Sports and the Mind

It's More Than Just Game

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation and Sport Performance

person meditatingThe Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation and Performance

Mindfulness meditation training, which is simply paying attention to body and breath sensations, works as a “volume knob” to better control how the brain processes pain and regulates emotions.

How does mindfulness meditation benefit an athlete?

As an athlete or performer of any type, the ability to modulate and control thoughts of pain and emotions can give a competitive edge and improve performance outcome. For example, in the heat of the moment if an athlete can recognize unproductive thoughts and redirect the thought through mindfulness training, anxiety and body tension will reduce helping the athlete to enhance performance.

Scientifically How Does Meditation Work?

Scientists at Brown University have recently published (February, 2012) a paper in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, proposing that mindfulness mediators develop a more sensitive “volume knob” for controlling how the brain senses pain and emotions.  Through the use of magnetoencephalography (MEG) the researchers have shown that mindfulness mediation plays a role in controlling the cortical alpha rhythms, which determine what senses our body and mind pay attention to.  Gaining control of alpha rhythms through breath awareness has many purposes for an athlete:

1. It enhances sensory focus on a particular area of the body.

2. It helps an athlete overcome persistent competing stimuli such as negative thoughts or pain.

We call this competing stimuli an “in your head argument” and if an athlete can recognize when this argument is happening then the ability to end this argument will free up valuable energy that can be refocused to the task at hand.

An Athletic Example of Mindfulness

A golfer has a poor shot and begins to have a negative internal dialogue.  Why did I swing like that? I know I am better than that shot! I just don’t have my rhythm today! Etc…

With alpha wave regulation as a mental tool set through the practice of mindfulness mediation, this golfer can recognize the pattern of negative thought and take mindful-action steps to move towards thought control.

The 3 A’s of Mindfulness for Athletes

Through the use of the 3 A’s an athlete can switch mental direction and get back on course:

  1. Acceptance: knowing in the moment that the self dialogue is negative and acknowledging this to oneself thus ending the in-your-head argument.
  2. Awareness: taking a moment to take a deep breath and refocus.
  3. Action: taking a specific action that is practiced in training to switch thoughts from negative to neutral.

Mindful awareness is a powerful tool because of the use of the brain.  If an athlete can recruit the brain to assist rather than resist, then efficiency and performance levels jump.

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About Colleen Hathaway, DC

Dr. Colleen Hathaway is a licensed chiropractor in the state of Wisconsin. Dr. Colleen is a native of Madison, WI and did her undergraduate work at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota obtaining a B.S. in Corporate Fitness Science and Athletic Training. She played basketball for St. Thomas for four years and was the starting point guard on their 1991 NCAA Championship team.
Dr. Colleen completed her chiropractic degree at the Northwestern College of Chiropractic from 1993-1997. She has been in private practice for over 20 years and adores working with people of all walks of life. Her philosophy is grounded in the principles of wellness, balance, support and human performance. She utilizes gentle chiropractic and cranio-sacral techniques, including light touch energy work. Essentially, she works with the body’s innate wisdom by helping to remove blockages of the nerve system. Patient education and home exercise routines are an important part of most care plans. Dr. Colleen also refers and coordinate care with multiple practitioners (massage, medical doctors, etc.) in an effort to accommodate individual needs.
Dr. Colleen is active in numerous chiropractic ventures and her most notable experience was a humanitarian mission trip to Fortelaza, Brazil where she was able to provide chiropractic adjustments to hundreds of people. She is a member of SOTO, a Reiki Master and trained Cranio-sacral therapist through the Upledger Institute.
On a personal note, Dr. Colleen enjoys participating in the American Birkebeiner cross country ski race, rollerblading, hiking, yoga, golfing and all things nature. She was inducted into the Edgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

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