Mindful Sport Performance Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Ben Guest, bestselling author, teacher, and basketball coach, joins the conversation. Ben begins with a brief mindful breathing practice and then talks with Keith and Tim about the evolution of his coaching style away from a "command-and-control" model and the writing of his influential book, Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey . Supp...

In this episode, Dr. Jim Afremow, author and co-founder of The Champion's Mind, joins the conversation. Jim begins with a relaxation and awareness practice, and then talks with Keith and guest host Taylor Brown about the roles of mindfulness in his work, inspiring clients to pursue a champion's mindset, recovery from injury, finding balance in youth sport, and the importance of team cult...

In this episode, Dr. Bob Rosenbaum, a neuropsychologist, behavioral medicine specialist, and Zen teacher, joins the conversation. Bob begins with a centering practice and then talks with Keith about finding his center through Qigong, teaching non-striving by building curiosity and trust, his concerns about applications of mindfulness in the West, and the importance of patience and acceptance in pe...

In this episode, Dr. Michael Gerson, clinical sport psychologist and Assistant Professor at National University, joins the conversation. Michael begins with a centering breath practice that he co-developed with his students. Then, he talks with Keith and Tim about the course he created on mindful performance featuring MSPE, managing impostor syndrome mindfully, modeling authenticity, and the menta...

In this episode, Dr. Chris Winter, sleep medicine specialist and neurologist, joins the conversation. Tim begins with an interval breath counting exercise. Then, Chris talks with Keith and Tim about fear and anxiety in sleep and how mindfulness can help, challenges in creating a sleep-friendly culture within a pro sports team, and pitfalls in seeking gimmick solutions for insomnia. Support the sho...

In this Season 3 premiere episode, Tyler Harvey, NCAA scoring champion and player for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League, joins the conversation. Keith begins with a brief mindful eating practice. Then, Tyler talks with Keith and Tim about his daily mindfulness routine, finding flow in his basketball performances, how he's learned to tune out distractions, and ho...

In this Season 2 finale episode, Bianca Campbell, Founder and Director of Rise Mindful Basketball Academy, joins the conversation. Bianca begins with a "warmup" breathing meditation and then talks with Keith and Tim about her development of Rise, experiences with mental training as an elite athlete, personal journey to mindfulness, and how she introduces mindfulness to the athletes and p...

In this episode, Dr. Paul Salmon, associate professor of clinical psychology and author of Mindful Movement in Psychotherapy , joins the conversation. Paul begins with a mindful moment focusing on sensations of the breath and then talks with Keith and Tim about how he got interested in mindfulness before it was a buzzword, helped bring MBSR into mainstream psychology, and integrates movement with...

In this episode, Tommy Minkler, lacrosse coach and sport psychology doctoral student, joins the conversation. Tommy begins with a Nadi Shodhana Pranayama breath practice, and then chats with Keith and Tim about leaning into discomfort as a mindful athlete and coach, and how he introduces mindfulness in lacrosse within his different roles as coach, consultant, or student. Support the show

In this episode, Roan Morrison, Thai boxing and meditation coach, joins the conversation. Roan is a former professional Muay Thai fighter and now owns Hanuman Thai Boxing in Edinburgh, Scotland. He begins this episode with a mindfulness of the breath, body, and sound practice, and then talks with Keith and Tim about incorporating mindful warm-ups into a pre-competitive routine, bringing a meditati...

In this special episode, our producer, Taylor Brown, interviews Keith and Tim about the intersection of mindfulness, mental health, and performance within sport culture. The episode is part of a unique collaboration with the non-profit Athletes for Hope (AFH), which works to empower professional, Olympic, and collegiate athletes to make a difference in the world.  AFH has launched a campaign durin...

In this episode, Dr. Andrew Wolanin, clinical sport psychologist and founder of Wolanin Consulting, joins the conversation. Keith begins with a mindfulness of breath, body, and sound practice. Then, Andrew talks with Keith and Tim about taking a holistic approach to sport psychology consultation, his past and present work with the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach, and some similari...

In this episode, Karelle Edwards, professional 100m hurdler for Oiselle and five-time Team Canada member, joins the conversation. Tim begins with a heartbeat meditation. Then, Karelle talks with Keith and Tim about her experiences with mental training, how her interest in studying mental health and performance evolved, and her recent decision to prioritize her mental health over the Tokyo Olympics...

In this episode, Sam Parfitt, founder and CEO of the True Athlete Project (TAP), joins the conversation. Sam begins with a settling meditation practice. Then, he talks with Keith and Tim about his experiences growing TAP, working with youth athletes and coaches, multicultural and social justice applications of mindfulness, and embodying mindfulness as a teacher and business owner. Support the show

In this episode, Marci Robles, head coach of the George Washington University women's crew team, joins the conversation. Tim begins with a breath counting practice, and then Marci talks with Keith and Tim about how she got interested in mental training, her experiences incorporating MSPE with her GW team, and how mindfulness has empowered her and her rowers over their years of practice. Suppo...

In this episode, Frances Cárdenas, mental performance coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, joins the conversation. Frances begins with an ice meditation, and then talks with Keith and Tim about her holistic approach to mental training with the Phillies, implications for introducing mindfulness within a multicultural professional sport environment, how she navigates distinctions between performance...

In this episode, Sarah Kivel, founder of eiFocus, joins the conversation. Sarah begins with a brief loving-kindness meditation. She then talks with Keith and Tim about the power of empathy and compassion in sport, as well as her work promoting emotional intelligence and culture change within women's sports. Support the show

In this episode, Micha Shaw, a mother, mindfulness trainer, and national champion athlete, joins the conversation. Micha begins with a short breath practice, and then talks with Keith and Tim about helping athletes incorporate mindfulness into their routines, her unique journey to mindfulness through her open-water swimming career and retirement, and challenges athletes can face around identity. S...

In this episode, Taylor Brown joins the conversation. Taylor is founder & Director of High Performance at Enduromind, Mental Performance Program Lead at SportsShare Technologies, and the producer of this podcast! He begins with a brief acceptance practice and then talks with Keith and Tim about his personal journeys to mindfulness and acceptance, and how he incorporates these ideas into his wo...

In this episode, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, world-renowned author, scientist, and meditation teacher, joins the conversation. Jon begins with an exercise focused on embodying awareness by "dropping in" to the present moment. He then talks with Keith and Tim about the true nature of mindfulness, paths to authentic practice, paradigm shift in psychology and sport, the roles of letting go and fear...

In this episode, Chad McGehee, Director of Meditation Training at the University of Wisconsin Athletics Department, joins the conversation. Chad begins with a meditation incorporating values as a present-moment anchor, and then talks with Keith and Tim about his unique role at Wisconsin Athletics, his collaboration with the Center for Healthy Minds, introducing mindfulness as mental training for a...

In this episode, Travis Thomas, Leadership and Team Dynamics coach for U.S. Men's Soccer, joins the conversation. Travis begins with a mindful improvisation exercise and then talks with Keith and Tim about the connections between improv and mindfulness, key factors in his "yes, and..." approach, and how he brings that approach to the athletes he works with as a form of "radical...

In this episode, Dr. Jacob Jensen, a mental performance consultant, professor, and actor, joins the conversation. Jacob begins with a meditation practice focused on the breath, sounds, and emotions. He then talks with Keith and Tim about his mental training work with actors, how he incorporates mindfulness (and MSPE specifically), and how his experience with the "yips" as a college athle...

In this episode, Dr. Amber Cargill, Director of Player Wellness for the NFLPA, joins the conversation. Keith begins with a bubble meditation practice. Then, Amber talks with Keith and Tim about her role with the NFLPA promoting mental health and social justice, and the part that mindfulness is playing in her efforts. Support the show

In this episode, Prince Daniels Jr., a retired NFL player turned author and entrepreneur, joins the conversation. Prince begins with a relaxation exercise involving work with tension and the breath. He then shares with Keith and Tim how mindfulness literally saved his life, and his current efforts to introduce fellow athletes to meditation practices through his business and writing. Support the sh...