I had a tennis match yesterday and was telling some of my teammates and competitors about the studio. A women asked me if I feel like yoga has changed my tennis game. And I couldn’t be more excited to share with her that it has absolutely changed my tennis game – in so many ways.
I started practicing yoga consistently 6 years ago and I have been playing tennis for about 15 years at this point. Prior to yoga, I was an absolute head case. I broke tennis rackets. I would yell. I would hit my leg so hard that I would leave a giant red hand print behind. I lost many, many matches. AND had a crap ton of excuses for why I lost the match. Most of the time it had absolutely nothing to do with me – “she has been playing longer than I have” or “she called a few balls out on important points that were definitely in!”
I have had a few people that didn’t know me during these times and are completely shocked to find out I was so volatile on the tennis court. My poor husband and parents definitely did not enjoy watching my tennis matches during that time.
I started practicing yoga and things started to change on the tennis court. And while I noticed a lot of physical changes, my serves were stronger, I fatigued less, the changes were more strongly noticed mentally.
On my yoga mat, I started to notice excuses that came up for me or lies that I would create about myself – mostly around not being good enough. And it was at my Level One training with the Baron Baptiste that I really began to get clear on how I was showing up on the tennis court is how I was showing up everywhere. Well, not that I was breaking rackets everywhere, but letting my lie of not being good enough infiltrate my life.
I came back from that training (after practicing three times a day of yoga) and took to the tennis court. And I actually saw the tennis ball. It sounds kind of weird, but I mean I saw the tennis ball as a ball and not a story of what was happening on the other side of the court. And really watching the ball, made me see what I needed to do in that current moment. I would get bogged down by what my opponent was good at and wasn’t good at, but by actually being present to what was happening right now in the point, I was able to make the best decision. I would make decisions based on what I knew, not what was happening.
And I have become more competitive (in a positive way). I know that it doesn’t matter if I am down by a lot of points, there is always an opportunity to play in this present moment and turn the match around.
At my match yesterday, my partner and I lost the first set and were down 4-1 (that is a considerable amount if you don’t know tennis) and we still came back and won the match. Six years ago, there is NO WAY that would have happened. My leg would be incredibly red and I would be making all kinds of excuses why we lost.
Yoga has given me the gift to live in the moment as it is, which has completely transformed my outlook on my tennis game. If you play any sports, how has yoga changed your game? Share in the comments below!
Shine on,
Jackie