Breathe Easy

The state of athletic bliss where everything goes right and you don't have to think about performing - whether you call it the Zone or Flow - this is the mental and physical state that all athletes and top performers look for. Yet, so many athletes and performers are unaware of how to get there.

There are many ways to achieve peak performance, get in the zone, or achieve flow. The one thing that must happen first and foremost is the performer's ability to breathe. We must breathe to perform, just like we must breathe to live.

Many athletes try too hard when they want something to happen. The hockey player will squeeze his hockey stick and lose his scoring touch, while the golfer will tense up and try to hit the ball too hard.

The most effective way to release tension is to breathe. When you breathe, you allow the body to accept air - air is energy. Breathing in order to release tension is a skill, and to use it effectively it must be practiced.

Try this simple exercise:

• Focus on breathing in gently and filling your lungs. Then, exhale gently and completely to empty your lungs.
• Slow your breathing and focus on the inhalation (in breath) and the exhalation (out breath). Do this for 2-3 breaths.
• Now focus on the point or moment where those two breaths connect. When we are tense, typically there is a pause or break in the connection from inhalation to exhalation.
• Focus on connecting those two breaths and allowing the energy to flow through the body. It may take a few seconds to get it, but be patient. Breathe.

With practice, this exercise will become easier and you can then rely on it to help you calm down and refocus before or during performance.