Relax

Growing up, soccer was far and away my favorite sport, and what we love as children leaves a special sort of impression on the mind. So it is with both nostalgia and excitement that I've been watching the U.S. Men's team in the World Cup, playing the best style and brand of soccer this country has ever put forth.

The coach, Mauricio Pochettino, was asked about the advice he was giving his players as they move through the knockout rounds and he responded with an antidote that he had received from a former teammate of his in Argentina and that is that relaxation brings concentration.  

Bingo, brother. 

When we are able to relax, psychologically and physiologically, we are able to see things more clearly, move more smoothly, and act more coolly and calmly. 

Pertinent for a soccer game. Pertinent for day to day life. 

It is through relaxed eyes, minds, and bodies that we increase our capacity for concentration, allowing us to look more deeply into ourselves and notice where tension arises, and how it relates to our emotions and the beliefs we hold about ourselves and others.

When we are wound up tight in the body, our mind takes on those same qualities...and vice versa...we become more rigid...more reactive...stiff in our perspectives. 

Relaxation opens us up to ourselves, to each other, and to our shared circumstance - it slows time down and lets us ebb and flow with whatever is arising. 

Come relax this Sunday or Tuesday - you deserve it.