Every Gymnast's Superpower - November 2020
Want to help your gymnast to create an unshakeable mind? Do you wish your gymnast had more confidence and less fear? I promise you; the answer is Mindfulness.
What is Mindfulness? It sounds much easier than it really is. Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. It means paying attention to what is going on with you right here, right now with compassion and kindness.
As a former gymnast myself, I dealt with fear and anxiety. Fear and anxiety take place when our mind is thinking about the “What ifs.” How many times have you heard your gymnast say…I am going to miss my hands! I am going to fall! I am going to split the beam!
Fear hijacks you out of the present moment, creates uncontrolled thinking, which leads to strong emotions. Once emotions take over, it is almost impossible to think clearly about a situation. And there is a reason behind it. Strong emotions actually override the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for making decisions, critical thinking, and making good judgments.
Furthermore, there are so many other amazing benefits to being more mindful. Here are some other benefits to name a few:
* Boosts your immune system
* Helps you recover from injuries faster
* Improves sleep
* Increase focus
* Increase emotional intelligence (helps with conflict resolution)
* Increase emotional regulations (helps you be less impulsive)
* Helps manage and reduce chronic pain
As a gymnast, I often would hear the saying, gymnastics is 90% mental and only 10% physical. At the end of my gymnastics career, I was spending 32 hours a week training my physical body and ZERO hours working on my brain and mindset.
Your brain can be trained just like your muscles! And Mindfulness is the BEST way to train your brain. Did you know training your brain through mindfulness can actually change the neural pathways in your brain? Well, it can and science and research have backed it up repeatedly.
The best way to start training your brain is using mindfulness to help you become more aware of your thoughts. Before practice, have your team try a one-minute meditation or have them take 3 purposeful breaths. As a coach, athlete, or parent, I know trying to add in one more thing to remember to complete every day might seem like a daunting task but start small and over time, the effects of it will pay off. Personally, I use guided meditation every day for five minutes. I wake up, work out, meditate, and then I am off to start my day.
Having gymnasts start practice with a one-minute meditation can simply help center them and help them get into the mindset of practice. They do not have to lie down, and they can complete it simply by standing up or sitting down.
The Mind is Everything.
What You Think, You Become.
-Buddha
Incorporating Mindfulness Into Your Daily Routine
There are so many ways to incorporate Mindfulness into your everyday life. Whether it be before practice or first thing in the morning. One of my favorite mindful exercises to use with gymnasts is the STOP Acronym.
S – Stop
T – Take a breath
O – Observe - What are you feeling/thinking?
P – Proceed (How do you want to proceed with the thought and or emotion you are experiencing?
Here is a quick 2 minute guided meditation! Have your gymnasts give it a try right before practice. Having gymnasts start practice with meditation can simply help center them and help them get into the mindset of practice. They do not have to lie down and they can complete it simply by standing up or sitting down.
2 Minute Guided Meditation
Training Your Brain
As a gymnast, I often would hear the saying, Gymnastics is 90% mental and only 10% physical. At the end of my gymnastics career, I was spending 32 hours a week training my physical body and ZERO hours working on my brain and mindset.
Your brain can be trained just like your muscles! And Mindfulness is the BEST way to train your brain. Did you know training your brain through mindfulness can actually change the neural pathways in your brain? Well, it can, and science and research have backed it up time and time again.
Here is a video that shows how using mindfulness actually strengthens the neural networks.
Mindfulness Strengthens the Neural Networks
Interested in More Information?
If you are interested in learning how to incorporate Mindfulness training into your gymnastics training, please reach out! I offer the following programs:
1. One-on-one sessions
2. Small group sessions
3. Large group sessions
4. Monthly sessions for clubs
Follow me on Instagram: @themindfulgymnast and Facebook: Ariana LeBlanc