Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement

Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement is a structured mindfulness-based program offered individually or a group format, online or in person. The development of MSPE was inspired by Jon Kabat-Zin’s Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction program. During the MSPE 6 to 8 week program, athletes, coaches, and performing artists learn invaluable formal and informal mindfulness techniques that help them achieve peak performance by:

  • Improving Focus and Concentration: By training the mind to stay in the present, you can concentrate better on your game or event, leading to fewer mistakes and better performance

  • Reducing Stress and Anxiety: Mindfulness techniques can lower stress levels, helping you stay calm, relaxed, and composed under pressure

  • Enhancing Recovery: Mindfulness can aid in faster recovery from injuries and intense training sessions by promoting relaxation and better sleep

  • Better Decision-Making: Being mindful helps you make quicker and more accurate decisions during competition, try-outs, auditions, or performances

  • Cultivating Resiliency: Mindfulness can help you be more accepting and kind toward yourself, even when you make a mistake, lose a game, don’t get the part, or bomb an audition, which reduces negative self-defeating thoughts and fearful emotions

How does MSPE work?

Once you contact Dr. Sierra for an initial appointment, you will be scheduled for an initial FAME assessment (Kaufman, Glass, & Pineau, 2018). FAME stands for Flow, Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Emotion Regulation, four core factors that determine performance outcomes. These measures will then be administered again at the end of the program so that you can determine your progress! Flow, mindfulness, and adequate emotion regulation lead to peak performance, whereas anxiety inhibits optimal performance.

You will attend 6 90-minute or 8 60-minute weekly sessions where you will learn formal meditation practices such as Mindful Breathing, Body Scan, Mindfulness of Thoughts, and Mindful Walking/Mindful Movement. You will also learn informal mindfulness practices that you will integrate into daily life. Daily practice of both formal and informal exercises is necessary to achieve optimal results. Once you have a established a regular mindfulness practice, you will learn how to apply mindfulness to your specific sport or craft.

MSPE has been studied for nearly 20 years. You can visit the MPSE Institute website to learn more.

What is the Investment?

As with any new skill we are dedicating ourselves to learning and perfecting , there is an investment of both money and time.

The monetary investment is $1, 200 which includes the pre-assessment, all 6-8 sessions, access to supplemental written and auditory materials, such as recorded meditations and informal mindfulness exercises.

The time investment is attendance to all sessions, as well as 30-45 mintues of time set aside daily to practice the formal meditations.