Breathing Awareness-in Yoga and Your Golf Swing
(excerpt from Yoga for Golfers, by Katherine Roberts)
September
18, 2005
The
Sanskrit word for yoga breathing exercises is pranayama. “Prana”
refers to the energy in the body or life force, the fuel or oxygen that keeps
us alive. “Yama” refers to expansion, extension, meaning the ability to expand
the breath and increase the energy in the body. It is critical in golf to be
aware of how the body and mind react to the stresses of the game. With
awareness comes change!
Any
time we experience stress on the golf course - during the first shot, tight
lye, or any shot that creates anxiety, the heart rate accelerates and breathing
becomes erratic. Physically, breathing sustains the metabolic processes of the
body; mentally, breathing keeps the mind calm and focused. When the body is
relaxed, the lungs, diaphragm and the muscles of the ribcage, and chest move in
an unrestricted way. This is often referred to as deep diaphragmatic breathing.
Additionally, this type of breathing triggers the parasympathetic nervous
system relaxing the body and mind. When under pressure, the physiological
effect of holding the breath is a “fight or flight” response, resulting in
rapid uncontrolled breathing and a loss of blood flow to the extremities,
including the brain. The body becomes tense, the mind races, and the ability to
execute the golf swing becomes more challenging. (As if we need more
challenge!)
Your
breathing pattern is a direct reflection of the level of stress on the body and
mind at any given point. It is the mirror of your internal physical and mental
condition.
Peter
Kostis, commentator for CBS Sports remarked on the stress level of Annika
Sorenstam as she played on the PGA Tour (the first woman to play in 53 years).
Regarding calming the swirling of emotions under these stressful situations
Peter said, “Annika has been able to control the heart beat and control the
emotions. There is only one way to calm the heartbeat and that is with the
breathing.”
The
most important aspect of yoga is the breath. Without focus on breathing, yoga
is just another form of stretching. Here we address breathing awareness, how to
obtain deep diaphragmatic and thoracic-diaphragmatic breathing are utilized in
yoga and on the golf course. Breathing awareness provides insight into the
tempo and rhythm of your golf swing. According to Ernest Jones, “When you
stroke with timing and rhythm, the ball sails straight down the fairway, and
for distance. It is effortless power, not powerful effort.”
We
think of breathing is an automatic response and part of the automatic nervous
system -- it just happens. But at the same time, it is the only automatic
response mechanism we can control. In the same way we manage movement as in the
golf swing or yoga postures, the breath is managed – its function originates in
the two lowest segments of the brain stem. Also a function of the Somatic
nervous system, breathing can be controlled. This is what makes diaphragmatic
movement so unique. Breathing relieves tension and tension is the number one
cause of bad shots on the golf course.
Breathing
consists of three basic components- inhalation, exhalation and retention.
Although retention can be an important part of expanding breathing and
stimulating the nervous system for our purposes we will focus on the inhales
and exhales. In our Dynamic or flow yoga sequencing, the inhalations raise the
body and the exhalations lower the body. Breathing influences movement in the
abdomen and chest but also has an effect of posture. To begin to understand the
process, lye on your stomach, face pointed towards the floor. Relax. Begin to
inhale through the nose and you will fee the body rise or lift. Exhale through
the nose and you will fee the body lower or fall. Before beginning a warm-up
sequence of yoga poses intended to increase your breathing capacity, practice
these simple deep diaphragmatic breathing techniques. Begin by lying on your
back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Gently place your finger tips on your
lower ribs. Close your eyes and begin to inhale and exhale as deeply as
possible. Feel the movement in your fingers, reflecting the movement of the
diaphragm. Begin by inhaling and exhaling for a count of four. If possible,
increase the count to six. (There should not be any point where you need to
hold your breath.)
Level
One: Ten Breaths
Level
Two: Twenty breaths
Level
Three: Three minutes
Stretching
the diaphragm, thoracic spine, and intercostals will “open” this part of the
body, allowing the ribcage to expand and contact fully with each breath.
Place feet wider than hip width apart and clasp the
hands behind the back. Inhale as you draw your navel towards the spine,
slightly tucking the tailbone and pelvis. Exhale and roll the shoulders back,
moving the hands towards the floor. Hold for two breaths relax and repeat three
to five times.
Extended side angle pose:
Place the feet approximately five feet apart and
revolve the right leg inward. The right foot is placed at a 45 degree angle.
Bend the left knee to a 90 degree angle and keep the left knee moving towards
the left small toe. Place the left elbow on the left knee, extending the right
arm towards the ceiling. Lift out of the left shoulder, maintaining space
between the left shoulder and the left ear. Focus on the rotation of the torso
towards the ceiling and the extension in the ribcage and intercostals. For more
intensity extend the right arm over the right ear. Hold for three breaths,
relax and repeat five times. Switch sides.
Side stretch / half plank pose:
Place the left hip on the floor and press the left
hand into the floor. As you begin to extend the left arm, focus on maintaining
contact with the floor and the left hip. Feel the stretch from the left hip up
to the left armpit. Hold for five breaths, relax and repeat three times. Switch
sides. In this pose the more you allow gravity to sink the hips down towards
the floor the more you will feel the stretch.
Supine twist:
On your back extend the arms perpendicular to the
body. Bend the knees and allow the legs to fall to the left. Keep the right
shoulder on the floor. Hold for three minutes and switch sides. If your knees
to not rest on the floor, place yoga blocks under the knees for more stability.
Golfers
may incorporate into their pre-shot routine this new breathing awareness -
calming the mind, facilitating greater focus, and developing more tempo in your
swing.
To
get a sense of “feeling” the tempo and rhythm in your swing simply swing the
club as if it were timed with a metronome. Coordinate your breathing with your
swing tempo. Get a sense of ease and freedom in your swing.
For
higher handicap golfers, start by setting your golf stance completely and then
begin a long, slow deep cleansing breath. Then begin your take away. Higher
handicap golfers should start by setting their golf stance completely, and then
begin a long, slow deep cleansing breath before executing the take away.
Golf
Magazine's top 100 instructors, Paul Trittler suggests the following pre-shot
routine for lower handicap golfers. “As you stand behind the ball, visualizing
the ball flight, incorporate long slow deep breathing. As you sole the club,
aim the face, set your back foot and begin a deep inhalation. Then set your
front foot, let your eyes go to the target and begin to exhale. Once you have
finished feeling your balance and completed your exhale, let your eyes go to
the ball and swing.” Katherine
Roberts is founder and president of Katherine Roberts Yoga for Golfers, a
10-year-old publishing and consulting company based in 
