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.
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