I keep hearing about mindfulness, but what is it?
Mindfulness refers to attention that can be directed inside as well as outside of ourselves. Attention to feelings, body sensations, thoughts, or emotions, for example, is directed inward. Attention to a conversation with a friend, trees in a forest, sounds, or a book, for instance, is directed outward.
So, what does this mean for you?
Attention to the things that are happening in this very moment may sound easy, but how many times is our attention redirected by our thoughts? Although thinking is undeniably very handy, as it allows us to make plans and solve difficult problems, at the same time, it often triggers many problems. Our mind can get easily lost in endless thinking (worrying and rumination). Our thoughts create emotions and feelings like fear and sadness. We lie awake at night because we worry about what might happen tomorrow. We cannot stop thinking about that mistake we made last week. In our mind, we are constantly busy with the things that need to be completed. These are only a few examples of how our mind can make life difficult. Mindfulness teaches us to deal with these problematic thoughts by focusing our attention on the here and now. Mindfulness helps us create a different relationship with our thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
So what will I learn about?
Attention & The Now
Automaticity
Judgment
Accpetance
Goals
Integration
Recent Student Comments
Soul Performance Academy's "Mindfulness" course was a great learning experience. It was presented in an easy to understand method and more importantly, it was easy in incorporate in to my daily life. I have already started to see results both in my professional and personal lives.
~ Tim M. (Serve City VB/Chicago Sand VB)
After 15 years of military service, countless leadership, time management, & self reflection courses, professional development seminars, and mentorship sessions; in my opinion Soul Performance Academy's Mindfulness course is a true investment in yourself, and will leave you with relevant insight for leading a generation towards a better tomorrow!
~ Chris L. (MSgt, United States Air Force, Germany)
Before taking this course, I thought that mindfulness and meditation were the same thing. And in a world that focuses on productivity and achievement, the idea of sitting in silence sounded like a waste of time. But I kept hearing about “the space between,” how distracted we are, and the importance of training the mind so I signed on. During the Mindfulness course, I learned about attention, automaticity, judgment, acceptance, goals, compassion, and ego through workbook readings and audio presentations. These sessions, along with the logbooks and meditations, are highly relevant in my work as a teacher, coach, and every day life as a parent. The instructor, Dan, is a great resource of information and the materials are easy to use. I highly recommend taking this course.
~ Heidi A. (Physical Education Teacher, Minnesota, USA)
I love this program! Soul Performance put together an intellectual approach to something that can’t be easily understood. This definitely is not perfect program for everyone, but if you want an introduction to mindfulness, its roots and a strong foundation to build a practice on; then this is the right program for you.
~ Jon A. (USA Volleyball, Women's Sitting National Team Coach)
What will I get with the course?
Two great eBooks for you to download and read in a nice PDF format to use on most portable devices.
Is this program really for me?
Are you a(n)...
If you answered yes to any of the above categories, and honestly..Even if you didn't...This course is for you.
Mindfulness can be used in everyday life for everyone.
A Letter from Dan Mickle
Founder: Soul Performance Academy
Thank you for taking the time to explore the basics of this program. Mental Training has been a long passion of mine, and I wanted to be able to reach more people across the globe. As I travel and do trainings in person, I always start with the "What percent of your job/sport/activity do you consider mental?" question. Even though I have have done this a thousand times, I still am surprised by the high number people value mental training but the low amount of resources they put in to it. Parents are willing to spend thousands of dollars on personal trainers, private instruction, and a slew of other specialist for their children's youth sports, yet apply very little resources to working on an area they have deemed essential to performance. I even run in to the same scenario with the corporate world. Companies invest a lot of time in technology and marketing, yet spend little on the income producers that make them their profits.
My goal for this course was to create something that was affordable for everyone, easily accessible for todays world, and contained much of the key areas of focus I felt would benefit the students in a timely manner. I hope you choose to become a student of mindfulness. I believe it is one of the best tools available for athletes, students, performers, and the population in general.
With a modest price and an eight week commitment, what do you really have to lose? It is now up to you to take the next step to seperate yourself from your competition, even if that competition is your own self.
Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Hugo Alberts for developing the framework and media for this course. I would also like to thank him for his time providing the voice overs for the video and audio presentations, as his voice is much more suited for your ears :-) .
Dan Mickle, Soul Performance Academy
Your Instructor
We make sure our staff is current with the latest methods in performance psychology and mental skills training, and combine that with the latest technology to provide top of the line training for individuals, groups, and entire programs. We work with athletes from the junior ranks to the professional level. We also have solutions for those in the performing arts like marching band, orchestra, and vocal performance. Lastly, we work with companies who are looking for ways to motive workers, increase efficiency, and build a team culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Link: Is Mindfulness a Religion? - The Huffington Post
We love working with teams, clubs, and groups. Please e-mail us and we can create a package that works for your program.
- Mental Skills Training
- Teamwork and Leadership
- Youth Coaching Ethics
- Youth Coaching Philosophy
- Youth Coaching Methods
- Youth Sport Parenting
- Stress and Anxiety Reduction
- Mental Training for the Injured Athlete
- Soul Performance Academy
This is our main website. It is home to our mission, methods, and staff. Feel free to browse and look at all our offerings and well as see what new items we are adding.
- The Mental Cast The Mental Cast is the blog and podcast site for Soul Performance Academy. There are regular blog postings and podcasts on a variety of topics. The site is free and contains a wealth of valuable knowledge.
- Of course, you can always find us on social media too! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Lastly, you can join our mailing list by clicking the link below. Soul Performance Academy - Mailing List