The Mindful Poker Player: How Yoga Could Improve Your Poker Game

Yoga is renowned for being an affected way to clear the mind. Although doing yoga and playing poker might not have significant overlap, there are considerable benefits from even light yoga programs which could lead to better results at the table. Of course, it won’t go as far as giving you a royal flush every time but you could be in a better mental state to play. However, it is essential to know that we’re not medical experts and that you shouldn’t take this as professional advice.

Improved Focus from Yoga to the Casino

One of the key reasons why people take up yoga is to be mentally intact. While there are spiritual beliefs and connotations, there are decent studies from universities that say that performing yoga can produce better focus and help stimulate cognitive ability. Why wouldn’t a poker player want to think clearer and more accurately while playing? Some of the best yoga practices for this are the Lotus Pose, the Bee Breathing technique and the seated forward bend pose.

Mindfulness and Controlling Emotion

Executing actions with mindfulness means that you are making decisions without adverse prior judgment or untoward emotional attachment. It is to act completely based on the facts. Poker players can benefit from their game by being mindful of the moment as they must make decisions constantly during the game. The phenomenon of tilt is where a player is negatively impacted by their emotions and/or a series of losses. While being mindful doesn’t make losing any easier, it can stop you from spiraling and even help you decide to leave the game if it’s simply not working out for you.

There are multiple yoga programs set out specifically just to improve mindfulness. Raja yoga, Hatha yoga, and Kundalini yoga are all praised for their abilities to do this. Find the exercises and poses that work best for you.

Mindfulness and controlling one’s emotions might have a few parallels, which poker players can also draw upon. Any yoga course with breathwork is now to help a person’s emotional capability and deal with adverse situations.

Cardio and physical benefits

While performing yoga isn’t fixated on its exercise goals, it does offer a wealth of different cardio-related benefits for those practicing a yoga plan. In turn, people who maintain a good level of regular physical activity often cite better mental well-being. Both of which, being in good cardiovascular form and having sound mental health will only be beneficial to your poker performance by merit of them simply leading to a better overall quality of life.

One key component of yoga is the focus on proper posture. This can be beneficial to poker players as long sessions bent over a table with poor form may lead to serious back issues in the future. If players can combat this with regular yoga activities they may improve the longevity of their back’s condition, which in turn will make sitting at a poker table less strenuous, at least physically. Not even proper posture will comfort you when you’re in a bad beat or stuck in tilt, however.

Yoga offers both relaxing and stimulating benefits

When people have conducted multiple sessions of yoga, there are some unique health and relaxing benefits that practitioners can enjoy. Frequent yoga participants detail that it helps them sleep, as they can disassociate the world from their sleeping time. Some people even say that regular yoga exercises help with their blood circulation, which in turn leads to good health. While not direct links to the poker table, should poker players pick up yoga and also enjoy these health benefits they’ll be able to deal with negative game results much better.

That better blood flow can also allow yoga users to have more natural energy. Poker sessions can often drag on and on should the table be made up of defensive or passive players. Having a decent supply of natural energy (not caffeinated) will help poker players stay at the table in good condition.

Offers time away from a screen

In 2023, it’s hard to get away from a screen. The proof is in the pudding. You’re reading this right now on some kind of device. The chances are that you also have to use a computer for work, you communicate on your phone all day long, watch TV in the evening – online poker real money also has you glued to a screen., While you won’t develop four eyes like your grandmother used to say, getting a technology break with something completely different will be beneficial. Many players who like online poker for real money in north america simply don’t ‘turn up’ because they’re burned out, probably due to an overuse of technology. Yoga even if for 20 minutes offers a short reprieve for your mind.

Classic yoga appearance offers a decoy

Okay, this is a very frivolous thought – but hear us out. How many poker players talk about yoga? And how many yoga instructors talk about poker? The Venn diagram is pretty small. Therefore if you turn up to a poker table kitted out with a yoga mat, sweat pants, and stretchy exercise t-shirt, other players might doubt your poker ability… and be prime candidates to fool.

Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca