Article by Zhang Xinyue of Create Abundance
In addition to being among the best soccer players in history, there’s something else Erling Haaland, Carli Lloyd, Fabian Delph, and Cristiano Ronaldo have in common. Each of these esteemed footballers is a proponent and practitioner of meditation. They have each touted the benefits of practicing mindfulness and a mindset of creating abundance for their performance on the pitch.
On the benefits of meditation, Ronaldo said, “I meditate almost every day, especially working on my breathing. In these moments, I feel like I’m in a bubble… It works. Everyone suffers from stress, and it’s fantastic to be able to get rid of it.”
Similarly, Everton midfielder Fabian Delph has said, “Gael Clichy recommended meditation to me because I was such an all-action guy. It has calmed me down.”
One of the most resounding endorsements for meditation comes from world champion Carli Lloyd, who includes meditation sessions as part of her pre-game preparation. She focuses particularly on creating abundance through positive visualization. She said, “It sounds pretty funny, but over the years and definitely over the last four years, I’ve taken that visualization part to another level. I’ve basically visualized so many different things on the field, making these big plays, scoring goals.”
Mindfulness and positive visualization calms the mind, allowing it to focus on the task of hand. These heightened concentration and focus leads to greater performance and the privilege of playing with joy instead of stress, fear, and pressure. And based on what these athletes have accomplished, it can help you excel at the highest levels of competition.
Zhang Xinyue is the founder of Create Abundance organization and author of the book with the same name. Create Abundance is a book full of advice on practicing body-mind-spirit cultivation. IT aims to promote a meaningful and applicable approach to the philosophical issues in life.
