Ram Ram,

I sometimes enjoy watching a tennis match on TV. It's not only a great game, but also a great demonstration of the powers of emotional control. Whatever the talent, training and experience of the player, it is the self confidence and related emotional steadiness that so often makes the difference between winning or losing. As it is in life, for everyone.

Apparently some players like Maria Sharapova are already using yoga to gain more focus, relaxation and mental stability. I cannot help but wondering what results she and others might get if they would practice some Rasa Sadhana.

Playing tennis mostly depends on the ability to stay in the Rasa of Veera or courage. Self-confidence is the key. But on what is this self-confidence based ? All too often it stands or falls with things that are not all that steady themselves, like past results or the lower ranking of an opponent or a good training session. Their power is pretty limited compared to the power of the Veera Rasa itself, which can be developed to a level where it becomes unchallengable, existing in and of itself. That power also requires that one lets go of the results of ones actions. This power can be seen for example when a player sees that the match is almost lost and plays freely, without further concern for the results, with nothing left to lose.

Anger is a Rasa that is friendly to the Veera Rasa, as it brings some extra power. But this only if the anger is sufficiently controlled. If not, then the power of anger will burn the ojas, the essence of the water element that determines the quality of the courage Rasa. That is when the ball hits the net or is called out, because the precision which depends on the subtle controll of ojas gets lost. Anger is often used to produce fear in the opponent, so then it is just an act. That may well work, but again requires a lot of control. If not, the act will soon become a biochemical reality and maybe after losing a few points it may again reduce ones ability at playing with enough subtlety.

One also often sees how the anger turns into the Rasa of Disgust, an anger directed at oneself. This Rasa is even more destructive to Ojas, which it pollutes. It is often triggered by a feeling of injustice, which in tennis terms means that one feels a ball is incorrectly called out. This feeling of Disgust can further pollute the players' mind, until one can see that the player is giving up and seemingly wishes no more than to end the game as fast as possible.

Last but not least, I wonder what it would do to the game and the serve in particular if through Rasa Sadhana and the resulting deepening of meditation, tennis players might actually learn to entirely empty the mind of thought. I think the tennis world would be quite shocked as a result.

There is a lesson here for everyone...

Ram Ram,

Peter

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Summer 2006 Rasas Tour San Francisco - New York - Toronto