If you have any queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
In the Loughborough University of Technology, we were taught to do meditation for enhancing performance in running. When it matters most, in high-level performance, many choke when they are under pressure. It is said that stress can be catastrophic if not attended by coping strategies.
Hence, it should be reiterated that high-level competition has high-level stress. All the more meditation becomes more important. Our former Psychology lecturer in Loughborough University Dr Jones, who worked with British Olympians, told us that meditation does increase cardiac output during an exercise bout and that it is also good for endurance.
My experience in meditation is that it enables one to have a kind of feeling that anything can be accomplished by oneself if one put their heart, mind and soul in it. Impossible becomes possible. All religions say the same thing based on one thing. They say that we are the soul and not this body. When one identifies oneself with the body, only limitation sets in. One becomes selfish as well. In the end, the outcome is unhappiness, as well. It is said that one can have everything in the world, but still will feel that there is something lacking within oneself, and one will keep searching outside for peace or contentment.
When one identifies oneself with the soul, they will feel that they have boundless energy within themselves. One becomes selfless and has the ability to work from morning till night, not feeling tired. This is my experience. One will feel like a superman. One does not have to do 10 hours of meditation. Just 20min should be enough and the only thing one needs to do is to sit down on a comfortable chair, with spine erect, and be in a quiet place, and do meditation. Take note that meditation is not sleeping, as one will feel good and will relax into sleep. There are many meditation practises to one’s temperament and inclination. There is practise for it, and there is a wide variety of them.
A number of feats in running, I believe that I have achieved, comes not just from training but also from the practice of meditation as well.
As such, in the coming post, please go to my blog post to do some of the meditation that I have done and have benefited. Do it if you feel it may help you.
Meditation is good as it makes us feel that we are not lacking anything, over a period of time. We lose our body consciousness and feel unlimited, and it is like a battery charger. It is easier to succeed in things. The reason is that when we have body consciousness, it makes us feel limited and we tend to feel something is missing from us throughout life, although we may have everything in this material world. Thus, we do not feel confident and it is translated to our performance outside.
As for the practice of meditation, a commitment of 20min is not easy. People may say, “I am not free.” “I have to catch up with my friend” etc. Even running training of 3 to 4 times per week is quite difficult. Hence, it is even harder to complement meditation with running as well. It becomes a bigger challenge.
During my intensive training days, I could sleep 3 hours per day as I was including meditation. Also, I always feel energetic all the time with meditation.
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do the marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
Edited By a Flexifitness staff.
