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BMR Counselling & Consulting at Parallel Yoga

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Sports psychology is a proficiency that uses psychological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports participation, and systemic issues associated with sports settings and organizations.

Because we work with so many athletes at Parallel Yoga, we’ve found a match made in heaven with BMR Counselling and Consulting, who now provides therapeutic counselling, sports psychology, and mental performance coaching.

Friends, meet Trevin!

Trevin has been working with athletes since 2010 and has a realistic approach to athlete and performance counselling. He is a Certified Sports Psychology Coach and is a strong believer that, in any sport, 90% of the sport is mental, and when you cannot perform mentally, it will reflect in the physical aspect of the game.

Growing up, whether it be a job or a sport, Trevin understood what it was like to try and perform under pressure and how not being able to perform at peak levels can take a negative toll on your body mentally.

At PY, BMR will develop a plan enhancing the specific skills needed to improve and maintain individual performance.

Trevin advocates for nutrition and diet plans to help the athlete in the physical aspect of the game. He’s a firm believer in positive reinforcement if the work is being put into effect. He also teaches the importance of behaviours of being at and away from the rink, field, court, or stage and strongly emphasizes education and nutrition as a motivation to succeed.

Trevin, who is a Certified Sports Psychology Coach (CSPC), focuses on thought patterns, coping styles, communication skills, relaxation exercises, and visual techniques to maintain a focus on success and to enhance performance related to:

  • Coping with pressures of competition
  • Psychological recovery of injuries
  • Goal setting
  • Mental performance
  • Positive mental imagery
  • Managing emotions
  • Maintaining concentration
  • Anxiety

Sports Psychology (Performance) Therapy helps athletes, performers and others reach goals and cope with the anxiety that can impede performance in different areas. If you can relate or know someone who does, chat with us about booking an appointment at Parallel Yoga.

How exciting is this? For more information on what Parallel Yoga and BMR Counselling & Consulting are offering, pop by the studio, email us, or give us a call.

Namaste.

 

Mental Toughness for Young Athletes

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Physical strength is a quality that most athletes strive for. They train for it, they eat for it, and they live a life that contributes to healthy growth and repair.

But what about mental strength?

The kind of strength it takes to keep competing, even when it becomes more difficult than it was when the commitment was originally made? To be consistently focused on the desired result, to know that each experience brings wisdom and builds character, and to have the bandwidth and energy to remain motivated and inspired? To have the skills and support to be able to handle the pressures and demands that today’s young athletes are subject to?

Mental Toughness for Young Athletes

This type of toughness—mental toughness—is what clearly separates athletes who succeed in all areas of their lives (not just in sports), and those who don’t. A great definition of mental toughness (taken from Building Mental Toughness) is as follows:

“A mental ability to overcome adversity and persevere through difficult and challenging situations or circumstances, to remain focused on the goal.”1

So how do we emphasize mental toughness and teach our kids that our minds are more powerful than our bodies will ever be?

One way, is to help your child or athletes routinely ask themselves the following questions:

  • What routines can you implement into your daily life?
  • How do you get focused for each day?
  • Are you aware of your goals and targets?
  • Do you have a plan of attack?
  • How do you respond to stressors?
  • Do you remain strong under pressure?

This helps young athletes to stay positive, and focus on their own process.

Tips and Tools for Mental Resilience

Other ways to improve one’s mental resilience, is to:

Breathe: Remember that increased oxygen lends to a calmer, more relaxed state of mind. Learning to consciously breathe in times of stress can be a fabulous tool to not only teach young athletes, but every adolescent.

Exercise: This may sound redundant when referring to athletes, but exercise that isn’t part of their daily or weekly program can be stress-relieving and enjoyable. Yoga and Tai Chi are both examples of highly beneficial supplementary exercise programs.

Be present: By not multitasking, young athletes are better able to be in the moment and consciously enjoy it. Mindfully keeping oneself in the present is another great tool for anyone, not just athletes.

Stay focused: This is important in maintaining mental toughness. Staying focused on the original intent and desired result can help aid in decision-making and prioritizing.

Manage expectations: Start small, and build to bigger and better goals. By making goals realistic, you increase your chances of attaining them, which builds self-confidence and drive.

Practice positive self-talk: Mostly, because negative self-talk will only be harmful. Positive self-talk increases self-confidence, which is paramount when it comes to succeeding as an athlete.

Get out of your comfort zone: Surprisingly (or not), stretching your comfort zone results in higher confidence and lends to a better variety of experiences. When equipped with the right tools to navigate the expansion of one’s comfort zone, the results can be thoroughly enjoyable and confidence-boosting, and assist in building mental toughness.

Keep perspective: Above all, remind young athletes that life is about more than the game. It’s about friends, family, experiences, and growth. One loss is not the end of the world—grow from it. Not being able to participate in a particular event will not end your dreams—learn from it.

Reinforce to your young athletes that mental toughness is a skill that’s cultivated—and the people that focus on it and mindfully improve upon it will ultimately reap the rewards.

Namaste.

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References:

1- http://buildingmentaltoughness.com/what-is-mental-toughness/