Mindfulness and Muay Thai
Many boxers employ various techniques to help them improve. From acupuncture to osteopathy and from weight lifting to yoga, today’s boxers have a variety of options to choose from. And adding to your list of options is meditation and the concept of mindfulness.
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In Buddhism, mindfulness means consciously bringing one’s attention to the present on a moment-to-moment basis and purposely stopping the mind from wandering. Doing this makes you aware of what’s going on – whether you’re training, sparring, or fighting – and helps you box clever.
To reap the benefits of mindfulness, it’s important to master meditation which is all about controlling your breath and using it to completely relax the body. Ideally, meditating twice a day can help you learn how to focus when fighting. But if you don’t have enough time in the morning or at night to sit down and meditate, you can still meditate during times that would otherwise be wasted to idleness such as your commute to work.
American martial artist Chuck Norris is an advocate of Zen meditation. For him, meditating gives him to ability to concentrate amidst trying circumstances.
Boxers who meditate can also attest to the benefits of mastering mindfulness, saying that they are able to quell distracting thoughts during training or fighting. And in boxing, giving in to your inner doubts and present suffering can spell the difference between a mediocre and an excellent round.
If you’re just beginning to make mindfulness a habit, it can be difficult to bring yourself back to the moment especially when you’re in pain, but the benefits far outweigh the amount of effort that you may have to expend at the beginning. It’ll all be worth it once you’re in the ring.
