Overview, from Working In, by Kamala Nellen
Kamala Nellen wrote Working In after a thirty year immersion under her Master teachers, including practice and understanding of the tools and practices she shares, as well as twenty years of working with elite athletes and high achievers. The book contains true stories and practices she has given to her clients.
The following is a reprint of the Overview from Nellen’s book Working In (published in 2016). Working In; the elite athlete’s guide to working out from the inside is available on Amazon. If you would like to purchase the book, it is available on Amazon.
Copyright © 2016, 2019 Kamala Nellen Published by Coaching for Champions LLC www.kamalanellen.com email: coachingforchampions@gmail.com
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well- being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.
Printed in the United States of America First Printing January 2016 Second Printing November 2019 ISBN: 978-0-692-51064-3 Edited by Laurel Bartlett and Keith Miller
Cover and book design by Rodney Miles www.rodneymiles.com
Overview, from the book Working In; the elite athlete’s guide to working out from the inside, by Kamala Nellen
AS A PROFESSIONAL dancer who started on my path at the age of eight, I know how long and hard the path to elite performance can be. Every serious competitive athlete works out and practices skills daily for many years on the way to champion performance. However, a crucial and often neglected aspect of great performance depends on how you manage yourself inwardly when establishing your path and dealing with daily challenges.
I began my immersion in yoga over thirty-nine years ago. During the last eighteen years of using and teaching yoga techniques and practices for elite athletes, including two years of interviewing athletes, I have noticed common challenges occurring over and over across sports. They are challenges that impacted my performance as a dancer: fear, injury, a packed schedule, exhaustion, distractions, and team discord. I have found that simple techniques and practices derived from yoga provide solid and often quick results for my clients. They are inexpensive and highly effective resources that I wish I had had while pursuing my career as a dancer. For this reason, I am passionate about helping athletes learn how to Work IN to increase performance and be able to stay in the game for the long run.
Many athletes have found success using my techniques:
a free diver beat the US record
a tennis player won more games and slept better
a baseball player hit hard and far and covered second base with agility
another baseball player was hired by a professional team
a softball team won a regional championship
another softball team recuperated from exhaustion in an hour
a mixed martial arts professional increased his kick six inches in one session
an internationally competitive cheerleader executed a perfect performance
a competitive rower regained his stroke and speed
a golfer perfected his swing
Each athlete and team is unique, with unique challenges and temperaments. For this reason, I adapt a practice or technique to the person in front of me. It is deeply gratifying for me to see someone light up after experiencing a mental or physical shift that delights them. Then I know I am not alone in experiencing the joy that comes from practicing this ancient art and science. Some athletes I work with experience immediate results. Others have to practice over time to get the results they want. A professional baseball player told me the timing of our work was perfect because, when he was younger, he would not have been able to devote adequate time to the practice I recommended, nor would he have fully understood its value.
A tennis player, who arrived at his first session in pain, was soon wearing a big smile, sometimes dancing his way into the studio for his 8:30 a.m. session before going off to work. He shared with me that he was sleeping more soundly and winning more games.
A teenager immediately embraced a technique I suggested, and after only one session was performing the way he had always dreamed.
A triathlete did not want to end his first session when he discovered solutions to regaining his stride after injury.
You may think of yoga as an exercise program to get flexible and fit, or to relieve stress. Yes, yoga can certainly provide those results. However, yoga is also an art—a skill gained through practice. Yoga is also a science—a systemized body of knowledge. Yoga teaches skills in life that lead to lasting happiness. This understanding has unfolded for me over thirty-nine years, with commitment and steady practice under the careful guidance of my teachers. Because
yoga has carried me through difficult challenges in my life, as well as providing physical and mental benefit, it has become my anchor and my inspiration, my path and my goal.
The beauty of yoga is that it works and has worked for thousands of years. The time- proven body of knowledge offered by this ancient science and art has been documented and explained by a number of authors over a vast period of time. Even today, yoga has been adapted to help people from many walks of life and in many situations. Some use yoga practices to balance the body and mind. Others use them to heal from injury, stress, or illness. For some, the use of these practices ultimately transforms their lives. Yoga just plain works!
Careful research has shown that performance-enhancing drugs and steroids compromise both body and mind. Karl Mecklenburg, who played professionally in the NFL for twelve years, once told me that no matter how strong or outstanding a player looked on the field, he could always tell when that athlete was using drugs. He said their reaction time was inevitably a little slower and they were never as sharp as those relying on their own abilities. My hope in offering the Art and Science of Working IN for Champion Sports PerformanceTM is that, if you are equipped with simple practices and techniques from yoga, you will not experience the need for performance- enhancing drugs, steroids, or recreational substances to help you navigate the challenging world of elite sports. It is my absolute conviction that a regular yoga program that includes the right prescription of postures, breathing practices, self-study, and meditation will measurably increase sports performance and give you highly effective tools to manage your life.
