Yoga for Performance
Yoga for Performance
The demand of performance sport puts athletes, staff and coaches in a ‘switched on’ state a lot of the time. This raises the stress hormone, cortisol, keeping the individuals in an alert state. As humans, we are more likely to burnout if we stay in high stress states. It is therefore essential, for maximising sustainable performance, we are able to switch from ‘on’ to ‘off’ by building the toolkit that brings the cortisol levels down. This involves stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. The combination of movement, breath work, mindfulness & more awareness of the body-mind connection that can be developed using yoga, helps individuals to develop a toolkit to self-regulate more effectively. This has multiple benefits for performance:
Creating a relaxed state before bed, leading to better sleep and recovery
Lowering cortisol levels, resulting in better switch off, restoration & recovery, and reducing the likelihood of burnout
Creating longevity in physical wellbeing for sustainability in sport & health beyond sporting career
Creating more self-awareness of the body-mind connection to self-regulate more effectively, resulting in sustainable and maximum availability
Strengthening the diaphragm for physical and recovery gains
Building a toolkit and capacity to manage high pressure moments and the consistent demand and load
Increasing wider self-awareness to increase the ability to choose a response instead of reacting, improving communication & receptiveness to feedback
