Meditation and Olympic Weightlifting Competitions

The warm-up during an Olympic weightlifting competition is perhaps the most intense and stressful part of the sport. Months of training but only six lifts count on the day of the competition, three for the snatch and three for the clean & jerk.

How does Meditation help?

I like to close my eyes, shut out the noise and craziness of the warm-up room, and practice a breathing meditation (Joshin Kokyo Ho) between the warm-up attempts.

It calms the mind, aligns the body, and brings energy and focus to the core. The craziness of thoughts subsides. Confidence and trust can surface: confidence in my ability, and trust in the laws of physics that the bar will accelerate and keep on moving upward, even if I don’t pull with the arms. The bar is too heavy for the arms anyway. 

It creates a state of openness that allows me to concentrate on the execution of the lift, no matter what weight is loaded onto the bar. It can bring forth my strong and capable Self on the platform. Having faith that I am better than I thought possible. The openness allows me to let go of whatever happened the weeks before in training, and also let go of the expectation of making the goal weight. The latter is important as it can create tension that is misplaced at the moment of the lift.

Breathing in and feeling energy in every cell of the body is strengthening and helps with recovery. It may also help to visualize a column of white light from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head. The bar will travel along this path (weightlifting is a linear vertical movement with minimal horizontal displacement): lift-off with control and then exploding upwards without fear.  However mental images may change from one day to the next. Enjoy when they come. They may be appropriate at that time, but holding on or mentally constructing such images can be obstructive.

In order for meditation to be helpful, it is important to practice regularly. This enables the mind to access that meditative state quickly and easily in the midst of stressful situations. There are no short-cuts in training for weightlifting, and there are no short-cuts in meditation practice. If everything flows smoothly and flawlessly together, weightlifting is like a miracle and brings great joy – and relaxation!