Breathing Techniques for Hockey Players: How Learning Conscious Breathing Can Improve Your Game

I remember having 12 hours before my big race day. The next morning I was going to wake up at 4am to line up at the reservoir of Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah. I would soon be jumping into frigid waters to begin what would be a 13-14 hour day intended to test my physical and mental endurance. As I pondered what awaited me, my heart began to elevate.

My body tensed up. My mind raced. I began to panic. I needed to calm down.

Enter conscious breathing.

What is it?

Conscious breathing is a simple breathing process to help you become more self aware of your breathing so you can regain emotional control. More importantly, it is a practice to help you generate the right feelings as you prepare mentally for a big event in your life.

The goal is to experience three things: insight, incentive, and intention. I will breakdown each of these in greater detail.

Insight

The first stage of breathing is to gather insight. In other words, what is your body and breathing like right now? Are you breathing heavy? Are you breaths shallow and weak? What is the rhythm like? I suggest putting your hand on your chest and feel your breath as it comes in and goes out and take note of what you feel. My friend and mentor, Dr. Saul Miller, likes to refer to breathing like the waves of an ocean where waves never rush. They are constant. The are stable. There is a calming flow to them. Listen and feel for the cadence of your own breath.

Incentive

As you begin to sit back and relax and hone in on your breathing, use this opportunity to find incentives to play the game of hockey. Think about what originally got you into this magical game - the smell of the arena, the feel of your skates on the ice, the roar of a cheering crowd. Also, imagine yourself scoring a goal, making a great save, or winning on the forecheck. Dial into these incentives and let them power your breathing.

Intention

The final component of breathing is to finally breathe with intention. Your breath is energy. You are the manager. So, think of this last stage as energy management. Your breath and your thoughts are developing energy. It is your objective at this point to now direct that energy into something powerful. Imagine the energy flowing into your hands, your feet, your lungs, and your head and eyes. Feel it flow in and around your entire body. Now, channel it appropriately.

Parting Advice

Conscious breathing is the simple act of being more mindful with your breathing. Take a proactive stance this week and plan a time to practice the technique. You only need to set aside a few minutes to get familiar with the process. Do it enough times and it will become second nature and hopefully a part of your pre-game planning procedure. The result will be a more confident and calmer you.