MIND AND BODY a ae rr nye A ET le y CU '---- Yoga can help you conte facet and concentration, so on court you'll “respond,” not “react.” ‘nawarm March evening during the round of 16 at incian Well Calif, world No. 1 Rafael Nadalis confronted by match point, for the fourth time, from his friend and op ponent, Argentine David Nalbandian. Amid the pressure from the crowd, the fans. his team, and his competitor, Nadal, who had recently won his sixth Grand Slam, isan image of calm, taking his time, never wavering or breaking his concentra: tion; he ts his focus inside and reaches for Just over 400 miles north in San Francisco, sweat is delpping ofthe students in Diego Del Sols class at the Yoga Tee studios.Del Sol a yoga instructor for over 12 years, has a distinc: tive way of ralsing body temperatures without, the use of artificial heat. Ashe leads the class into the next of longline of challenging yoga 22 Tennistifewssznc = SEPTEMBER ‘poses, his ever-present calm voice directs the student’ minds away from doubt and fear and ‘onto theie breathing, soothing anxieties and instilling confidence, uti success i reached. ‘The commonalities between Nadal and Del Sol—courage, discipline, determination and strength—are the wats of wartior "Yoga is for enhancing a person on all levels says Dal Sol, who has been named best private yoga instructor by San Francisco Magazine and is ’a tennis and soccer player. "The yoga master has the heart, mind and body ofa champion so the tennis playeris a yoga master. The professional tennis players already using yogic principles to getto the top of thelr game Those principles are restraint, observance, strength, breathing, withdrawal of senses, The Power of Breathing One ofthe basics of yoga the breath, is also vital for the tennis player. In yoga itis said that as your breath is restricted, so is your Iife."The breath isa direct link to vitality, e ‘ergy and control’ says Del Sol. “The breath ‘an help you concentrate, hone the mind ‘and make itso sharp that’ lke a laser” Focusing on the breath brings us com- pletely into the present moment—we only have the breath of today, not of yesterday or ‘tomorrow. Therefore, by putting our atten- ‘lon on the present, our concentration can deepen, and we're able to block out unnec- essary distractions, like missed shots, the crowd or the chair. Del Sol and Brewer advocate continu: ‘ous long deep breaths, inhaled and slowly ‘exhaled through the nose with the mouth —BR.stration, meditation and enlightenment intensity and power of today’s game Documented in the journal Evidence-Based native Medicine in 2007, swith the way the autonomic ids to stress and anxiety set ofthe fight orf nance to stay present within the heat of the Dmitry Tursun discussing mental strength on the Ishuran and he makes mistake: ith tham much better then most I's that litle difference that makes avery big afferen: number urt"Roger nithe deals perception on the cour. lacome manageable, alow and confidence tes perform best when they relax Ing you to compete with fui za into his cients the court is conditioning programs."The g tostay calm no matter how tense al Sol agrees, "fa play fears or doubts, they while under pressure! ‘Automating the Process Pro players And) nd Dinara both are kn ng th get the better of them during crucial moments it they've both been adéressing the past year, with astounding results tering their mental reactions during compet tion has enabled each to push through s allgand go sponents st to make usually play; i's crucial to respond, rather than react! says Brewer, who in the past has trained vith Bjorn Borg.“A regular yoga practice automates that process allowing the player tocall on itfaster and faster o t's imperative forthe player to stay flexible, ‘open and responsive to what’ happening—just ‘respond to the tennis ball Thats the kind of selPdisci Hf by requir dy dedication to pr always challenge yoursel, never the benefits w Yoga Poses To Help Your J Tennis CAMEL POSE ey Xela pea ital While all yoga practices should be tailored to the individual, these ete Oe er eee a tennis player's body to work in one synchronized movement while also improving strength, agility, endurance and flexibility. Downward-Facing Dog (“Adho Mukha Svanasana”): Both a strength building and resting pose that calms the brain and helps relieve stress while also energizing the body, Down-dog stretches the back, hamstrings and calves, and builds power in Crete CR eM a ane leg with a rotation. High lunge with a twist can help with efficiency and agility by im- proving balance, increasing strength of the lower body, opening up the hips, stretch- ing the thigh, elongating the spine and opening the chest. Warrior Il (“Virabhadrasana II"): Warrior Il is an empowering stance that allows ‘one to see through illusions and act with courage and focus. The classic pose builds strength and stamina in the legs and ankles, works the shoulders and helps to relieve fees Cee ee ee cae a cr Ue relleve fatigue and anxiety. It stretches the entire front of the body, ankles, thighs and Pee ee ee ec eee Pe eee es Pere ea ec cea ‘one leg. This pose helps develop stability while building strength in the legs and an- kles, and it stretches everything from the shoulders down to the thighs. utennisiite.com