The Ego Transcendence of Great Athletes

"I’m a tennis coach. When you play, do you still feel tension? Do you still want to win? And if a player chokes during a match, how would you help them get into the moment? Rupert says: ‘I don’t play competitively – I have a very Zen approach. But let me tell you a story. A coach told me about a 14-year-old girl, one of the top players in the U.S. Whenever she messed up, she would smile. It’s so intelligent. Most players make a mistake and contract – then their game deteriorates. She did the opposite. By smiling, she erased any contraction and put herself back in the place of spontaneity and relaxation. That’s what you’re trying to do as a coach – take them to their true nature between each point. At the highest level, the reason great players do things that seem to defy science is precisely because there is no ego in that moment. The ego is a limitation – they expand beyond it. That’s why we love watching them. They’re modelling transcendence for us. The ego comes in before, between points, and after – “wasn’t I brilliant?” or smashing rackets. But in the point itself, there’s no ego. Would you still want to win? Yes – but your identity wouldn’t be invested in whether you won or not. You’re not enhanced by winning or diminished by losing.’"

From event 27 February - 01 March, 2026 The Nature of Consciousness – Online Weekend Retreat at Home 27 February–1 March 2026

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