Presence - Part II

In the previous post, I recounted a story of almost losing a match after "losing my vision" over a line call at match point. Sure that match point had been snatched away by a malicious call, I couldn't see the balls come my way for two subsequent - losing - games. Re-living the "past" in this way, costs many players their present... How does yoga help a tennis player to remain in the present point?

Presence - Part II

In Hatha yoga, we approach each pose independently from the other – even if it’s part of a sequence. We hold the posture for a period of time  - a time period that suits each individual - and then move on to the next. If we lose the pose through imbalance – in my classes, anyhow – we laugh, realign and move on. Laughter is a great stress reliever! There is no success or failure – only attention to physical sensation and awareness. Whether leading a class or practicing on my own, I don’t plan my routines – no two are the same. I simply respond to the moment and my intuition, doing whatever pose seems a good follow-up to the last. (For I believe that too much planning places me in the future - not the precious present.) Surely, losing my mind over a single line call was not a “good follow-up;” alas, I couldn’t even follow-through on my strokes!  

In tennis, the player who responds to the present moment usually makes a good decision. The mantra I use when my game is “off” is; get out of your mind, stay in your body, stay in your body, stay in your body. Right here, right now. Or, begin anew.  In Zen, it’s called “beginner’s mind.” The past, after all, is passed. So, please, don’t embarrass yourself as I did at 5-2. It wasn’t worth the self-recrimination later. Concentrate on the shot of the moment; let go of it whether it is won or lost, take a deep cleansing breath and enjoy the game. Begin anew and…

Get on with it.

 

 

 

Presence - Remaining stuck in the past (point) sabotages the present (point).

Presence

Oh, the mind! When we miss a few returns-of-serve, net a couple of overheads or double-fault a few times, we become convinced that we’re “off our game.” And I guess we are! But, I tend to think “out of our minds” is a more accurate conclusion. The more we think about “being off,” the worse it gets. The worse it gets, the more frustrated we become. The more frustrated we become, the more we berate ourselves – or in some cases, our partners (Eeek!). Our minds begin imagining all kinds of repercussions: my partner will be mad at me, I’m going to lose this match, I can’t wait to get off the court, the opponents are laughing at me. Soon, we literally can’t even see the ball – so many messages are flashing in our brain – let alone strike it with any authority.

Once, I got so upset about a line call on match point (6-2, 5-2), I literally lost my eyesight; all I could see was the ball hitting the back line and our opponents conspiring – or so I thought. Oh, the unfairness of it all! During the ensuing play, I couldn’t hit the ball on the strings, let alone into the opposing court, for two full games – both of which we lost. Fortunately, my partner – who had been streaky during the match – channeled her frustration, began to focus and took charge to finish the match 6-2, 6-4. Still, I was so embarrassed to have fallen apart over a call that may or may not have been accurate. I’ll never know and it doesn’t matter – even if we had gone on to lose the match. What matters to me, here forward, is remaining in the present and not letting the past (a “bad” call a minute ago) negatively influence the present (the ball coming toward me now) – especially in a game, for God’s sake!

Stay tuned for my next post where we explore how yoga helps the practitioner to remain exquisitely present - thus avoiding the "blindness" which comes from re-living the past.

Or if you simply can't wait, cough up $1.69 and download the entire Dharma of Tennis to your Kindle by clicking on this link http://www.amazon.com/The-Dharma-Tennis-Judi-Beck-ebook/dp/B00E0QFLA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389701155&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dharma+of+tennis.

Finally, remember you can experience The Dharma of Tennis in real time by gathering 4 - 8 of your team mates and scheduling the two-day workshop for March, April or May. Email me at kmbeck@skybest.com for more information.

Breath - Part II - Applying Yogic Breathing to Your Tennis Game

In Breath Part I (January 9) we talked about how one's inhalations and exhalations enhance and empower one's yoga practice. Today we transfer that principle to the courts. To get the most out of today's post, please re-read Breath Part I first and ... Enjoy Both!

Invariably, tennis follows the same principle. On the service toss – a bodily extension – we inhale. On the follow through motion, a contraction, we exhale. In ground strokes we inhale on the backswing and exhale on the forward swing - where our racquet connects with the ball. The same goes for volleys – only the breath is, by necessity, in shorter gusts. This is why players expel those loud screams and grunts during match play. They’re generating power and maintaining equilibrium. Just as in yoga, we get into trouble when we hold our breath or breathe shallowly during play – a common malady, which is often a fear-driven response. When we do so, we become tentative and stiff; our shots are weaker and our body is more prone to injury. Some coaches instruct their students to emit a breathy “yes” on the follow-through to ensure exhalation. So… forgive me – and others – who make such a commotion on the court with our noisy exhalations! Soon you’ll be following suit and striking the ball with more noise, power and courage – which by the way, has the same Latin root as “heart” (cor).  Ahhhh.  

A yogic adage is; “if you can’t breathe, don’t do it. If you must do it, remember to breathe.”

 

If you've been following along with each post, you've now completed Principles I and II of the Dharma of Tennis. III - XI will follow in the coming weeks. However, if you simply can't wait to read the whole thing, go to http://www.amazon.com/The-Dharma-Tennis-Judi-Beck-ebook/dp/B00E0QFLA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389701155&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dharma+of+tennis and download the entire document instantly to you Kindle for a meager $1.69.

More importantly, if you'd like to experience the Dharma of Tennis, call me or email me to schedule a full workshop for you and your tennis buddies.

Breath - The Cornerstone

Breath

Did you know that the words: respiration, inspiration and aspiration all share the same Latin root with the word “spirit” – or spiritus, whose Latin meaning is “breath?” Respiration (the act of breathing) fuels one’s body at its very core. Inspiration (creative thought) and aspiration (creative ambition) fuel one’s soul. Conscious and conscientious breathing – one might otherwise call this infusing the body with spirit – are cornerstones of all yoga practice. As such, while moving into an asana, 95% of the time, we inhale as our body is extending and exhale as our body is contracting. During posture holds – as in Hatha, we pay attention to the natural inflow and outflow of air from the body. If we begin to lose a pose due to loss of balance, a gentle exhalation will help us to re-align. If we begin to weaken, a deliberate inhalation will revitalize us.

With these adjustments, our spirit is lifted as we regain balance and strength. We are once again inspired to carry on.

Often times – particularly in Vinyasa – we engage in a sequence that is a series of bodily extensions which are followed immediately with bodily contractions. More specifically, when the body expands or lengthens, we inhale. When the body shortens or bends into itself, we exhale. Salutation to the Sun is a perfect example; we stretch up to the sky (inhale), bend forward at the waist (exhale), extend left leg outward (inhale then exhale), extend right leg outward (inhale) and so forth. See the illustration below. Our breath keeps us balanced both physically and mentally for it continually re-vitalizes the body as we expend energy.

 Stay tuned for an explanation of how knowing how to breathe with your body  keeps you balanced and strong - physically and mentally - on the tennis court. Or - if you simply can't wait one minute longer, you can download the entire Dharma of Tennis document to your Kindle from  http://www.amazon.com/The-Dharma-Tennis-Judi-Beck-ebook/dp/B00E0QFLA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386680883&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Dharma+of+Tennis for a whopping $1.69.

And... for more reflections on yoga and life, visit my blog www.contemplativeyoga.blogspot.com and enjoy!

Focus - Part II - Applying Balance Pose Principles to Tennis

Now, I don’t know a sport that doesn’t require focus – intense focus – on something, usually a ball! Of course, in tennis, it’s that fuzzy little orb that we chase relentlessly around the court. Once we lose visual contact with it, we miss-hit the ball or whiff it all together! When I am making a series of uncharacteristic mistakes due to loss of concentration on the game, I recall how I focus on one thing during yoga balances – then refocus, likewise, on the ball – and the ball only. To the extreme, I’ll quit watching anyone or anything other than it. My world becomes minute – the size of the tennis ball - during changeovers, during play, during rest breaks – all the time, for minutes on end, until I’ve returned to the business at hand. Essentially, it’s a meditation on the tennis ball. The one instance when this isn’t possible is in doubles when my partner is serving or receiving the ball behind me. We all know it’s a no-no to turn your back to the net! But the rest of the time, the ball is my world.

If you’ve begun to shop for dinner in your head – instead of watching the tennis ball – make the ball your world and win the next point. And the next. And the next.

So ... we've concluded principle I of the Dharma of Tennis - Focus. Principles 2 - 6 will follow over the next several weeks. Stay tuned for Principle II - Breathe. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Or if you simply can't wait, for a measly $1.69, you can download the entire document to your Kindle and be ahead of the curve. Just click  http://www.amazon.com/The-Dharma-Tennis-Judi-Beck-ebook/dp/B00E0QFLA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386680883&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Dharma+of+Tennis and enjoy!