We have all seen professional athletes focus before a competition.
Since they are professionals, they know they need to bring their attention to the present moment, focusing only on their breathing. By doing this, they center themselves in that calm place where they can connect with the space between stimulus and response (see article…).
They do this because directing awareness towards breathing is one of the fundamental techniques for achieving peak performance.
Take musicians, for example: they concentrate solely on the metronome’s rhythm, using its regular beat to master scales, which are the fundamentals of music.
If you consider breathing as a metronome with its own constant rhythm, you will connect with your inner source, and your concentration will quickly rise.
The more you remain focused on your breathing, the more deeply anchored you will be to that space of calm and peace that leads to optimal performance.
This is the concept of MINDFUL BREATHING (as Thich Nhat Hanh says: “mindful breathing is my anchor”), and when we connect to that deep place through it, it becomes very difficult to be destabilized by the distraction of a teaspoon of salt or anything that might throw you off course.
Through mindful breathing, we become aware of hidden things within us that we never imagined could interfere with our game, such as certain types of negative self-talk that have been repeating since childhood, ingrained mental patterns, and deep fears.
Breathing is the first thing we do when we are born and the last thing we do when we leave this world!
Modern life, with its associated tensions, contributes to shortening our breaths. We have become a generation of shallow breathers. We live in a rush, and our breathing rushes with us. When we are stressed, our breath becomes even shorter, making us more prone to stress.
And we know very well how stress can damage performance, as it blinds us to what we need to do during the match.
But how does breathing work?
Breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which is composed of two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
In cases of anxiety or stress, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, releasing and flooding the body with stress hormones. When these accumulate, the immune system begins to collapse, as does the ability to think clearly and respond appropriately. The sympathetic nervous system channels this tension.
This is where the parasympathetic nervous system comes into play, doing essentially the opposite: instead of speeding things up, it slows us down. It lowers blood pressure and reduces heart rate. It helps us by releasing a neurotransmitter called “acetylcholine,” which is essential for relaxation.
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath” – Amit Ray
Since breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, one of the simplest and most effective ways to activate the parasympathetic system is through mindful breathing.
It’s a cycle: inhalation, exhalation, and the space between the two moments, like the pause between two waves until the breath returns, like the tide.
Achieving this awareness requires a lot of practice, and one learns to calm the mind by repeatedly bringing mindful attention back to the breath.
Great tennis players are well aware of this experience. “When you’re in the zone,” Federer said, “things just slow down. Everything slows down. You have the utmost confidence. When that happens, you don’t try to focus on what’s going on (around you), because out there, you could lose everything in a moment. Everything becomes a single background noise. You don’t pay attention to this or that noise. You are focused only on the present. You are focused on the incoming ball, on its seams…you see them as if everything is in slow motion.”
He goes on to say: “You have to stay in the present moment. You can’t worry about what just happened, the point you made, the mistake you just made at the net, because it’s already gone. You can’t worry about what’s about to happen on the court. You have to stay right there, in the present moment.”
A lost match is just lost. You can’t dwell on the frustration unless you want to carry it into the next match, creating an obstacle to stumble over. Try to reflect: the match that just ended is over, and the future one has yet to be played.
You have to focus on the present moment!
“The mind must be empty to see clearly” – Krishnamurti