A meditation for coaches and athletes & why it works

Today we’re exploring the power of loving-kindness meditation.I know, I know… some people hear “loving-kindness meditation” and immediately tune out; it’s too woo-woo or mushy-gushy.For those unfamiliar, loving-kindness meditation is a lot like having “thoughts and prayers” for others and for self. It’s also called Metta, which translates to positive energy and kindness. People say things like that all the time: “I’m thinking about you” or “you guys are in our prayers” or “hope you’re doing well!”. With that in mind, a loving-kindness meditation isn’t probably too far off from ways we already think - it’s just a little more specific and aimed at helping the person practicing, not just who they’re thinking about.For coaches, athletes, or people a part of a team or group, I think this type of meditation can be extremely beneficial.I've included some research and more details on this, with a standalone guided meditation on our substack as well.Until next time, happy training!Coach GriffinMay you, the listener, be safe, well, joyful and loved.References:Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press.Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218Cho, H., Kim, S., & Lee, Y. H. (2021). Sport coaches’ positive emotions, task performance, and well-being: The mediating role of work satisfaction. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 16(6), 1247-1258. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541211026246Cotterill, S. T., Clarkson, B. G., & Fransen, K. (2020). Gender differences in the perceived impact that athlete leaders have on team member emotional states. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(10), 1181–1185. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1745460van Kleef, G. A., Cheshin, A., Koning, L. F., & Wolf, S. A. (2019). Emotional games: How coaches’ emotional expressions shape players’ emotions, inferences, and team performance. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 41, 1–11. https://doi-org.adams.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.11.004Sheehy, T., Zizzi, S., Dieffenbach, K., & Sharp, L.-A. (2019). “... Didn’t only change my coaching, changed my life”: Coaches’ use of sport psychology for their own development and performance. The Sport Psychologist, 33(2), 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2018-0061Zeng, X., Chiu, C. P. K., Wang, R., Oei, T. P. S., & Leung, F. Y. K. (2015). The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: A meta-analytic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693