Polo Players Edition

JAN 2011

Polo Players' Edition is the official publication of the U.S. Polo Association. Dedicated to the sport of polo, it features player profiles, game strategy, horse care, playing tips, polo club news and tournament results.

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AS I SEE IT PETER J. RIZZO POLO YOGA Learn new ways to be safer and happier in and out of the saddle N o one really knows how long the sport of polo has been played. The earliest recorded memories of the game precede the times of Alexander the Great, who likened himself to the mallet and the world to the polo ball that he could hit whenever he so desired. What we do know about the origins of the sport is that it was, and is, a sport that required a special kind of union of body, mind and spirit between a player and his or her horse. We also know that through the many centuries, polo has persevered whatever the ever-changing world could throw at it, and yet the sport continues to flourish around the world, cherished by people like you and me who are captivated by its history and its potential. Another human activity that has survived the ages is yoga. Like polo, the origins of yoga are shrouded in the mystery of time, though both polo and yoga may have come from India or thereabouts, with yoga claiming a much longer, though no less diverse and interesting, ancestry. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj” meaning “to control,” “to yoke,” or “to unite.” Other translations include the concepts of “joining,” “uniting,” “union,” “conjunction” and “means”—and after a few months of practicing yoga, all those meanings make some kind of sense to the practitioner. For some reason, all those root words form a connection in my mind to what I experience with my horse. I try to unite with and control my horse as a means to get to the ball and have a good time. Can practicing yoga make you a better rider? Yes, I am convinced that yoga may be a means to becoming more fit to ride, and 10 POLO PLAYERS EDITION when one is fit to ride, then learning how to ride is made easier. As it has been said, it is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks, but in my mind and for my older body, new tricks are an essential way to stay fit, active, happy and healthy. After years of considering the possible benefits of yoga, I finally converted those vague thoughts into concerted action and signed up for yoga sessions just minutes from my office. As with anything, especially for us older folks, learning something new takes time and patience, but mostly patience. I am sure that all you novice polo players know what I am writing about, especially after a few frustrating months of trying to control a horse, hit a polo ball, score a goal and be a functioning member of a polo team, all without looking like a sack of potatoes perched in a saddle. After those initial few months, you either want to find a dignified way to quit or are exhilarated into confidently continuing to turn your polo practice into some sort of manageable form of perfection. Unlike polo, I learned that the best way to start yoga was to pick a session and dive into the action, but much like polo, I felt like a 0- goal player in a 20-goal game. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing and I felt hopelessly lost. After an hour or so, I was not only lost, but sore in most all the places that I get sore after playing a hard game of polo. Polo is played on some pretty wide open spaces, but it is amazing to realize that all that yoga soreness was earned on a mat about ¼-inch thick and no bigger than two saddle pads long and wide. As I was limping home after my first yoga session, the light bulb flashed on. Maybe this yoga stuff would be good for my conditioning and preparation for riding horses and playing polo, especially when my hips, legs, back and neck ached so much after games or long hours in the saddle. In the past, when I taught people how to ride and play, I would make it a point to inform them that there was really nothing much that would prepare them for the rigors of time in the saddle. While stretching and other forms of exercise were always helpful, there did not seem to be really good ways to get the legs and body prepared for the balance and muscle tone needed for polo, though over the years, getting in better physical condition is a work of sweat, science and knowledge. New and better exercise and conditioning machines and regimes are being advertised continuously. Many gyms have become very high-tech and specialized in providing conditioning for just about every need. With my newfound knowledge of yoga, I have been discovering the benefits of being more flexible and in better control of my breathing. Breathing, connected to movement, is essential in practicing yoga. Control your breathing and you get control of both your mind and your body. This works in polo, too. As I contemplated writing this editorial about my relationship with yoga and polo, I read Yoga: Nothing to lose but aches and blues, an article written in my local newspaper by doctors Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen who coauthored a number of wonderful health books, including YOU: Continued page 59

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