Coach Carter

For the first time in a very long time, I have found it hard to decide on a topic for the blog post this week. In fact, I was getting to the point where I felt I would miss a week - but then I had a few emails asking where the post was this week: I even asked my athlete Craig if he could suggest something - "never thought I would start doing requests".

It was only this lunchtime that it dawned on me I had been having a recurring experience in the last fortnight: reminders that we tend to push, not stretch ourselves to new levels. What brought it to the forefront of my mind this lunchtime was my participation in a Body Balance class. Last week, my first time at this type of class, I came out feeling LESS balanced than when I went in!!! I had been over zealous with one of the stretches and my left hamstring / gluteal muscle has been tight all week. It took me back to my first yoga class two years ago: one week before the National Track Champs (I know, I know) and I was limping around all week having over done it. It doesn't take too much time hanging out with 'Yogis' to realise how amazingly athletic they are. Having got back into Yoga in the last few weeks, I am having a light shone on all the bodily weaknesses existing in me. I know its going to be good for my physical well being to stick at it. But, more importantly, I know its the mental well being I will benefit from the most.

I'm currently reading a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn called "Full Catastrophe Living". With a title like that though it probably brings negative messages to your mind - no, I am not having a mid life crisis! However, as Zinn explains, in this sense Catastrophe means greeting the full tapestry of life: the good, the bad, and living them to the full - opportunities for growth. The competing athlete can probably understand this - its often our worst performances that help us learn the most about taking ourselves forward. In the chapter on Yoga being used as a meditation, Zinn explains how in each practise we can discover the boundaries of how far we can stretch, or for how long we can hold a position. But, remembering that these boundaries are not static - he advises therefore to not become too static in setting our limits. If we listen carefully enough to our bodies, it will tell us how far we can go in that session - but in the next session we need to approach it with a beginners mind: with no expectation from the session before. He goes on to explain how athletes are used to this approach - exploration of their limits. However, I tend to disagree with what he says next. He suggest athletes always do that to get somewhere - but in Yoga, the idea is to simply use the practise to understand / discover where we are at: I actually think that adopting this approach - ceasing the relentless striving - would be an ideal way for an athlete to train and / or race. Simply entering each session with an open mind, listening to the limit the body sets us, and gently stretching it to a newer level. There aren't many people who get Yoga injuries or suffer from over-training...with the exception of competitive athletes who push too much, too soon...I hold my hand up to that! 

So, athletes beware - I might be setting some Yoga sessions in your training plans very soon!