I was fascinated to hear Eoin Morgan talk about how he approached that unforgettable final over in the ODI Cricket World Cup Final in 2019. I’m sure you don’t need reminding what happened, but to refer to it as one of the most enthralling sporting spectacles of our lifetime, is not an understatement.

Morgan was amongst it. Trying to see the wood for the trees and, as he recalled it, trying to communicate with the bowler who would bowl England’s crucial sudden death over, Jofra Archer.

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In such a position, Morgan knew that ultimately he needed to try and exhibit control. That Archer, and indeed all the England players, would be picking up on Morgan’s messaging, and not just what he said, but how he said it.

In such a maelstrom, communication is crucial and can be the difference between success and failure. Captain Morgan knew that his first port of call would have to be himself.

Breath is a superpower

When speaking to Sky Sports about the situation, Morgan revealed that his initial thought was his own breath. He wanted to control it; take some good steady breaths before approaching the young Archer. He recognised that the most important thing in that moment was not necessarily his words, but the way he came across.

He wanted Archer to perceive an ease and comfort in his captain. In the swirling storm of the situation, Morgan did not want to panic his man, or create any uncertainty in a player who needed to be at his best. And Morgan knew the key to this lay in managing and controlling his own breathing.

As I have spoken about at length, our breath is our superpower. As performers wanting to operate at our best, we need to have clarity of thought and ease of action. The breath governs all of these things. Taking a few moments to slow our heart rate, lower our blood pressure, to control our breathing and therefore, in this instance, our voice and delivery, is key.

a regular thing

I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a young sportsman, who was working with me on overcoming his anxiety around performance. He said that he’d previously used breath when feeling nervous, but crucially, only when he felt nervous.

This caused an issue: when we started again, deep zen breaths were almost a cue for him to feel anxious. Because he’d only accessed this sort of breath when feeling worried, his body saw this as something of a sign: that a ‘big moment’ was on the way and that this was something to be concerned about. Instead of loosening him up, it worked the other way, and he became tense.

You can see how this makes sense. If you are only making good deep breaths in moments of pressure, your body will adapt accordingly. Associating the process with a problem.

You need to bring ‘breaths’ into your normal day routine. And you can, very easily. There are many times during the day when you’re on your own (in the car, at a desk, in a lift, even walking to a meeting or event) and you can grab some good breaths in these gaps.

You can’t zen breathe all day, you can’t often do it for long periods but however ‘busy’ you are, there is time within a day where you can grab a moment.

Let’s have a breath now

A good zen breath should be into the tummy, the diaphragm should descend on the in breath and the tummy should move outwards. Don’t breath into the chest or lift your shoulders, the only thing that should really be moving in and out is your tummy.

The breath should be in through your nose for a count of 3 or 4, hold it for 2, and then expel the air via the nose or mouth for a count of around 4 or 5. Find your own rhythm and timings, and make it comfortable and right for you.

If you try and fit in a moment today, and then two a day for the next few days. Then up it to three or four a day, in time. If you can get more in, great. If there are days when other things take over and you don’t fit them in, don’t quit, or chastise yourself, just start again. Grab a breath wherever you can.

If you get into the habit of working on your breathing on a daily basis, this process will become easier. And when you really need it, your body will find the strong deep breath more easily. A bit like any other technique or skill, if utilised often, the muscle memory in your diaphragm will respond. Morgan’s sublime example is the reason why we should all practise our breathing.

If we want to perform at our best, if we want to present to others a picture of serenity and control, breath is the cornerstone.