This is a continuation of last week’s post, if you haven’t read it yet, you can see it here.

The Nats were different than most teams.  When things got tough for the team, they didn’t get down on each other or themselves.  The Nats encouraged each other and their positive energy was infectious. As a result, each player had the confidence to shoot, pass, dribble, and even make mistakes without feeling the wrath from teammates (bickering among teammates is a common theme on most basketball teams.)

On this night, a group of Nats who had been used to playing football, baseball, and basketball in front of thousands of fans in high school and college, played in front of a crowd of about 20 people. The 20 people might as well been 20,000 as the Nats fed off the positive energy and support of the fans.

The Nats were down 15 points in the 2nd half of a low scoring game, it seemed as if the task was insurmountable. Then, all the sudden, the tides started to turn. One Nat, TR made a tough layup in traffic, ending a 6 minute Nat scoreless drought. The 20 fans finally had something to cheer for and you could feel the momentum starting to shift.

A few minutes later, another Nat who had been struggling from 3-point range all season, pulled up and swished an NBA range three to cut the lead to 10. The shot was so pure and Rivel Research started getting nervous.

Rivel’s point guard who had been solid and steady all season, lost his compusure and began turning the ball over and throwing up wild shots thanks to great defense by CS along with the hear and hustle of the Nats. The trash talking point guard was suddenly silenced.

With 6 minutes left, the Nats cut the lead to 7. And then 5. It was really happening, the Nats were coming back. The positive energy from the bench, from the fans, and from the team’s year+long camaraderie was driving the Nats right back into the game.

The teams went back and forth not scoring for a few minutes and WM missed a three+pointer. He calls himself an “inside shooter” and says he struggles to shoot outside in the swirling winds of Compo Beach. WM put his head down and a timeout was called. A few of the Nats slapped WM on the back and said emphatically, “Pick your head up, we need you, you’re going to be a big part of this game!” WM had been the Nats general manager, coach, and a key player all season. There’s truth to the rumor that he would send text messages to each Nat during the days leading up to the games asking how they were feeling and who they wanted to guard. At this point, WM needed was a little positive energy to get him back in the flow. His Nat teammates delivered.

After the timeout, the Nats had the ball down by 4. There was a loose ball and WM came out of nowhere and performed a baseball slide to grab the ball and dish it to CS. In the meantime, BL snuck behind the defense and was waiting for CS’ timely pass. BL recevied the perfect fastball from CS and put a lefty layup in right as two 6’10” power forwards attempted to block his shot. If he went with the right hand, that ball would have been rejected into the ocean.

MK made another outstanding terrific defensive play, forcing a turnover and the Nats had the ball down two with 55 second left. This was it.

WM got the ball in the wing. He made a strong, confident move to the rim and slapped the glass as he put a layup in to tie the game. The Nats had done it! They had overcome an unsurmountable lead. Now it was time to win.

Another defensive stand by the Nats thanks to great team defense especially CS and MK. The Nats had the ball and CS took an open three from the corner with 4 seconds left. It just missed and bounced high off the back iron. WM came in out of nowhere and over the two 7 foot Centers, he slapped the ball like a bear going after a fish. The first tip missed and then…. well we’ll let you see the video:

2013 Compo Beach Basketball Championship

Without positive energy, trust, support from friends and fans, this season would not have been possible. Thank you Nats and Nat supporters, for an unforgettable championship season.

As we celebrated on the beach with a bonfire afterwards, we heard the waves crashing against the sand and we thought of how grateful we were to participate and come away victorious.

There were four main lessons you can take from this. Look closely and you’ll see, the lessons apply not only to basketball and sports, but to life.

Stay positive

No matter how big your deficit, you can always come back. A comeback and a winning season are much more likely if you encourage each other and visualize the positive results before they take place.

MD Hoisting the Trophy

Reduce your ego

If the team is better off with you on the bench at some point during the game or the season, embrace this and support your teammates. The alternative is sulking in negativity and draining the positive energy from the team. As Coach John Wooden said, “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.”

Be present 

It’s easy to fret and get down about a turnover or a shot you missed in a previous possession but what good does that do?  We like to encourage each other and say, “Next play!” after each turnover or missed shot. If you’re focused on the previous possession, you’re more likely to commit a dumb foul out of frustration or make a mistake because you’re not 100% focused and present.

Practice gratitude

It’s always great to see athletes praying before, after, and during games. The ability to be healthy and able to participate in a sporting contest is a gift in itself. Once you realize this, the game slows down and becomes fun.

What lessons have sports taught you??

Love Brian & Paz

On a random Wednesday, a group of our friends had a night we will never forget. It was not what some people would say was an “amazing accomplishment,” but to us, it meant a lot.

This practice or journey started in the summer of 2012. Eight friends got together and played 9 summer league basketball games in the Westport/Weston Parks and Recreation Summer Basketball League. It was fun. We won some games and we lost some games. The summer league playoffs started and ended quickly with a first round exit in the playoffs.

All winter the core of this group of players began to play. Getting together a few times a week at regional pickup games, we had more chances to find release, happiness, and serenity in the game of basketball. We practiced playing together and got better.

I should note that five of the seven players on our team, The Nats, have been best friends since I can remember. We will give their initials. BL, TR, MD, WR, WM, are brothers. We have played together and hung out together since elementary school. Some of us even went to pre-school together. MK moved to Westport at the start of high school and has been an amazing friend and teammate over the years. CS joined the team this summer and was a blessing to hang and play with. He proved to be the energy behind what turned out to be a good team.

The makeup of the team is exactly what you would expect of kids from a suburban New York City town. Semi-athletic kids who have a decent grasp of the sport of the basketball. We play for fun.

The 2013 season began rough. We lost to a team called Rivel Research in game one. After the rough first game, we got in a groove. We began to play well versus teams that did not present much of an opponent. We gained confidence and started playing together. We beat the likes of R.D. Scinto, Tavern on the Main, Onepercentcure, Colony Grill, and Joe’s gym. We then lost to a team called the Duck in an ugly outing scoring a total of 36 points. We got back on track versus a weak Festfair Fish and Chips team. We then lost the final game of the regular season to a team called RIP City.

We had made the playoffs and secured the 3 seed.

In our first playoff game, the semi-finals, we had the opportunity of playing the 1 seed, RIP City who had previously beaten us. We took the floor with confidence and won with a margin of victory of ten points.

We had made the championship.

The championship started out much like the 2012 season, rocky. We were all mentally exhausted after playing in a tough fought semi-final game versus RIP City. We came out flat and were down 28-13 at half time. We could not find a bucket.

Most teams might have gotten down on themselves and started bickering with each other. The Nats were different than most teams. When things got touch for the team, they didn’t get down on each other or themselves.  The Nats encouraged each other and their positive energy was infectious. As a result, each player had the confidence to shoot, pass, dribble, and even make mistakes without feeling the wrath from teammates (bickering among teammates is a common theme on most basketball teams.)

But this could only go so far. There was 20 minutes left in their season and they were down by 15. Could the magical season be coming to a close in anticlimactic fashion? Well, if you know the Nats then you probably know the answer to that question. For the rest of our Lucid Practice readers: stay tuned in and lucid for next week, and Monday’s 11am US Eastern Time post for the continuation of this story.

To read the rest of this story, click here.

~Stay Lucid

Imagine a website where you could listen to your favorite artists for free all day without being bombarded with advertisements and without your personal data being collected. It’s here:

Listen to your favorite artists, for free with www.neverendingplaylist.com

This is ideal when you want to practice yoga to one of your favorite musicians but don’t want to keep pressing replay on YouTube and don’t want to hear the same song over and over again on iTunes.

I type Krishna Das’ name into the browser and a playlist of all his songs instantly appears. No sign up required. No data collected. No advertisements. Enjoy 🙂

Serendipitously meeting people and connecting is one of the best parts of traveling. Tonight I met an interesting woman who is passionate about her job at the airport.

She gets to check people in and help them with their bags. I met her after my flight as she handed me my carry on bag which was stowed underneath the plane because of its size. I was last in line and no one had thanked her for her great service so I knew it was appropriate to greet her with extra positive energy. It was well received and we began to chat about work and life.

When I asked how long she’s been at O’Hare and if she likes it, her eyes lit up and she smiled saying, “I love it.” She said she gets the opportunity to meet people from all over the world saying, “You never who you’re going to meet and connect with.”

Her statement rung true as tonight, I briefly connected with Sabrina and made the determination that both the airport and our society is fortunate to have her!

This isn’t the first time we’ve blogged about positive energy in airports. Have any of our readers had similar experiences?

Via Katie Rogers on Mind Boddy Green

We’ve all experienced the profound difference a new shade of paint can make in a room. Or how a red dress makes us feel as opposed to a light blue one. This is not to be undervalued! Colors have meaning and express a certain energy, and our subconscious is constantly taking cues.

Simply put, color is one of the most powerful tools used in feng shui.

If you’re looking to make a change in your life, you may want to reconsider the color schemes in your home and office. But do so consciously! Start with the following list, and consider hiring a feng shui consultant who can help you choose the appropriate colors according to feng shui principles, such as the bagua map and elements.

Red

Red represents the element of fire, and because of its intensity, is considered a lucky color in feng shui. Use it in doses to redirect energy around the home.

Basic meanings: hot, bold, daring, high voltage, lucky.

To read the rest, click here for Katie’s terrific, succinct guide to feng shui colors.

“If you practice yoga every day with perseverance, you will be able to face the turmoil of life with steadiness and maturity.” ~BKS Iyengar

Listen to this song actively.

I heard this song at the end of our first guided Kundalini yoga practice. It nearly brought tears to my eyes. It still gives me chills and Danielle and I listen to it often…. especially in the beginning of the day. The beginning of the day sets the tone for the rest of the day and Monday sets the tone for the week. Why not start the week with positive energy, love and truth?

Sat Nam, or in English, “The truth is my identity.” So true.

You can hear more of this band’s songs here.

Lyrics:

May the long time sun
Shine upon you,
All love surround you,
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on.