Meditation for your golf game

Are you stressed out and impatient with the hustle and bustle of the holidays?

Most golfers say they play golf for relaxation from their hectic schedules. When you encounter a situation that frustrates you, do you have a method for controlling your mind and emotions?

Practice meditation for golf focus 

Meditation was taught by the Buddha thousands of years ago to quiet the voices of fear, anxiety, worry and other negative emotions in the mind. He described the inner mental noise as drunken monkeys chattering in your mind. Today we call it the negative self-talk that goes on in everyone’s mind. Golfers try to “block out” these distracting thoughts, but it’s useless to do that because what you resist, persists.

Meditation is considered a type of mind-body alternative medicine. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the “monkey mind” thoughts that may be distracting you and causing stress.

The Mindfulness of Breathing 

Deep breathing is very useful in your pre-shot routine to put you into the relaxed state of mind-body-spirit necessary for accessing your personal best performances.

By practicing this simple breathing meditation daily for 10-15 minutes you can find inner peace and balance in all aspects of your life.

• Find a place that is quiet where you won’t be distracted.
• Sit in a comfortable position; either the cross-legged posture or a straight back chair.
• Concentrate only on how you breathe.
• Inhale deeply and then exhale as long as possible.
• Imagine how far out from you the air you exhaled goes before you breathe it in again.
• If your mind wanders from this process and is following your thoughts, bring it back to focusing on your breathing.
• Continue following your breath until you are no longer distracted by your thoughts.
• You are now in the present moment where all is still and quiet. 

Meditation Practices 

• Guided meditation. Listen to guided imagery on the Positive Mental Imagery CDs to  be guided on forming the mental images of the golf game you desire. Available at www.pmi4.com/cart
• Mantra meditation. A mantra is a personal ritual of repeating a calming word, thought or phrase to prevent distracting thoughts.
• Qi gong. Qi Qong is part of traditional Chinese medicine that combines breathing exercises, physical movement, exercise and meditation for balance.
• Tai chi. Tai Chi is a form of Chinese martial arts. It combines deep breathing with slow, graceful movements. It is meditation in movement and my personal favorite.
• Yoga. Yoga combines physical, mental and spiritual disciplines to attain a state of permanent peace. The series of postures and controlled breathing exercises promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. 

Meditating for a few minutes every day can improve your focus, your health, your enjoyment of your golf game and your quality of life.

In the midst of movement and chaos,
keep stillness inside of you.
– Deepak Chopra