[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”]Most Athletes know that it essential to include “rest days” in their training program but many will still over train and feel guilty when they take a day off[/pullquote]
Elite Athletes will have recovery days build into their training but recreational athletes must juggle their training while maintaining a balance between work, family and fitness goals. . Competitive sports athletes can also have a fear of losing and may lack true faith in their own abilities. Learning deep relaxation is an invaluable tool to overcome this problem. deep relaxation is not achieved by sitting on a couch , nor can you force yourself to relax. What you are looking for is a state of being where tension is released from the body on a physical level and your mind completely switches off. Yoga Nidra is the name given to guided relaxation that I use in my E.A.P3 Program. This is an ancient practice that must be learned under an experienced teacher and the benefits of relaxation will increase with a regular practice. Yoga Nidra can be implemented into daily training sessions.
The advantage of this guided relaxation is to allow the athlete to consciously release tension from every muscle in their body and it also gives the person the opportunity to lie absolutely still.
One of the great benefits of Yoga Nidra is that it trains the body and mind to unite and not to be at odds with one another. Research has shown that fifteen minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to four hours of normal sleeping. Yoga Nidra is an invaluable tool to all athletes and especially teams.
**There are two nervous systems in the human body: Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic.The Sympathetic nervous system is commonly know as “The Fight or Flight” suitation.Here is a prime example of the fight or flight scenario. Going back in historic times,people lived simple lives and the sympathetic nervous system would only become switched on when danger was near i.e. hunting wild animals. The hunter would feel a rush of adrenal, blood pressure would rise, breath rate would quicken and stress hormones would flood the body. When the danger was over, the parasympathetic would kick in and the hunter would relax, breath slows down and the adrenal rush is over. THE HUNTER CAN NOW LIVE A NORMAL RELAXED LIFE UNTIL THE NEXT SECENARIO ARISES.
Unfortunately in today’s world, we live in constant overdrive and the Parasympathetic ( Calm, quite, relaxed , stress release, enjoying the moment system )is switched off permanently.
Compare an athlete to the hunter, both striving to be successful – the difference being, the hunter knows how to unwind when the fight is over, but athletes do not…. When an athlete or team practices Yoga Nidra they form a synergy within the team. They will move forward and succeed but they must take one step back to move two steps forward…
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