What does it mean to be a mindful athlete, in sport and life? How do you cultivate mindfulness as an athletic superpower to respond and perform more effectively? In today’s episode of Your Life in Process, Diana and globally recognized speaker, teacher, and coach, George Mumford, discuss sport as a metaphor for life and how to employ spiritual superpowers to step up your inner game.

About George Mumford

George Mumford is a globally recognized speaker, teacher, and coach. Since 1989, he’s been honing his gentle, but groundbreaking mindfulness techniques with people from locker rooms to boardrooms, Yale to jail.

Michael Jordan credits George with transforming his on-court leadership, helping the Bulls to six NBA championships, while Mumford has also worked with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and countless other NBA players, Olympians, executives, and artists. Mumford’s book The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance is both a memoir and instruction guide. He believes everyone has a masterpiece within, which he can show you how to access.

While at the University of Massachusetts – where he roomed with future Hall-of-Famer Julius Erving – injuries forced Mumford out of basketball and eventually into an addiction to pain medication and drugs. With the help of meditation and mindfulness, he got clean and made it his mission to teach and work with others.

Key Takeaways

• Mindfulness is an active skill that you can cultivate to respond more effectively to the world around you, which enhances your life and your sports performance.
• Acceptance of physical discomfort without creating a story about the feeling can be a key piece to the spiritual superpower of willingness and surrender.
• Deepen your superpowers for life by practicing being present, focusing your mind, knowing yourself, and acting with right effort. Slowing down is a radical act of courage in our fast-paced world.

Related Resources

• Download Your Daily Practice for this episode
• Find out what kind of Striver you are and get your free Skillful Striving Toolkit
• Learn more about George Mumford
• Watch George Mumford’s YouTube Channel
• Follow George Mumford on Instagram
• Read George Mumford’s book: The Mindful Athlete: Secrets To Pure Performance 
• Learn More about Insight LA

Diana’s Events

• Reserve your spot in Diana’s Reset and Restore Retreat in Costa Rica in 2023!
• Sign up for Diana’s From Striving to Thriving Summit!
• See Diana at an upcoming event

Connecting With Diana

Thank you for listening to Your Life in Process! Subscribe to the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts. If you have any questions or feedback you can contact Diana by email podcast at yourlifeinprocess dot com or leave Diana an audio message at (805) 457-2776. Follow Diana at YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.

Thank you to the team Craig, Angela Stubbs, Ashley Hiatt, and Abby Diehl. Thank you to Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Remember when you become psychologically flexible, you become free.

Episode Segments

• [00:00] Introduction
• [02:27] Upcoming Events With Diana
• [03:14] Welcome George Mumford
• [03:50] The History Behind George Mumford and Phil Jackson
• [10:15] Mindfulness In Action
• [13:54] George Mumford’s Recovery From Addiction
• [18:24] Spiritual Superpowers: Serenity, Acceptance, and Wisdom
• [21:58] Right Effort Beyond Winning
• [23:15] The Alarming Possibility of Being Able
• [28:27] Learning From Your Direct Experience
• [31:00] Body Awareness
• [36:22] Reacting vs. Responding
• [40:16] Your Daily Practice