Have you tried Meditation?

[aircanuck]

Was reading the Power Within - Discovering the Path to Elite Goaltending (really great read) and they discuss the widespread use of meditation for goalies. I have always been a big proponent on the power of meditation and its application to our position. I've been well coached in the field as well.

 Being well outside the competitive realm in hockey now, I have experimented with and without meditation. For me, I see the puck better when I go in clear with meditation vs when I do not.  Plus, I constantly focus on my breath throughout my play. With all this, the post game feeling I get is second to none. 2 hours is spent in a better realm!

Easily a placebo effect, but it's worked for me. Your results may vary of course. 

Does anyone else practice any form of mediation and what your views are on it? 

[Max27]

I do yoga and it helps a lot. I have a lot of anxiety and stress especially towards games and it helps me relax. would reccomend it to anybody 

[Lucky Pucker]

1 hour ago, aircanuck said:

Was reading the Power Within - Discovering the Path to Elite Goaltending (really great read) and they discuss the widespread use of meditation for goalies. I have always been a big proponent on the power of meditation and its application to our position. I've been well coached in the field as well.

 Being well outside the competitive realm in hockey now, I have experimented with and without meditation. For me, I see the puck better when I go in clear with meditation vs when I do not.  Plus, I constantly focus on my breath throughout my play. With all this, the post game feeling I get is second to none. 2 hours is spent in a better realm!

Easily a placebo effect, but it's worked for me. Your results may vary of course. 

Does anyone else practice any form of mediation and what your views are on it? 

“No, get away, tree huggin' hippy”

i didn’t pick this, but it gave me a laugh! Cheers for that!

[stackem30]

Hippie*! 

Yes, I have taken more than a few whacks at meditation. Some efforts have lasted a single day, others a month or so. Unfortunately, it's never been something I've been able to do with regularity for any extended period of time.

When I have gotten into a nice groove of meditation (even for just 5 minutes at a time), I find it to be highly effective. It slows the world down for me, and I feel more empowered to take things in stride. And of course, it can be supremely calming. I'm someone who tends to get a 'second-wind' in the night hours, and my brain's natural tendency is to go into this sort of hyperactive/creative mode where I wanted to read, write, listen to/play music, exercise, watch TV, talk, etc. Throughout my 20's, I often relied on a certain herbal remedy to help me fall asleep (and stay asleep) at night. After a while, I decided I wanted to get away from that, and meditating before bed was a huge help in retraining my brain to settle down and prepare for sleep.

Truthfully, I've never done it before stepping in goal — hockey has never been something that made me particularly anxious. But it's a great tool to have in your toolbox.

[craig]

I have been practicing mindfulness meditation semi regularly for the past year. I have seen benefits most dramatically with my attention and focus. I am also an admitably moody guy, and I feel regular meditation has helped with my ups and downs. I've noticed I am able notice negative thought patterns and course-correct when this happens. All of this applies on the ice, as well as in my work and personal life. 

I also find the more I meditate, the more I see the benefits. And the more I see the benefits, the more I want to do it. But its one of those things people have a hard time making time for. Even though its so easy to do. 

I try to incorporate basic meditation practices into my game to help with my puck tracking . e.g Instead of focusing on the breath I focus on the puck for counts of 1-10. If i get distracted I start over at 1. And I just repeat this over and over. Its super repetitive, but it keeps me from thinking about other things I shouldn't be worrying about in the game, or from thinking/worrying about things outside of the game.

I think trying it immediately before a game or between warm-ups and puck drop (even for a minute) could be really beneficial.  

[Moose75]

I believe in a lot of kooky things, but yet the use of meditation has alluded me. I do small breathing exercises, which is similar to some forms of it. I do find just letting go during games helps my focus more than actually trying super hard to focus.

I think Kundalini yoga looks the most interesting to me. If you can control your core in that strange belly grinding cycle, then I imagine you'd be able to master your movements on the ice as a lot of goalie movements come from your core strength. 

[stackem30]

I've never tried Kundalini yoga (just read about it), but pretty much any yoga is going to be great for goalies. I've started doing a lot more yoga since I recovered from separating my shoulder, and I'm getting stronger in all sorts of places. It's taken a while, but I'm starting to see a major improvement in my balance, too. I mostly do hot-yoga Vinyasa flow, because I get a nice stretch, a ton of muscle work, and the sweat is unbeatable (that's saying a lot, coming from a goalie).