Ahead of a recent race, mid-distance steeplechase runner Colleen Quigley was listening to a guided meditation led by Headspace cofounder Andy Puddicombe. Eyes closed, she took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders as he talked about mental preparedness in a soothing voice through her smartphone. Moments later she lined up at the start and powerfully took off at the gun blast, feeling confident with her training and ample time spent visualizing what she needed to do to win.
Quigley, a runner from St. Louis, Missouri who trains on mindfulness at Nike’s facilities in Oregon, is among an increasing number of athletes using meditation as a supplement to their physical training.