The biggest opponent on the tennis court is often not the player on the other side of the court, but our own mind. We get annoyed, judge ourselves for mistakes, and inwardly berate our opponent or our own technical shortcomings. This inner turmoil ultimately prevents us from playing our best tennis and sometimes even robs us of the joy of the game.
Through Zennis, you learn to play in the here and now and to deal with your emotions more calmly. Zennis is the combination of Zen philosophy and tennis.
Zennis is the combination of Zen philosophy and tennis. Zen is a state of consciousness full of inner peace and presence, which can be experienced through meditation and yoga exercises. A calm mind helps you stay concentrated and focused on the tennis court, especially when emotions run high. Through Zennis, you learn to play in the here and now and to deal with your emotions more calmly.
Zennis was already being played in some ashrams in India in the 1990s. Meditation teachers had recognized early on that tennis was an excellent form of mindfulness training.
Tennis coach John Lambrecht and his partner Nina-Gyana , a certified yoga and meditation teacher, have further developed the ZENNIS concept and adapted it to modern tennis. Zennis is the perfect symbiosis of their two professional worlds.
Zennis isn't about winning or losing, even though the methods improve the game and strengthen the player's inner attitude. The focus is on connecting with your body and playing tennis intuitively.
ZENNIS is a mindfulness training method that focuses attention on the present moment. Our minds are usually preoccupied with either the past or the future. In tennis, this mechanism manifests itself, for example, in dwelling on past mistakes and lamenting the last lost point, game, or set. Or, at another moment, thinking about winning the next point or already envisioning a set victory. In ZENNIS, however, the goal is to repeatedly bring oneself back to the present moment and train the "muscle of attention."
One "tool" that every player always has with them is their breath . By breathing consciously, they are able to bring themselves back to the here and now. Furthermore, breath and emotions are closely linked. When we are stressed, we breathe shallowly and chaotically. With deep and calm breaths, on the other hand, we can regulate our emotions.
On the court, the tennis ball can become an object of meditation. By focusing on the ball, following its trajectory, listening to the sound of the impact, and consciously reflecting on the moment of contact, the tennis player sharpens their senses and remains alert.
In Zennis, there are no technical instructions on how to hit the ball. The goal is not to practice a textbook stroke. Zennis focuses on finding ways to discover and activate one's own creative potential. It's about trusting that the body is capable of intuitively experiencing situations.
The goal is to play tennis without effort, pressure, or willpower. Only then does tennis become ZENNIS – a meditative game of tennis.
You too can learn the methods of Zennis. Completely customizable as a private, partner, or group package in Mallorca.
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