Today,
We are going to do a meditation for hockey goalies.
Meditation is a powerful technique that athletes use to strengthen their focus and stay present.
Meditation helps us choose positive thoughts about ourselves and the sport that we love.
First of all,
I want you to start by finding a nice tall seat.
You can sit with your legs criss-cross or you can choose to lay down,
Whatever feels best for you.
Once you are there,
Gently close your eyes and take a deep breath.
It may feel good for you to put one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart to help you connect with the feeling of the breath coming in through your nose and filling up your lungs.
Your only job right now is to relax,
Be still and breathe in through your nose and out through your nose.
As you are breathing,
I want you to bring a picture in your mind.
Imagine yourself getting dressed for hockey,
Piece by piece,
Putting on your gear and equipment.
Picture yourself leaning down to lace up your skates and then picking up your stick.
Notice how heavy it feels to stand up in your gear.
Notice how protected and strong you feel as you stand up in your skates and walk over to the gate.
As the gate opens and you step onto the ice,
Notice how it feels the moment your skate makes contact with the ice.
Feel the chill of the cold as you glide onto the ice for the first time that day.
Notice how good it feels to be in the rink,
How your body knows exactly what to do,
How you don't need to think,
You just trust.
Take a moment right now to check in with your breathing.
Keep breathing slowly in through your nose and out through your nose.
Next,
I want you to visualize yourself skating over to the net for the first time.
What do you do when you first get there?
Do you have a ritual?
Do you tap your stick on the post or on your pads?
What is your unique ritual?
What is important for you?
Take a moment to go through it right now in your mind,
Just mentally.
As the puck drops,
The opposing team wins the face off and they take it into your zone.
Feel yourself tracking the puck and relax your body at the same time.
This is the time to connect with your breath and stay calm.
You know what to do.
As the play continues,
I want you to imagine what you do next.
Trust your instincts and really center yourself.
As the forward lines up to take a shot,
Breathe into your power and feel the puck make contact with your glove as you make the save.
Notice how it feels in your body,
The relief,
The cheers from your team,
And feel yourself ready for the next play.
Let yourself celebrate how that went for you,
Noticing and remembering how easily it came,
How you didn't overthink it,
How you trusted your instincts to know where to be and what to do.
Now I want you to imagine yourself skating over to the bench,
Leaving the ice and bringing with you this sense of trusting yourself,
Knowing that every time you connect with your breath,
It helps you to remember that you always have the right answers inside of you.
When you are ready,
You can take a deep breath in through your nose and this time let it out through your mouth.
Then gently open your eyes and let yourself come back into the room that you're in,
Come back into the space and notice this feeling of calm and focus that you now have inside you.
You can do this meditation whenever you need to remember the strength that you have inside to win and to lose and to enjoy the game.
Thank you for meditating with me.
