Sam Allardyce, the Sunderland manager, has revealed that he has been using transcendental meditation to cope with the stress of the relegation battle. For up to 30 minutes a day, the silence enables Allardyce to forget the pressure and pain of controlling Sunderland as they attempt to avoid the drop, a technique that he says he has used for the past 12 years.
“You can do it anywhere at any time, in a relatively quiet place. It refreshes you and makes you feel good to push on,” he said before his team continue their relegation battle against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light today. Allardyce, who has always been one of the country’s most innovative managers and has studied meditation since he introduced it to his players at Bolton Wanderers 12 years ago, insists it is not a fad.
“I thought I should try it myself to have a better understanding,” he said. “If the players say it is a load of rubbish, I can say, ‘I’ve used it and don’t find it like that, so you must be a bit of a non-believer.’ I read the science on it and it gives you a better insight into how it helps to reduce your blood pressure and keeps you calmer. The science behind it proves it actually works if it is done in the right way. It has helped me.” Allardyce, who admits to devoting more time to meditation because of Sunderland’s difficulties, has decided not to make converts of his players, at least for the time being.
Today’s match at the Stadium of Light will not be a place for quiet thoughts. “The lads are playing at home and have 47,000 fans who want to shout and scream and help them, so that should be a motivation,” Allardyce said.
“They should say, ‘I’m going to run myself into the ground today and if I have to run further and harder than ever, I’m going to do that for the benefit of the team’.”