How to Win the Cup: A Yogic Approach

[Guest guest]

Item below from the Times of India.. as I type, India

is taking on Australia for the World Cup of Cricket.

This is a BIG event in India of course. There are a

billion Indians who couldn't give a damn about the

World Series or Super Bowl.

 

Keval

 

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How to Win the Cup: A Yogic Approach

SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA

 

[ SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2003 12:00:00 AM ]

 

Tomorrow, India will play in the final match of World

Cup 2003. Indian cricketers are undoubtedly talented,

and to use their talent to the maximum, they must

connect creatively with yogic approaches to help them

win.

 

According to yoga, our identity is a product of

refe-rences born out of memories (smriti). A player

draws from his inner references, which motivate or

invalidate his playing. If the references are

powerful, he is in a resourceful state and an action

born out of such a state will be powerful. To manage

the mind and to draw powerful references is a skill.

To some it happens by default, but it is wise if it

happens by design.

 

While playing under stressful situations, our

cricketers might draw internal references from past

debacles, which might affect their actions

adversely. When unhappy, we tend to pick on memories

of past misery. If one can mentally discipline oneself

to cut this cycle of negative me-mories, particularly

when under stress, then one can operate from a

commitment to win rather than under the shadow of past

failures.

 

For winning, three factors are essential: focus on the

goal, resourcefulness, and an effective process. The

Bhagavad Gita instructs the devotee to always think of

the Lord, even while eating, walking, or talking. In

the same way, our players should always focus on their

goal of winning throughout the day — before, during

and after the match, creating a silent inner voice

that empowers them to win. This inner voice should be

like a guru that tells them: ‘‘If I win I win, if I

lose I learn to win.’’ This inner guru should empower

them to plan purposefully, prepare prayerfully,

pro-ceed positively, and pursue persistently.

 

Secondly, focus should be accompanied by belief. What

is belief? It is certainty. If we believe we are going

to be successful, then our actions will be directed

towards success. Every player must instal this belief

to win within him, with sacredness and commitment. He

should not be like the person who heard that prayers

can move mountains and prayed ritualistically, only to

find that no mountain moved. He laughed and said: ‘‘I

knew prayers don’t work.’’ Such a prayer comes from

disbelief, even though the ritual of prayer was

performed. Beware of this trap.

 

Thirdly, our players must practice the yogic technique

called vikalpa (imagination). Vikalpa means mentally

rehearsing and ima-gining that one has won. This

imagination could become a springboard for playing

powerfully. When Walt Disney was asked the secret of

success, he said: ‘‘Think, believe, dream and dare.’’

Dreams with commitment are vikal-pa. Albert Einstein

said that imagination is more important than

knowledge. Our players must mentally rehearse that

they are winning, with the understanding that they

have to win mentally in order to win externally.

 

Creation happens first internally, and then manifests

externally. Are our cricketers careless about

internal winning, drawing internal references of

invalidation, or playing from disbelief? Instead, let

them soak their minds with this inner voice, before,

during and after a match, and learn to use imagination

as part of the winning formula.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003, Mike Brooker wrote:

 

> Item below from the Times of India.. as I type, India

> is taking on Australia for the World Cup of Cricket.

> This is a BIG event in India of course. There are a

> billion Indians who couldn't give a damn about the

> World Series or Super Bowl.

 

It's always surprised me why it's called "World Series" when a team from

N.California plays a team from S.California !

 

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming ....

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya dear Girish,

 

> It's always surprised me why it's called "World Series" when a team from

> N.California plays a team from S.California !

 

I think it's called "arrogance", or to be kinder, "unconscious privilege". I

say that as a resident and citizen of "The United States of America". There

is a lot of arrogance in the name of that nation. After all, "America"

includes 2 continents! By Amma's grace, I pray that soon we will all realize

we are one family with one mother living on a planet that's growing smaller

day by day.

 

There was a wonderful interview by Bill Moyers with Alice Walker concerning

recent events. At one point she told a story about how her mother had always

taught her to respond to racism with compassion by saying, "If they knew

better, they'd do better."

 

In Amma's grace,

premarupa

Aum Amriteshvaryai Namah