Expanding Understandings of Self-compassion and Flourishing in Sport - Dr Leah Ferguson (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

In this second part of our conversation with Dr Leah Ferguson, we continue exploring self-compassion and flourishing in sport. Specifically, we discuss gendered perspectives on self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being, the need to move away from binary perspectives on gender and considering a broader range of cultural identities, and the importance of using appropriate language when discussing self-compassion with athletes and coaches. Towards the end of the conversation, we move on to discussing indigenous athletes' wellness and ways that some indigenous athletes understand and experience flourishing in sport. Dr Leah Ferguson is an Associate Professor at University of Saskatchewan. Her research areas include sport psychology and indigenous people’s wellness; the latter topic will be explored in the 2nd part of the podcast. Research discussed in this episode includes: Ferguson, L., Epp, G. B., Wuttunee, K., Dunn, M., McHugh, T. L., & Humbert, M. L. (2019). ‘It’s more than just performing well in your sport. It’s also about being healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually’: Indigenous women athletes’ meanings and experiences of flourishing in sport. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(1), 1-19. Ferguson, L. J., & Gunnell, K. E. (2016).Eudaimonic well-being: A gendered perspective In Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being (pp. 427-436). Springer, Cham.   Reis, N. A., Kowalski, K. C., Mosewich, A. D., & Ferguson, L. J. (2022). 'That's how I am dealing with it – that is dealing with it': exploring men athletes' self-compassion through the lens of masculinity Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 14(2), 245-267.