Feedback from the Improving Sports Performance through Mindfulness and Compassion courses run in 2020/2021:
“It was useful to be introduced to the concepts of mindfulness and compassion in sports by a person with a track record of high level sports performance especially in martial arts which have a strong component of the mind/spirit, not just physicality. I enjoyed the combination of practical application and theory, including the material provided with all the links and references for future reference.”
“As I had little prior knowledge about mindfulness and never used it in practice, I feel like I’ve really learnt something valuable. Learning all the different practices have helped as it means I can incorporate mindfulness into my daily routine easily as there are lots of varied practices, some which I can use whilst training and take up no more time. I definitely feel like I’ve started using it more and more throughout the weeks of the course and now use it often during my runs and training, and sometimes just at the beginning or end of my day.”
“The course was very well delivered, and I enjoyed working together with Kris. 5 stars!… Being an experienced practitioner in the field of mind and body coordination, I was able to extend my understanding and practice to include kindness and compassion. This will improve both my coaching in archery and my own individual execution of this art and daily life.”
“Kris is a great listener and you feel as though everything you say is understood and discussed further. Kris always answers queries and questions in full and checks for understanding. The sessions feel like a safe space to share experiences or queries. The practical elements to the course such as movements and stretches really adds to the learning as you can apply your knowledge straight away.”
“Really enjoyed the practical skills we learned and the process of being guided through them by Kris. Reflecting on our personal experiences and some of the theory behind the why we practice mindfulness and compassion was also great!”
“The course; from the handbook to delivery, has been amazing! I have learnt a lot of approaches and practices that I can implement in my sport. It has had a substantial benefit to my performance as well as my overall wellbeing.”
“The course content, structure and delivery have been nothing short of superb. I feel my understanding of both mindfulness and what it is to practice a sport purposefully have been enriched through the expert guidance of Dr Chapman.
Despite some years of familiarity with mindfulness, the course gave me the tools and tailored support I needed to truly integrate mindfulness into my training and reap the rewards. I have already seen substantial benefits to both my performance in new PBs as well as my overall wellbeing and renewed appreciation for exercise. I have been able to tune into my body better, and work better with its abilities and needs to improve performance, rather than feeling I need to ‘push’ constantly through difficulty, which would often undermine my performance in the long-term. I have been able to deal with injury, to rest and recover better, and reduce frustration with set-backs; speeding me back to fitness without the aggravation.
I feel I have a more holistic appreciation of my body and aims in sport, and have felt added benefits through a change in attitude in my personal and work life too…
Kris led the course with a responsive attentiveness to my personal needs and goals. I felt he was truly dedicated to me improving throughout the duration of the course, and would support me with any personal challenges I had in understanding how I could apply mindfulness and compassion. The way he engaged participants in sessions was itself a demonstration of the merits of a compassion-led approach to sport and training. Each session was compelling, productive and a joy to attend personally.
The blend of lecture and group discussion helped me engage with each and get to grips with each new concept and exercise. Kris’ prepared material as well as ‘live’ teaching in response to mid-session questions was consistently precise and illuminating; he is clearly a dedicated expert about this topic who has researched and considered mindfulness, sport and their relation at fundamental and wide-ranging levels.
I loved the use of examples from martial arts and MA philosophy to unpack concepts and their application; these helped me see how mindfulness and compassion could be applied to running and cycling, and challenge myself as to why I had not taken such an approach in my training previously.
Before the course I was aware of and appreciative of mindfulness and its benefits to life, and had practiced meditation. But I was without a clue as to how to apply a mindful and compassionate approach in my sports training, which I viewed (mistakenly) as being at odds with what I took mindfulness to be about. This course has helped me bridge that gap and fundamentally re-work my assumptions about how I should approach sport, mindfulness and compassion.”
Feedback on the half-day Mindfulness for Sport: Essentials course (Spring 2021):
“I really enjoyed this short Mindfulness for Sport course. It introduced me to some simple practices for using mindfulness not only in sport but also in my daily life. I now understand the connection between better sport performance and wellbeing in general and a compassionate attitude towards myself. I will definitely be using the 10-finger breathing exercise and I will also introduce it to my family.”
Feedback on the Mindfulness Techniques for Better Climbing Performance course (Summer 2021):
“I really enjoyed the practical elements of the course, both in terms of climbing and mindfulness exercises. Well chosen challenges on the wall! … All the approaches introduced seem really effective so it’s something I will incorporate in my climbing as well as day to day life.”
“It was really useful to consider how mindfulness and compassion plays a part in climbing. I have an awareness of mental health but this has given me a new insight and understanding into my sessions. Thank you!”
“It was really good. I’m excited to try and implement these techniques into my training.”