Mindfulness for Athletes
Having competed internationally in the sport of Biathlon and Ultimate Frisbee I have done a lot to my body. I know how injury, either acute or chronic, can impact performance as well as everyday life both physically and psychologically.
The upside is that athletes have a very specific relationship to their bodies – the downside is that, especially because of injury, we over-push ourselves, over-train and develop the ability to turn off information that is meant to help or protect us.
Through specific mindfulness training, and the tools of Transformative Mindfulness, we can learn to heal ourselves just as we have learned to push, ignore and drive ourselves. However, it takes a shift in approach and relationship between our bodies and minds.
As Einstein has said, Â “We cannot solve problems with the same mind that has created them.”
Developed by Dekyi-Lee Oldershaw (of the Oakville/Burlington paddling club and Olympic lineage, who herself was a national level paddler), Transformative Mindfulness provides visualizations and exercises that can fix and heal long-held pain, chronic injury as well as restore the confidence and body-mind relationship that is often compromised in acute injury.
Contact craig AT essentialchange.net for an appointment in the Ottawa area should you wish to explore this tool kit.