Saturday, July 7, 2007

Pranayama Application in Sports and Proven Results in Football
Football, Swami Vivekanand and Baba Ramdev


Swami Vivekananda is known to the world as the patriot-saint of India, as a social reformer, as a religious leader, as a philosopher and so on.

So , one of his well known quote, 'You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita', encouraged me to re take the football fields with a renewed vigor and stamina.

Like any Indian, I ate, drank and sleep cricket and I was happy to have cricket tips on my fingers and cricket scores on my minds on match days. I played bit of football in Ireland but mainly with neighbours or college mates.

I rediscovered football 6 months back at the age of 36 and in out of shape, out of exercise for 2 years situation…. And what a turnaround it has been… much of the thanks go to my teammates, football, Swami Vivekanand and Baba Ramdev’s Useful Techniques.

So that’s how I did it and told others to follow it while learning a trick and two from them….

I start the play with
At least 2 minutes of Ujjayi Pranayama
1-2 Minutes of Sideways Stretching
Some Yoga, specially the Spiderman Position
(You can find out the true name of this position from some yoga encyclopedia) and throw your legs wide and together.
Flipping Spiderman, my friends call it.

Please consult your doctor, guru or your relatives before you embark on this simple to do steps because they will find a new you at the end of one month game play.

Ujjayi Pranayama is considered to be the Warriors or Victory Pranayama. Those of you remember Kiwi’s All Black doing a Maori Call Ritual before the start of the game will surely identify with the fact that doing this Ujjayi Pranayama do fills you up with Courage. (This courage has nothing to do with aggression though little bit of proactive aggression is must to participate in any game or activity).

All said and done, this is before the game. Actual fun begins when the game starts. As I was playing after a gap of more than 4 years and had taken to smoking midway I was soon going breathless and humping within 5-10 minutes but one techniques of Swami Ramdev is so effective that within 1 month I was outrunning people half my age even after one hour of active play.

That is power of Pranayama.
If you remember Azharrudin or Steve Waugh wearing a device on their nostrils during the game, then you will understand about the concept of Anulom Vilom faster than I have written about it in next paragraph.

Many players and Athletes have worn this device to make both of their nostrils open and to increase their oxygen inhaling power.
  • Similar advantages accrue to you, when you do Anulom Vilom variation before, during or after the game. Moment you feel tired, take 2-30 second to do Anulom Vilom and slowly keep on doing it as the ball is away in the other half.

    Phew, this way I have seen 2-3 of my friends not only play but also enjoy play minute after minute. Rejuvenation, recharging and increased stamina in the game…so go on
    Play Ball
    Have a Ball
    And hit Ball after ball with a new gusto…
    In last month, I have started playing with Nigerians, professional players who have come to India to try their luck in league. Though I may not match them in football skills like hitting the ball but in dribble and running and defending and stealing the ball, well that is another story all together.

    Please give your comments on this article and try out these two exercises in your sphere of play and let me know your expereinces

    While we play on….
To Play the game well, You gotta enjoy it first and here are some tips to play and enjoy
Goalkeeping

G1.Watch the ball always.
Even if the ball is with your player or their player…. Any of them can deflect or shoot the ball into goal, so watch the ball.

G2.Be relaxed and keep exercising, do exercise / yoga when the ball is in their half
Keeps you agile and refreshes you at the same time…. Now don’t say how can that be possible, just do it……

G3. But as soon as ball enters your half,follow the ball and see their players who are coming with the ball
try shifting your position according to catch the rhythm of their team to aniticipate where they will hit…..

G4.Always keep one or two or more defenders in shouting vicinity
and try to advice them from behind “ whom to cover, which hole to plug”
defenders whole effort should be, do not let any of their player come to take a direct shoot at goal and goalkeeper should guide them accordingly.

Goalkeeper should continue guiding defenders even if the defenders do not listen to him initially….Afterall it the defender who has to take a line call… whether to move left or right
and goalkeeper is only a advisor till the trust builds up.

Defenders

D1. Play fair or atleast try to …. and try to avoid touching body of their players…..

D2.Ball is coming your way to attack, it has to go back in opposite direction or out of field…

D3. If u are unable at that time to do that, well try to stall the attackers… so that other defenders can run back and take positions.

D4. Well what if their player is good dribbler and ball goes under your legs….. now… what else… try to stop their player from getting the ball
One more time to make it more understandable

D5. Do not the ball go past you.If ball goes, do not let the player get past you or vice versa
D6.If both go, run after them…. Bhagam bhag and catch one of them midway to your goal or stall them…
D7. As you are defending, you should have the counterattack strategy in mind,if defenders get a easy ball ( no attacker pursuing him or pushing down his neck), he should lazily plan to run with the ball himself or quickly pass on to a midfielder, forward of your team.

Midfielders and Playmakers

MP1. Well run with attack forward so that a stalled forward can pass the ball to you and you score (advance) yourself or pass it on to forward in best position to advance more forward or score goals.

MP2. Well occasionally, run backwards and defend

MP3. Actively Wait for a solid defender to pass the ball to you…. So that you can pass it on a advancing forward or advance yourself

Forwards
F1. What to say, you can do all that defenders, playmakers and goalkeepers are doing in your own style…….
F2. At the same time, forwards are the attacking wolves…. So move in pairs, triplets or more…try to build a rhythm with other players so that you get the desired results…..

Asking for Pass for all players
A1. Try not to ask for a pass but actively ask for pass when you are in a better position to advance the team forward
A2. Well if you are not in a better position to move forward with the ball,bhago tau,till you are in a better position and then… ask for a pass or wait for a pass….and then Lazy shoot… tak tak tak…

But play as fair as possible……Winning and losing is nothing…there are times u win and at times other team loses
enjoy the game as you play……….
To be continued and improved upon……Some more….Though it is important where you play but most important is how with your own actions, words and deeds and passes…..you lift the whole team up for greater fulfillment and enjoyment.
Some of my favortite moviesWaterboyShaolin Soccer and Offcourse Lagaan and Goal…..