Meditation for Running and Health

Note:

If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or 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)

Meditation

Picture 1 - Putting too much pressure to perform to the young will make them lose interest in sports as mental burnout sets in. They may not even exercise for health because of this and in the long-term because of the memory of pain and displeasure sensations they have to go through in sports. Coping strategies are very important.

It is at Loughborough University of Technology, in England, one of the top universities in sports research, that I realised that meditation will increase cardiac output, thereby improving one's performance. Recent research has shown concrete evidence that meditation does help in sports. In short, it is scientific that meditation is good for running and health, especially for mental health.

Getting guidance in meditation is of help to the person who wants to do a proper meditation. They are many ways to meditate.

Research also shows that physical relaxation and meditation are discrete. Hence, attending to the need of the two components - mind and body - differs. Meditation is good for the mind and physical relaxation is good for the body. Mentally, a person can be calm but, in some instances, this has happened, when he or she is given a rifle, the palm can get sweaty. This is evidence to show that mind and body are to be attended differently to improve one's performance in sports.

Picture 2 - One should attend to mental meditation to arrest the problem of mental stress.

In short, meditation is good for the mind. The mind can attain tranquillity which is beneficial to counter stress, which in Loughborough University it is taught that stress can be catastrophic. In sports performance, one could reap the benefit by the ability to make a good decision with a clear mind, even though there is pressure to perform. Top athletes usually do some forms of meditation which is specific to do well in sports.

Picture 3 - Meditation helps us to remain calm in very stressful situations in sports.

Having said that, I would like to discuss on what mediation is.

Meditation is, simply, something that one is not forced or stressed to do. It is mainly on focusing on awareness. In some meditation exercise, one does not have to force oneself to visualise but to imagine or be aware without effort.

It is a good idea to meditate for 20 minutes for quality meditation. The points below shows on how to meditate.

Points to meditate.

One could get into a lotus, half-lotus or easy pose to do meditation. An easy pose is for one to sit with a normal cross-legged sitting.

Picture 4 - Padmasana or Lotus Pose

Picture 5 - Half- Lotus Pose

Picture 6 - Sukhasana or Easy Pose

One could sit on the floor with spine erect, the head should be relaxed but up, not facing downwards.

The meaning of the index finger touching the thump means oneness with nature. There is no 'I' or 'mine' but 'we'.

During meditation, one could go to a quiet corner or room to do this to avoid distraction. The 20 mins meditation should be undisturbed without any interruption.

One could do the meditation with music that is very soothing and clam in the background.

The best time to this is 4am. The core temperature will be the lowest and however, there is no hard and fast rule in this. One could do at 5am or 6am. The earlier it is, the better it is from 4am. In the evening, one can meditate again for 20min from 5pm onwards.

What to meditate on?

It is a mistaken notion to think that the mind must be empty. This is wrong. An empty mind is a devil's workshop. There are many meditational exercises that one can do to meditation for 20minutes without any form of distraction.

One could meditation on the opposite of the negative quality that one has. If one does not have confidence, one could meditate on confidence. If one is fearful for many things or during races, he or she can just meditate on the word 'COURAGE' or 'Fearlessness'.

Focusing on 'Oneness' for world peace is one of the ways to meditate.

Focusing one attention to the parts of the body is one form of meditation. For example, one could spend 1 minute on both feet, then the next 1 minute on the ankle and the next 1 minute on the calve muscles etc.

Picture 7 - Listening to the sound of nature, in this case, the sea waves can be very beneficial for the mind.

Good luck with your meditation.

Picture 8 - Meditation can do the following:

1. Enable the mind to be clear. A clear mind enables better imagery.

2. One can become more inward and not affected by external tendencies.

3. One will be able to improve one's cardiac output.

4. Heart rate goes down.

5. One will be able to make a good decision.

6. One will be able to be aware of one's mistake and make amendments.

7. Able to observe thoughts like passing clouds.
8. A negative mind will become positive.
9. The breathing becomes rhythmic.
10. One's metabolism increases.

Note:

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 a 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.