📖 INTRODUCTION

Every athlete trains their body.

Strength.

Speed.

Technique.

Endurance.

But elite athletes know that physical training alone is not enough.

At the highest levels of competition, victories are often determined by something invisible:

The mind.

Fear.

Pressure.

Self-doubt.

The inability to recover from mistakes.

These mental obstacles can affect performance even more than physical limitations.

This meditation testimonial shares the story of Jung-Woon C., a competitive squash player, who discovered that the greatest challenge in sports was not his opponents—but his own mind.

Through this meditation, he learned how to let go of fear, pressure, past mistakes, and emotional burdens that were affecting his performance.

As a result, he not only improved as an athlete but also rediscovered the joy of competition itself.

This meditation testimonial beautifully illustrates why mental training may be the most important training of all.

💬 MEDITATION TESTIMONIAL: “THE ULTIMATE MENTAL TRAINING FOR ATHLETES: LETTING GO OF THE MIND”

By Jung-Woon C. | Squash Player

People often say:

“Sports are psychological warfare.”

The more I competed, the more I realized how true that statement was.

Mental control affects everything.

Confidence.

Focus.

Decision-making.

Performance.

In many ways, meditation became one of the greatest tools that helped me compete at a higher level.

Because of the changes I experienced, I was selected to represent my region and competed in the Korean National Sports Festival for four consecutive years.

🎾 FROM A FUN HOBBY TO A SERIOUS PASSION

I first discovered squash during my freshman year of college.

An instructor encouraged me to give it a try.

At first, it was simply fun.

The speed.

The movement.

The strategy.

Everything about the game fascinated me.

Squash demands:

• Quick reflexes
• Endurance
• Instant decision-making
• Precision under pressure

Because the ball rebounds off multiple walls, players must constantly predict angles and positioning.

I especially loved the feeling of hitting a perfect shot.

When the ball connected exactly as intended, it felt like all my stress exploded outward.

Eventually, I began entering tournaments.

And gradually, a new emotion appeared.

I hated losing.

😣 “I COULDN’T LET GO OF MISTAKES DURING MATCHES”

As my desire to win grew stronger, so did my pressure.

At the time, squash in Korea was still relatively small.

Most players worked regular jobs while training and competing.

I had opportunities to train with national team athletes and improved quickly.

But during competitions, one problem repeatedly appeared.

Whenever I made a mistake, I couldn’t move on.

One bad shot stayed in my mind.

Instead of focusing on the next point, I kept replaying the previous mistake.

The mistake was already over.

But my mind refused to let it go.

And that single thought often affected the rest of the match.

Looking back, it became one of the biggest obstacles in my athletic performance.

😨 “ATHLETES ARE OFTEN CONTROLLED BY FEAR”

Eventually, through my girlfriend’s introduction, I encountered meditation.

One sentence immediately captured my attention:

“People spend their whole lives adding things to their minds. This is about subtracting.”

That idea felt revolutionary.

Because athletes carry enormous pressure.

Questions constantly appear:

• What if I lose?
• What if I get injured?
• What will people think?
• What happens to my future?

Many talented athletes do not fail because of lack of ability.

They fail because they become trapped by those thoughts.

Instead of controlling the game, they become controlled by fear.

And once fear takes over, performance suffers.

🪞 “THE MEMORIES WERE STORED INSIDE MY BODY”

As I began meditation, something unexpected happened.

Old memories surfaced.

Painful losses.

Embarrassing moments.

Loneliness from childhood.

Disappointments from competition.

Then I realized something surprising.

The memories felt as though they were stored not only in my mind, but throughout my body itself.

Suddenly, many things began making sense.

Athletes often practice the same skills thousands of times.

Yet under pressure, old habits and mistakes can suddenly return.

I finally understood why.

The emotional memories were still there.

The fear was still there.

The pressure was still there.

Meditation felt like solving a mystery I had never been able to understand.

From that point forward, I focused on letting those burdens go.

✨ “NOW I CAN TRULY ENJOY THE GAME AGAIN”

As I continued meditation, my relationship with competition completely changed.

Instead of obsessing over mistakes, I focused on the present moment.

The current rally.

The current point.

The current opportunity.

Gradually:

• My mind relaxed
• My perspective widened
• My focus improved
• My game awareness increased

Most importantly, I rediscovered something I had lost.

The joy of playing.

I remembered why I loved squash in the first place.

Not because of rankings.

Not because of trophies.

Because I genuinely enjoyed the sport.

That feeling returned.

🤝 LEARNING FROM TEAMMATES INSTEAD OF JUDGING THEM

Another unexpected change happened during training camps and competitions.

Previously, I often focused on mistakes.

My own mistakes.

Other people’s mistakes.

What went wrong.

Who was responsible.

After meditation, my perspective changed.

Instead of criticizing teammates, I learned from them.

Instead of blaming myself, I looked for opportunities to improve.

Relationships became easier.

Training became more enjoyable.

And competition became less stressful.

🏅 THE GREATEST HAPPINESS FOR AN ATHLETE

Today, I believe the greatest happiness for an athlete is simple:

To perform as well as you trained.

Not fear.

Not pressure.

Not comparison.

Not worrying about results.

Simply expressing your abilities fully.

That is true satisfaction.

That is true freedom.

And I hope more athletes can experience it.

💙 A MESSAGE TO ATHLETES EVERYWHERE

Athletes dedicate countless hours to developing physical skills.

But mental training is equally important.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle is not the opponent standing across from you.

Sometimes it is the fear, pressure, and memories living inside your own mind.

Meditation helped me let go of those burdens.

As they disappeared, I became freer.

I competed better.

And most importantly, I enjoyed the game again.

To all athletes:

I hope you can perform at your very best by learning how to let go of the mind.

Stay strong.

Keep growing.

And keep shining.