Meditation—described as a deep inner peace occurring when the mind can be rendered calm and silent—has been an integral part of mixed martial arts legend Frank Shamrock’s training regimen since he made his 1994 pro debut in Tokyo.
This underutilized practice aids in recovery—it’s been proven to help reduce pain, stress, and anxiety and to improve sleep. But it can also be employed as a pregame motivator, the way the 45-year-old former UFC middleweight champ has used it his entire career. This includes his return to the ring this past October to face nemesis Kazushi Sakuraba.