Recently, a new book was published entitled – Sport and Meditation – the inner dimension of sport by Sri Chinmoy.
Sri Chinmoy taught that sport and meditation can easily complement each other. For example, Sri Chinmoy wrote that the poise we gain from meditation can increase our outer strength.
“In sports we need energy, strength and dynamism. When we meditate, we make our mind calm and quiet. If inside us there is peace, then we will derive tremendous strength from our inner life. That is to say, if I have a peaceful moment, even for one second, that peace will come to me as solid strength in my sports, whether I am running or jumping or throwing. That strength is almost indomitable strength, whereas if we are restless, we do not have strength like that.” [1]
Sri Chinmoy himself was an active sportsman. In his early life, he was the decathlon champion of the ashram where he grew up. Later in life, he took up weightlifting – demonstrating that the power of meditation can help us to transcend our capacities.
The new compilation of writings by Sri Chinmoy includes a foreward by 3-time duathlon World Champion, Olivier Bernhard. He begins
“For me, sport is meditation. Athletes in many sports speak about experiencing a state of energy flow when being in perfect balance with their mind and body. It is a state where pain and fatigue do not exist.”
The book is published by Goldenshore.de. It contains inspiring anecdotes with great athletes such as Carl Lewis (a long time friend of Sri Chinmoy) It also includes practical tips how you can improve your own sporting practise through incorporating techniques of concentration and meditation. There is also a section on self-transcendence for older people. With his weightlifting, Sri Chinmoy wished to show that age need not be a barrier.
“There is no age limit. When we pray and meditate, we go far beyond the domain of the mind, the physical mind that doubts our capacities.” (p.174, Sport and Meditation)
Footnotes
[1] Sri Chinmoy, Run And Smile, Smile And Run, Agni Press, 2000.