Reuters
London, Feb 24: A decade spent practicing the art of meditation and yoga has played a fundamental role in transforming Anirban Lahiri from an also-ran golfer into a world-class performer, the Indian said Tuesday.
The 27-year-old has surged to 34th in the world rankings after winning two of the last three European Tour events, this month’s Malaysian Open and the Indian Open, Sunday.
Both victories were close calls – Lahiri pipped Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger by one shot in Kuala Lumpur and overcame compatriot SSP Chowrasia in a play-off in New Delhi. He stated the time he spends meditating is invaluable in tight situations.
“I’ve been doing it for about 10 years and it helps me when things get really tight and the pressure is on,” he stated Tuesday in a telephone interview.
“When you practice meditation it’s all about controlling your breath, understanding what your body is feeling under pressure, whether your heart rate is high or low, whether you are tight or relaxed or tense, anxious, or just happy. When I meditate it’s like an exercise in self observation and when you observe yourself it kind of helps you to disassociate from pressure situations,” the golfer added.
Lahiri said it came to the fore in the final round of the Indian Open when he needed a moment of magic to save his par at the penultimate hole of regulation play. “When you practice meditation it becomes automatic,” he explained.
“For instance Sunday I wasn’t thinking I needed to chip in at the 17th. I was thinking about what I felt at that moment. I stayed in the present and didn’t look to far ahead,” Lahiri added.
Lahiri said he does not meditate solely to improve as a golfer. “You spend an hour and a half by yourself, introspect, get into a quiet space,” he pointed out. “It’s all about understanding what you are trying to do. I don’t meditate to become a better golfer, I mediate to become a better person. The golf is a by-product.”
No sooner did Lahiri chalk up his first European Tour win in Kuala Lumpur, he then followed up with a second in New Delhi. The 27-year-old from Bangalore though has his feet firmly planted on the floor and did not overdo his victory celebrations.
“I just went out for dinner with my dad, my wife, my manager and a few friends and had a couple of glasses of beer,” said Lahiri. “It’s nice to be able to celebrate something special with the people you love and care about. That’s what life is all about.”
