What 18 Years of Pro Basketball Taught Me About Yoga
During 18 years of professional basketball in the NBL and Europe, I spent enormous amounts of time getting stronger, fitter and more skilled.
What I didn’t understand until later was how valuable yoga could have been as part of that system — not as a replacement for strength and conditioning, but as another way to train movement, recovery, body awareness and composure.
This is what I’d tell my younger self about yoga for athletes.
Lesson 1: Strength without control is only half the job
I captained the Brisbane Bullets in 2001 and trained with the Australian Boomers squad. At that level, everyone is strong and everyone is fit.
What matters over a long career is not just how much force you can produce, but how well you can control your body in the positions sport puts you in.
Yoga can complement traditional strength training by challenging balance, mobility, control and strength through different ranges of movement.
It doesn’t replace the gym. It gives you another tool.
Lesson 2: Recovery is a skill
Athletes are usually very good at switching on.
The harder skill is switching off after a game or heavy training session.
Slow practices such as Yin Yoga, mobility work and deliberate breathing can give you a structured way to bring the intensity down instead of finishing training and staying mentally wired for hours.
Recovery isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about giving the body the conditions it needs to settle and prepare for the next session.
Lesson 3: Your breath is trainable
Breathing runs automatically, but it can also be influenced deliberately.
In a randomised controlled trial published in Cell Reports Medicine, Stanford researchers found that just five minutes of daily structured breathing over one month improved mood and reduced anxiety. Exhale-focused cyclic sighing also produced a reduction in resting respiratory rate.
Read the Stanford breathing study.
That study was not conducted specifically in elite athletes, so it does not prove that five minutes of breathing improves sporting performance.
What it does show is that breathing practice can influence mood and physiological arousal.
For athletes, that matters because pressure often changes the way you breathe long before you consciously notice it.
That’s one reason breathing is a core part of how I now work with athletes and teams through Vincere Protocol.
Lesson 4: Composure wins moments
At the professional level, games are often decided in a handful of possessions.
A missed assignment, a rushed decision, a bad reaction to a referee call or a moment of panic can change the result.
The players you trust in those moments are the ones who can stay organised when the pressure spikes.
That ability isn’t just personality. It can be practised.
Yoga gives you a controlled environment where you can experience physical effort, discomfort and distraction while still paying attention to your breathing, movement and decision-making.
It isn’t the same as game pressure, but it is another place to practise staying composed.
Lesson 5: Yoga should support your training, not compete with it
The mistake athletes make is turning every session into another hard session.
If you already lift, run, jump and compete several times a week, you don’t always need more intensity.
Some days a strong Power Yoga class makes sense.
Other days a slower Yin Yoga session is the better choice.
The right session depends on your total training load, where you are in the season and what your body needs that day.
How to fit yoga into a training week
| Phase | Sessions per week | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| In season | 1 to 2 | Mobility, recovery, breathing and movement quality. Avoid adding unnecessary fatigue close to games. |
| Off season | 2 to 3 | Include stronger sessions such as Power Yoga alongside strength and conditioning. |
| After games | 1 | Use a slower practice such as Yin Yoga or a controlled breathing session. |
The exact number depends on your sport, schedule and total training volume. Yoga should fit around your performance program, not interfere with it.
Is yoga just stretching?
No.
A strong Power Yoga class includes balance, strength, movement control and sustained effort alongside mobility.
If you’re deciding between stronger styles, read Power Yoga vs Vinyasa.
Which athletes can benefit?
Yoga can be useful for athletes in sports that demand running, jumping, rotation, contact, repeated efforts or high levels of body control.
That includes sports such as:
- Basketball
- Rugby league and rugby union
- AFL
- Running
- Cycling
- Tennis
- Football
The exact benefit depends on how yoga is used inside the athlete’s overall training plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can yoga replace strength training?
No. For athletes, yoga should generally complement strength and conditioning rather than replace it.
Should athletes do yoga before a game?
A hard yoga session immediately before competition may add unnecessary fatigue. A short mobility or breathing session may be more appropriate depending on the athlete and sport.
Do you work with teams?
Yes. Raw Power Yoga has delivered programs to sporting organisations including the Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Lions, Queensland Firebirds, Brisbane Bullets and the Australian Defence Force.
Contact Raw Power Yoga to discuss yoga or movement sessions for teams.
What about performance breathing?
Teams and athletes wanting a structured performance-breathing system can explore Vincere Protocol.
Train smarter
Individual athletes can explore Power Yoga, Flow Vinyasa and Yin Yoga at our Albion studio.
Our classes are designed for complete beginners through to experienced practitioners and athletes.
New Brisbane students can try 10 days unlimited yoga for $48.
Teams and organisations looking for structured breathing-performance training should visit Vincere Protocol.