Source: www.guardian.co.tt
Story by: Nicholas Clarke
First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportsman of the Year Roger Daniel has credited yoga and meditation with helping him to achieve a higher level of discipline and focus. The 40-year-old shooter was introduced to the practise four years ago and he says that it has enabled him to develop the physical strength and mental concentration needed to sit for long periods of time aiming at a target.
Speaking to the Guardian last week, he was full of praise for yoga and recommended athletes from any sport to give it a try. “I would tell everybody in the country to go out and do yoga since it brings out the strength within you. You balance your body and find your core and use it to bring out that inner energy, which is really amazing. When you do yoga over a period of time you would swear that you’ve been to the gym because it tones you. “It helps you use your own body weight while your using your breath and relaxing.”
He added that the benefits of regular practice had stretched beyond the shooting range and had helped turn him into a better person. “It’s brought an inner peace and calmness to my life. Yoga and meditation combine to give you that perfect balance. You’ll feel better about yourself and feel better about life. It cures many pains. “I know people with back aches and injuries who yoga has helped tremendously. If you are a person who suffers from tension and are always stressed, go and do yoga and you will transform into such an individual that you won’t believe.” When his competitive career comes to an end, Daniel said that he would like to spend his time helping the next generation of shooters to continue from where he left off. “I want to build a foundation to work with the young ones to try to build the sport itself. “I want someone else to take over and follow in my footsteps so that whoever comes after me won’t have the struggles that I went through and will be able to concentrate and achieve more.”