By Swati Agarwal
Swati Agarwal is a sustainability and yoga enthusiast, with a degree in Environmental Policy. She finds joy in finding the interconnectedness between a sustainable lifestyle and the health benefits of yoga. Besides writing, her hobbies include dancing, completing jigsaw puzzles and watching tv shows.
<Introduction to Change>
Change is a vital part of our lives which many of us struggle to accept. We are scared of losing what we had in the past, especially old patterns of thinking. The good part is that many times, we can use this change to slow down in life or reflect, such as through journaling, meditation, yoga or simply by taking time off from work (if possible), which are all powerful ways to facilitate this transition.
Now imagine if you weren’t given this time because the nation is relying on your performance…
How would that feel?
Pretty tough, right?
.……
Brave souls including military and navy soldiers/officers, doctors, firefighters, police officers, and sports players, etc. are often at the forefront of such pressure and oftentimes, this change is what drives or hinders their performance. “Champions of the World”, a Netflix-series, beautifully showcases this through the emotions and the backstory of the teams who qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
<Champions of the World>
As spectators, it’s easy to point out the flaws of the players and question their capabilities and personalities. However, “Champions of the World” makes the audience question their own bias, and showcases the struggle the teams and their captains experience on a daily basis, paying homage to their mental resilience.
For instance, despite having Lionel Messi on the team, Argentina was unable to win any World Cup titles since 2000. Prior to the 2022 tournament, Messi faced speculation from fans criticizing his inability to bring the trophy home in his football career. During that same time, Argentina faced a lot of political unrest which worsened the financial situation of many families. As a way to endure these circumstances, many Argentinian fans relied on the World Cup as an escape from reality, placing further pressure on the team to win.
Even for Brazil, its captain - Thiago Silva - faced the pressure of bringing home the World Cup at least once during his captaincy. Given that the 2022 tournament would be his last, Silva was under extreme pressure from his nation for winning the cup, because he knew that if he didn’t, he and his family would receive terrible backlash.
Moreover, Denmark wore black uniforms to the game to honor and mourn the workers who died while constructing the stadium in Doha for the tournament. In the series, Simon Kjær (captain of Denmark’s football team) mentions how Denmark is very pro-human rights, but this decision made it risky for their families and friends to watch them play. Hence, the team decided not to invite any of their loved ones to the tournament. This became a large demotivator for the team, as their support system was not present. Moreover, the captain faced a thigh injury in one of the matches, which prevented him from playing the full game against Australia.
For Croatia and Morocco, reaching the semi-finals was a great deal because of what they represented. Croatia’s advancement in the game demonstrated to smaller countries how it’s possible for them to also soar to excellence and not be limited by the size or resources of their nation. Similarly, Morocco did not just represent its country at the tournament, but rather the hopes of other African and Arab communities who wanted to see their people recognized at the World Cup.
When we observe closely, each team which has played in the World Cup has faced their own challenges. When you start understanding the backstory of the teams competing in the tournament, including their struggles, aspirations, and vision, watching football no longer becomes an opinion on “Who’s playing better”, but rather a game of which country brought luck and is in the right mindset to play well.
Although skill and stamina are definitely great assets to the game, due to the long and strenuous duration of the tournament, mental strength becomes a major determinant of who will win the game.
<Mental Endurance in Sports>
One facet that we as spectators don’t factor in is, that alongside the pressure and stress the players face to win the cup, they also have a life outside of the game which isn’t exempt from distress and pain. That means that besides overcoming obstacles on the field and in their practices, they also have to face challenges at home eg. taking care of their families and friends. Change is all around them and since so many people are connected with the players, e.g. their families, friends, nation’s leaders, fans, and media, they are more prone to be affected by these fluctuating circumstances.
Nonetheless, it’s easier to adapt to change when you are mentally resilient. The players’ constant resilience is a true testament to them embracing change, including changes in their bodies due to injuries, illnesses or increasing age, changes in their relationships such as growing families or facing death, change in fame and recognition, change in status in terms of gaining captaincy or changing positions on the field, or even changes to the fate of the game. However, despite all the distinct problems in their lives, the players have no choice but to quickly adapt and accept the situation so they can continue playing with the right headspace.
I think this series provides a great reminder that even amidst the mental, physical and emotional challenges in our lives, we must embrace change and continue living. It might be difficult, it might need some rest, but that doesn’t mean we give up.
<Mental Endurance in Yoga>
Similarly, in yoga, while advancement in asanas (physical postures) help you perform better, mental endurance and patience are often the two pillars which aid you to go further, stretch a little deeper, and maintain the practice of yoga.
Yoga and pranayama help us build mental strength, so when we come to face large changes in our lives, we are able to accept and adapt to them gracefully.
As yoga practitioners and teachers, we realize that even on the mat, our ability to perform is different everyday and yet we show up and embrace ourselves. This subtlest form of change enables us to build resilience to our own circumstances in life. These changes on the mat may include changes in skill such as improving or declining flexibility, stamina, and strength; or changes in other physical, emotional and mental aspects such as shifts in relationships, career or status, injuries, diseases, old age, etc..
The way we should not expect our bodies to be the same, we can not expect our lives to go in a smooth, straight line. Change is a part of us, and we need to constantly learn to make friends with it, because it’s usually our only constant companion.
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