Meditation has long been known as a secret weapon for many athletes at the top of their game. A short list of some of these all stars includes:

• Lebron James (a 4× NBA champion)

• Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh (3 x Olympic Gold Medallists in Women’s beach volleyball)

• Stephen Curry (2 x NBA MVP)

• The Seattle Seahawks and coach Pete Carroll

• Malaika Mihambo (German long jumper and 2022 world champion)

• Jamie Anderson (American Snowboarder, first female snowboarder to win more than one Olympic gold: 2014 in Sochi and 2018 in Pyeongchang)

I’m not a huge consumer of the Olympics (maybe because I’m not the most athletic person myself!), but I was so thrilled to learn that the Paris 2024 games have created a ‘mindfulness and relaxation area’ for all competitors - and this is the first time something like this has been offered at the Olympics! How cool is that?

I’d imagine this is a welcome addition to the competitors village, as meditation has certainly become more and more popular, especially amongst athelets at the top of their game.

Meditation for improved composure and focus

Manu Bhaker is an 22 year old Indian Olympian who competes in shooting. She revealed recently that meditation has played an instrumental role in her training that set her up to secure the Bronze medal just this week. She’s also the first female Indian shooter to medal at the games. She credits meditation for helping her improve her composure and focus.

Cultivating mental wellness

Basketball superstar and three-time Olympian Miranda Ayim (who was Canada’s flag bearer at the Tokyo 2020 games) probably wishes there was a mindfulness area when she competed 4 years ago. In her current work as a performance coach she suggests meditation as a method of cultivating mental wellness to her clients.

"In this day and age, we have so many inputs ... constantly listening to news, and (using) social media and there is so much information, so there's a lot of chaos in our mind that makes us more irritable and more distracted, depressed and anxious. We're able to turn that noise down with some sort of mindfulness or meditative practice…"

Meditation as a method to recharge and refuel

Team USA’s chief sports psychologist Jessica Bartley suggests meditation (and other mindfulness techniques) as a way to recharge and refuel for the athletes she works with. She says it’s a great replacement for a nap (when that’s not possible during a demanding schedule) and that even 5 minutes is beneficial.

It’s clear that so many at the top of their game include meditation as a crucial part of their mental preparation to be the best at what they do. Curious to try out meditation yourself? Try one of my free guided practices on Insight Timer.