Meditation Part Of Preparation For Lahiri's Open Debut

Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri will use meditation to keep calm ahead of this week’s British Open. Lahiri spends around 20 minutes per day meditating during a tournament.

The 25-year-old from Bangalore, a two-time Asian Tour winner in his homeland, is excited at testing the world-class field at Royal Lytham and St Annes but knows he must keep calm to make the most of his opportunity.

"I will stick to my meditation and stay in the moment, not get carried away, and focus on what I need to do," Lahiri said.

"It will play a critical role. Times of great highs and low, the mind gets muddled and unclear. I have to rely on meditation as it will only do me good."
Lahiri has been meditating for the past few years, saying his longest session was three hours, while he spends about 20 minutes each day when he is at a tournament. The key benefit is simply staying in the moment, Lahiri said.

"The benefit that I have derived from my meditation is that I'm able to stay in the present," Lahiri said. "That is what everyone talks about, hit one shot at a time and we all wonder how to do it.
"Meditation has taught me to block out the scoreboard, what the group in front is doing or how far back or ahead I am. All those things get sidetracked and the focus comes back to what I need to do. That’s what meditation helps me to do.

"It is like a process, like an exercise. You can be in that state during the round depending on how strong your practices are. If you can put yourself in that state, you can go through 18 holes in your own world without being affected by what is around you. That is what really helps."  (MORE)


Source: india.nydailynews.com