Steph Curry Does It. You Can, Too.

 

By Ray Glier

Once upon a time, I did some work for the digital sports site The Athletic. It has a new section, or vertical as the youngsters call it. Peak. It covers "leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports."

I stumbled on a recent story on breathing. You know, Inhale, exhale.

The story describes how athletes can "recognize the value of consciously controlling their breath to understand the tools that would allow them to calm their autonomic nervous system and enter a parasympathetic state."

Parasympathetic state? Stretch your mind with this explanation from The Cleveland Clinic. 

“It’s a habit that any human being should learn,” Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook told The Athletic. “Focusing on your breath.”

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Or read this from The American Lung Association.

From The Athletic:

(Steph) Curry is a cerebral athlete with world-class spatial awareness and coordination. But when he enters one of his patented “flow” states, draining off-balance 3s from all over the court, his breathing gives him a sense of calm.

You can find this calm with breathing.

Bobby Witt, Jr., the fabulous Kansas City Royals shortstop, told The Athletic, he uses a deep breath at the plate to gather himself for 100 mph fastballs. “Just to kind of clear your mind, refocus, reload and kind of re-engage in what you’re doing," Witt says.