Meditation and Mindfulness by Katherine Reutter-Adamek

Hello! Welcome to the Monkey Mind Newsletter where we provide you with the tools to be a more successful and resilient athlete and human. 

CONTRIBUTOR
Katherine Reutter-Adamek

Katherine is an Olympic medalist and trailblazer in American speed skating. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, she won both silver and bronze, solidifying her place among the world's elite. In 2011, she became the only American woman to win a World Cup Overall Title and the first American woman since Bonnie Blair in 1986 to claim a World Championship.

Her career took an unexpected turn after sustaining a severe injury that led to three hip surgeries, countless injections, and years of rehab. Forced into early retirement, she transitioned into coaching, determined to help the next generation of athletes.

By 2016, her injuries had become manageable, reigniting her competitive fire. She embarked on an ambitious comeback for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, facing both triumphs and setbacks along the way. Through it all, her message remained clear: success has no secret formula—it's built on disciplined work and the mental skills that separate good from great.

Now a world-class coach, Katherine blends her experience as an elite athlete with her deep knowledge of sport psychology to teach the mental skills that drive performance. She believes coaching is about guiding athletes to places they can't reach on their own—because better coaching leads to faster improvement, and faster improvement unlocks new levels of success.

Skills like focus, resilience, and emotional regulation can either make or break an athlete. By mastering these mental tools, athletes bridge the gap between knowing what to do and executing it at the highest level.

Work with Katherine

TOPIC
Meditation and Mindfulness 

I meditate every day. It started in 2016 when a Sport Psychologist suggested I try it as a way to reduce performance anxiety. What began as a box to check when I was nervous has turned into a non- negotiable part of my daily life. As a Mental Skills and Nutrition Coach, Mindfulness and Meditation are my favorite tools in Performance Psychology.

In the words of Kobe Bryant, "…It's important because it sets me up for the rest of the day… It's like having an anchor. If I don't do it, it's like I'm constantly chasing the day as opposed to being able to control and dictate the day… I am set and ready for whatever comes my way." But what is mindfulness? And how can a person learn to meditate?

As defined by world-renowned teacher, Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is a practice of carefully focusing attention. Meditation is what happens when we turn that mindfulness towards a specific anchor, like focusing on your breath.

MENTAL PERFORMANCE TOOL
Box Breathing

For example, Box Breathing is a form of meditation that has been shown to regulate stress and improve performance. It is most effective when it is practiced daily, but can (and should!) be used anytime to boost confidence and focus before taking a test, speaking in public, having a hard conversation, or performing in an event.

It works like this:

1.) Take a deep breath in and out

2.) Imagine breathing around a box

3.) Inhale as you visualize going up one side of the box

4.) Hold your breath as you picture going across the top of the box

5.) Exhale as you go down the other side of the box

6.) Hold your breath as you picture the bottom of the box

7.) Take a deep breath in and out

8.) Repeat 3-5x or up to 5 minutes

9.) Enjoy the benefits of reduced stress, improved well-being, increased focus, and emotional stability

Happy Breathing!

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