Coaches in the National Football League are now discovering that players need to be trained in more than just football skills in order to improve their level of play. Michael Gervais, a sports psychologist who uses mindfulness exercises to help Olympic athletes and Seattle Seahawks players, said, “The further these athletes get out on the edge, the more important it is to have a really high command of your mind.”

Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seahawks, believes in the benefits of meditation, but he does not force it because his players will only benefit from it if they want practice it themselves. Mindfulness is being intensely aware of what one is feeling at every moment. The practice of mindful meditation is up to the individual, but many players are reaching out to  Gervais and other experts to become better at being present in the moment.

Often times people, especially athletes, have numerous thoughts about the past and future absorbing their attention, not allowing them to be in the moment. “A concrete example is thinking that leads them to tighten up. They aren’t getting to the signal or the present moment because these thoughts are getting in the way. They want to access the present more,” said Gervais.

Carroll and Gervais may have teamed up to create their own program for mindset training called Compete to Create, but many other NFL teams are and have been practicing mindfulness. The Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons include mindfulness in their training. The Falcons are known to use the app Vision Pursue which guides players through several mental exercises. Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn, said the app “dramatically improves leadership and performance.”

Unlike practicing a sport, practicing mindfulness risks no injuries and improves mental performance significantly. “Mindfulness training can keep a player in the moment and heighten their ability to make plays and adapt quickly to an environment as it unfolds. It helps people to be themselves and to be present, and that’s always a good thing,” stated Gervais.

Some NFL teams are knowledgeable about the benefits of mindfulness, but many athletic programs aren’t as fortunate. Because of this, Gervais and many others are trying to spread the awareness of mindfulness as it can enhance the lives and performances of people and athletes.