The Forging Iron Podcast with Griffin Jaworski
We dive into the science and stories of endurance athletes, authors, physicians, nutritionists, and psychologists to see what comes to the surface.
"As iron sharpens iron, people sharpen people." - Proverbs 27:17.
As an endurance coach, athlete and current Master's in Applied Sport Psychology student, my aim is to help you make the most out of life through sport.
Happy training!
- Coach Griffin
The Forging Iron Podcast with Griffin Jaworski
A meditation for coaches and athletes & why it works
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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 Griffin
May 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.56.3.218
Cho, 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/10.1177/17479541211026246
Cotterill, 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/10.1080/02640414.2020.1745460
van 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.2018.11.004
Sheehy, 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.2018-0061
Zeng, 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