MELBOURNE is striving to find inner peace under new coach Paul Roos.
As well as a few more wins.
After consultations between Roos and elite performance manager Dave Misson, Melbourne players will take part in weekly meditation sessions this pre-season.
Demons football manager Josh Mahoney told AFL.com.au there was a specific aim behind the classes.
"We just thought with the ever-increasing and stressful environment, that it was important that our players learn some techniques to relax and escape from football, and meditation is certainly one of these techniques or tools they can use," Mahoney said.
Roos is an open advocate of meditation, having introduced it to his players during his time at the Sydney Swans. The former Swans coach is renowned for his calm demeanour.
Meditation is designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness.
The whole playing list attended a meditation class on Thursday, taken by Roos' wife Tami, who taught them the skills required to train the mind.
The session was well received by the players, according to those at the club.
Young draftee Christian Salem described it as a "different" experience.
"That was great to do something different and really relax," he told AFL.com.au.
The sessions will be open to all the players throughout the pre-season, with individuals deciding whether the practice works for them.
"At the moment it's something that we do weekly and it's within our program for pre-season and we'll have a look at the in-season program and where it fits in in due course," Mahoney said.
Tami Roos - who has co-written a book titled The Gift: Presence to Power with Paul - is a meditation facilitator and intuitive counsellor.
She has been teaching meditation for the past 10 years, after gaining her PhD Parapsychic Science from the American Institute of Holistic Theology.
