom and peace without any trace of suffering or pain.
This possible by deep meditation which is the result of regular systematic practice for many years.
The mind after prolonging meditation in its center or source (consciousness) merges in it and becomes one with it. This state is called samadhi and the yogi experiences the blissful state of conscious union with the source of life whose natute in peace, bliss and freedom eternal.
This is the highest state that can be achieved by a human being and this is considered by the wises as the main goal or purpose of life.
Tennis is one of the sports that requires a very high degree of attention and concentration. That's why it is a sport that can help the athlete enter in the meditave state.
There are many tennis players that describe moments of playing in psychological state that were beyond any description. This is called in sports in the zone or flow. But due to lack of knowledge and practice they cannot enter voluntary in this state. It happens to them accidentally.
Tennis game as a mean for Self-realization
Tennis game wisely utilized together with regular practice and a sattvic living can be a mean for the achievement of this highest realization.
The yogi tennis player must follow a sattvic life style and must practice various techniques, methods and practices in order to establish health, balance and harmony at all levels of existence. With systematic daily practice he has to develop gradually the positive mental and emotional qualities which are necessary for a high level of performance and at the same time are the fundamental qualities for the realization of truth.
Playing in the zone
By daily meditation the tennis player will develop self-awareness and the witnessing consciousness. That means that he will be able to disidentify from the mental and emotional movements observing them as a spectator. Thus he will be able to free his mind from the mechanical distubing thoughts and emotions and achieve a meditative state during practice and game which is called is sports – in the zone.
Playing in the zone will be the main goal of the tennis yogi player. By playing in the zone the mind becomes tranquil, steady, focused and transcends its mental and emotional activities. The movements become spontaneous and harmonious, the performance reaches its highest limits and at the same time the athlete experiences uncaused peace, happiness and unity.
The final goal for the yogi tennis player is to enter in the zone state effortlessly and spontaneously and finally be established in it; viz. without interruption to experience the freedom, peace and bliss of his divine nature (Consciousness).
Some important positive mental and emotional qualities
Adaptability
Acceptance
Tranquility-Calmness
Determination
Forbearence
Preseverence
Posistive thinking
Will power
Discerment,
One-pointed, concentrated
Faith
Self-confindence
Patience
Courage
Joyfulness etc.
Acceptance
Tranquility-Calmness
Determination
Forbearence
Preseverence
Posistive thinking
Will power
Discerment,
One-pointed, concentrated
Faith
Self-confindence
Patience
Courage
Joyfulness etc.
