By Clint Thomas
In the world of elite sport, athletes are always looking for that special something that can help them gain a winning edge over their opponents and cope with extreme pressure.
Mindfulness and meditation techniques have been around for centuries, but increasingly some of Australia’s high-profile athletes are using the tools to help them deal with life on and off the playing field.
Sydney Swans assistant coach Brett Kirk was one of sport’s fearless competitors during his playing career with the AFL club.
But his ferocity on the field belies his thoughtfulness off it, and he believes it was his daily meditation practice that helped him reach the pinnacle of the sport.
“It gives you great clarity. Footy is like life. It is a game of crazy chaos,” he said.
Kirk said he started practising mindfulness and meditation while at the Swans in his early 20s following the death of a close mate.
“Like a lot of young men you get tipped upside down and turned inside out and I didn’t really know which was up,” he said.
“I found it was really comforting for me and also allowed me to deal with some anger and different other stuff that was going on inside me.”
Up and coming Australian cricketer Cam Bancroft’s journey to meditation was similar.
“I know that at times I have got some personality traits of being really intense, being really focused,” he said.
“And while they are strengths of mine … being able to tailor that back to a really relaxed, passive approach is something that I have had to learn and develop.”