Every week a sports psychologist leads the team in a guided meditation that always starts with "Quiet your minds, focus your attention inwardly, and visualize success." The sessions are not mandatory, but many members of the team show up to practice mindfulness each week. One of the biggest advocates on the team for incorporating meditation and mindfulness into his routine is quarterback Russell Wilson. He schedules individual sessions with the psychologist for guided meditation. This helps him relax when game time arrives. Yoga has also become a part of the Seahawks weekly training. Last year this was an optional activity, but after seeing the results of practicing yoga on the field, it is now mandatory.
Mindfulness and yoga are great for human beings. Period. Many people come to yoga and meditation because they want to improve their performance in a specific area of life, from playing a sport to having more energy at work. But after feeling the transformative effects, they continue to engage in the practice for what it does in almost EVERY part of life. For example, one of my favorite yoga teachers, Rosie Acosta, started practicing yoga because she was running the Los Angeles marathon. Now it is her life's work, a very central part of who she is. It will be interesting to see if the game of football is similarly changed by the innovative tactics of Pete Carroll's incorporation of mindfulness and yoga into the lives of his players.
