As mental health continues to grow as a focus in sports, athletes who meditate have shared their experiences with how the practice helps them. Meditation is a practice that involves focusing on the present moment and clearing away distractions to achieve a state of calm and relaxation. It’s often used by people who want to reduce stress and anxiety and improve focus. A meditation practice is often adopted by high-performing individuals and elite athletes to improve inner balance, visualization, manage emotions, concentration, and performance.

In addition to improving athletic performance, meditation has also been shown to help with pain management, sleep quality, and even weight loss. There are several different forms of meditation, such as mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, and yoga. If you’re an athlete, meditation might help you perform better at your sport. It also helps you stay calm during stressful situations.

Here are what some famous athletes had to say about how and why they use meditation.

Serena Williams

“Something I do every day is [to] completely turn my brain off, which sounds weird but because I work so much between tennis and running my other properties—Serena Ventures and Serena Clothing. But it’s a lot so I just need to turn my brain off and not think about anything.” – Serena Williams

LeBron James

When you think of athletes who meditate, LeBron James is likely one of the first names that come to mind. He is famous for many things, both on the court and off. In one of his current endeavors, you can find him in commercials for Calm, a popular meditation app. During games, you might catch him on the sideline or on the bench with his eyes closed presumably practicing a breathing technique. 

In a 2019 LA Times article on the Lakers team meditation practice, James was quoted as saying, “You feel kinda weird about it at first because it’s something that’s new, something that’s outside the box for myself. But I got more and more comfortable with my inner self, inner spirits and inner energy and things of that nature, I guess. So it works for me.”

Kobe Bryant

“I meditate every day. I do it in the mornings and I do it for about 10 to 15 minutes. And I think it’s important because it sets me up for the rest of the day. It helps me. It’s like having an anchor. If I don’t do it, I feel like I’m constantly chasing the date as opposed to being able to be controlled and dictate the day. Not that you’re calling the shots on what comes forward, but the fact I am set and ready for whatever may come my way. You know, I have a calmness about whatever comes my way and I have a poise and that comes from starting the morning off with meditation.” – Kobe Bryant

Sue Bird

“The way I play the game of basketball is really cerebral. I’m a point guard, so it’s like a puzzle. Anytime I can give my brain a rest, it goes a long way toward helping. That’s how meditating makes a difference. When the 10 minutes is over, I feel a little lighter.” – Sue Bird

Reggie Jackson

“I think meditation just brings a sound mind for myself. I’m at peace when I’m on the court. I don’t really view things as good, as bad, just accept things as they are. I just listen to the inner me. It’s like a self-dialogue, you’re really becoming aware of where you’re at in the moment. I feel more calm, I feel more awake, alert. I want to continue to live in that zone… I practice being in the here and now. I don’t really delve too much on the past.” – Reggie Jackson

Ryan Tannehill

“A lot of what’s going on with meditation is acknowledging a thought or a feeling, and then moving past it. Obviously, within a football game, there are a lot of things that are going on – a lot of thoughts, a lot of actions, a lot of plays. Whether they’re good or bad, you have to be able to put them aside and get ready for the next play. That’s something I tried to do even before I was meditating, just be able to move on – whether it was good or bad – and get ready for the next play, the next drive. But I definitely feel like that skill has gotten stronger since I began meditating.” – Ryan Tannehill

Alex Morgan

“What tends to work for me is a sort of meditation or visualization before the game. I love to step on the field before the game, before there are fans in the stadium, when the grass has been untouched. I like to visualize myself scoring a goal or going up against a defender or battling for a header. That helps me focus more during a game because I feel like I’ve been there and I’ve done that before. If things aren’t going great during a game, I tell myself to forget anything I’ve done so far — shots I’ve missed or losing a tackle or losing the ball. I get myself back in the present moment and focus on the positive.” – Alex Morgan

John Nogowski

“When you go out there, it’s crazy, man. Sometimes I see myself hitting a line drive to left or a line drive to the gap, then that’s exactly what I see in the game. So I try to manifest a little success before I go into the game.” – John Nogowski on meditating on the future

Mike Komisarek

“Meditation has really helped me, especially before the games,” he said.  “I was always a nervous wreck before a game.  It’s really calmed me down and made me a lot more confident in my abilities and my skills, that I could succeed every night and play well every night.” – Mike Komisarek

Natasha Hastings

“My morning meditation is most important. I set my goals and intentions for the day. I declare the day to be a great one in which I will be happy and go after each task at hand.” – Natasha Hastings, when asked about the most important part of her daily routine

More Athletes Who Meditate

Of course, there are way more than just 10 athletes who meditate. The practice of mindfulness and meditation is only continuing to grow in popularity as athletes begin to see its positive effects in and out of sports.

Want help with meditation, mindfulness, performance mindset, and visualization? A mental health and mindset coaching partnership is a great place to start. Request a free VIP introduction to coaching session with me to learn more. I’ll share some of my top tips, and we can explore more about what coaching can do for you.