Mindfulness for Sport
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is one of the central techniques we draw upon as part of our holistic approach. There are many misconceptions about what mindfulness is, and how it can be of benefit to athletes and coaches.
Mindfulness is not just a ten minute breathing practice. It’s a way of life. It’s how we show up. How we listen. How we engage with difficulty and help others.
According to the Greater Good Science Center, mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment through a gentle, nurturing lens. Put more simply, it’s observation without judgment. The practice of noticing what’s happening inside and around us, and treating everything we notice as information rather than something to immediately fix, suppress, or react to.
When most people hear the word, they picture someone sitting cross-legged in silence, trying to think about nothing. But mindfulness isn’t about emptying your mind. Your mind will do what minds do. The practice is in learning to observe your thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them.
That space between experience and response is where choice lives. And like any skill, the capacity to find that space can be trained. Think of it as a muscle of attention. The more we practice returning our focus to the present moment, the more available that steadiness becomes.
"When I first heard of mindfulness, I saw it as sitting down and breathing quietly, quite a rigid process. But I'm starting to discover that it's not…"
Chelsea Hudson
Goalball Athlete & GMP Mentee
"When athletes learn to manage stress, stay present, and take care of their overall well-being, they perform better and recover more effectively. It's been a huge eye-opener to see how this holistic approach enhances not only athletic success, but personal growth as well."
Brian Bell
Basketball Player & Mentor
"Mindfulness taught me how to manage my emotions in competition, in training, and in everyday life... how to be present and calm. I could catch myself thinking really negatively in the moment, something I'd never done before."
Anonymous
TAP Mentee
Why does this matter for sport?
And for the world
According to Soren Gordhammer, the founder of Wisdom 2.0., “the benefits of mindfulness practice as applied to sports are almost blindingly obvious. Focus, awareness, clarity of thought, and the ability to stay in the present moment are basic skills for any great athlete – and meditator.”
Indeed, evidence supporting the benefit of mindfulness is everywhere, and it’s no coincidence that Novak Djokovic, the LA Lakers, the Seattle Seahawks, and many others have made it central to their practice.
We have demonstrated that, through mindfulness, athletes can boost the immune system, nurture wellbeing, reduce stress and negative emotions and improve sleep, focus and performance.
Furthermore, with greater calmness, awareness and focus, athletes are more able to understand their greater purpose, create connection with others and become more impactful in their communities.
Yet very few athletes, coaches, teachers or organisations have any training or established, consistent practice in mindfulness, where its benefits could be so powerful.
We are changing that.
How to get started?
Begin where you are.
Practicing mindfulness can be as simple as taking a moment out of your day to tune back into what’s happening in and around you.
Choose one of the prompts below. Find a comfortable position and take a few slow, easy breaths in and out. Then ask yourself the question. Notice whatever comes up first, whether it’s a thought, a feeling, or a sensation in your body. Simply observe it with curiosity, as if you were meeting it for the first time.
