yoga information

Yoga and Golf - Are You Golf Ready?

By Carolyn Wiens

OHMYGOSH, IT’S GOLF SEASON ALREADY? Yoga and Golf are two of my favourite activities, and they fit together like peanut butter and jam (another fave combo!) As the golf season approaches, ask yourself “Am I Golf – Ready”?

MASTERY: Personally, I’m mentally committed to playing more golf this year than ever before. I’ve decided that I’m going to golf at least twice a week, in addition to participating in tournaments. I already know that I have some tuning up to do before I hit the links, so I’ve decided to log practice time and league play into my calendar just as I do for business appointments. It’s true that to achieve true mastery, it all boils down to practising a dozen or so tasks over and over and over again so that they become automatic and effortless.

MIND BODY SPIRIT: If you’re in a lousy state of mind, you have to consciously control your thoughts, to bring yourself back to a positive state. You’ve heard me say this in class many times: “Your inner world creates your outer world”. So, if you step up to the first tee, without doing some pre-game warm up stretches, and without setting your intention for your game, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Your golf experience will be less than satisfactory, which will be reflected in your score, and your frustration after you’ve left the 18th green. It would be like stepping onto your yoga mat without taking the time to warm up your body and allow your mind to let go of the stresses of the day. Do you see the parallel here?

OK – Yoga and Golf…..the connection is very clear. As Katherine Roberts writes, “Yoga enables one’s ability concentrate, be in “the zone” – to remain completely focused on the task at hand. Many tour players are benefiting from yoga: Brad Faxon, Jonathan Kaye, Gary McCord, Andrew Magee, Stewart Cink, Jesper Parnevik, Chip Beck, David Gossett, Gary Player, Ty Tryon, Aaron Baddeley, Julie Inkster, Betsy King, and Jill McGill. Even Tiger has talked about his Buddhist background and how that impacts his meditation and focus techniques.” She goes on to say “Your breathing pattern is a direct reflection of the level of stress on the body and mind at any given point and is a mirror of your internal physical and mental condition. An effective tool to “de-stress” on the golf course is with the practice of slow deep rhythmic breathing. Incorporate deep breathing into your pre-shot routine. Set your stance, take a deep inhalation, then a “cleansing” exhalation, and then begin your take away. This technique can offset the first tee jitters and create more rhythm and “feel” in your golf swing.”

WRAPPING IT UP: So where’s the connection? Slow down your breathing. Improve your skills, both through instruction and practise. Appreciate and drink in your surroundings….the golf course scenery is usually gorgeous. Appreciate and understand that you can start from ANY level, whether you choose yoga or golf. Your body is made to move, to enjoy nature, to flex, to breathe. See you on the links!

Carolyn Wiens is a certified Lifestyle Coach, Corporate Wellness Trainer and Yoga Instructor.

She owns Sunrise Lifestyle Coaching & Yoga Studio in Simcoe, ON and can be reached at http://www.sunrisecoaching.ca or at 519-426-1118 for a FREE coaching session. Sunrise Lifestyle Coaching's mission is to inspire people to live with passion to their fullest potential.

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 10:03 AM