Fantastic article in the The Athletic by Rustin Dodd about how the power of mindful Breath has made its way into some pro sports teams.
“The voice belonged to Dave Merritt, the team’s secondary coach. He closed the door and hit the lights, leaving the room pitch black. He then outlined an exercise: The players were to close their eyes, imagine their happy place, a place of safety and warmth, and then start counting their breaths in silence.
Inhale. Exhale. If anyone had stumbled into the room at that moment, it might have looked a little odd — a little new-age or crunchy, a little woo woo, a group of NFL defensive backs breathing slowly in the darkness. But the intention, Merritt said, was for his players to recognize the value of consciously controlling their breath, to understand the tools that would allow them to calm their autonomic nervous system and enter a parasympathetic state. “It’s a habit that any human being should learn,” Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. “Focusing on your breath.”
Link to read:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6321893/2025/05/01/the-science-is-clear-deep-breathing-can-be-a-game-changer-for-anyone-elite-athletes-agree/
