Philosophy

A Brief Explanation of How and Why I Integrate Buddhist Principles, Psychology, and Science (Polyvagal Theory) w/ Soccer

1. Finding Eastern Values and Principles in a Competitive Western World: Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation, Means over Ends, Growth and Process over Outcome

I have always been pre-occupied with learning about what drives individuals in sport and life. My fascination with group-think, cultural norms, personal values, and external pressures followed me to graduate school, where I completed my dissertation on how families’ achievement values impacted the mental health and academic performance of children. What this study found was that children experiencing a familial prioritization of achievement, over well-being, were more likely to manifest negative mental health outcomes on scales of anxiety, depression and substance use. This trend was noted to begin as early as middle school and continued into high school. Additionally, and ironically, perceived parental achievement pressures also contributed to poorer academic outcomes for children.

Before arriving at graduate school, I played division one soccer, and experienced how the grit and grind for outcomes did not increase the likelihood of success or increase any joy for the game. I saw more losing and burnout than I had at any point in my soccer career. The pressures and “reaching” for achievement were unwelcomed distractions and disrupted team cohesiveness, personal joy and performance. I wish I had known then what I know now.

Over the past five years, I began to passionately study sports psychology, and was introduced to various sports psychologists. One in particular, named Dr. Jerry Lynch, influenced me significantly. He focused on using Buddhist practices and principles to harness individual values, goals, and practices. He wrote extensively about how integrating Buddhist principles with meditation, mindfulness, positivity, and visualization, increased growth and joy, while simultaneously fueling success in an athlete’s chosen sport and in life.

These principles have been found by many professional players and coaches (Kobe Bryant, Roberto Baggio, Steve Kerr and Phil Jackson) to increase pleasure, connection, and success for athletes and their teams. The results speak for themselves but seem to be byproducts of the focus on intrinsic motivators like passion, love of team, self-belief, courage, cognitive discipline and humility, as opposed to achievement. The focus is on setting specific goals, working your hardest to reach them and playing like “your hair’s on fire”. Success and joy come from being humble, calm, confident and ruthless with one’s determination, focus, and courage to pursue their best version of their athletic and authentic selves.

At SoccerPsychology.com my aim is to optimize the grounding influence of Eastern philosophy by integrating clinical psychology and science to impact the whole person’s experience of how they play. This approach takes aim at the mind-body connection, self-acceptance and self-security by training the mind and body to work together, while nurturing our authentic selves. At SoccerPsychology.com cognitive tools, mindfulness, and visualizations are used to settle the body which facilitates the mind’s ability to combat fear or pressure, while strengthening belief and focus on self and possibility.

Here are a few principles I’ve adopted and integrate at soccerpsychology.com:

Use courage to risk failure, learn from setbacks, grow and forge ahead
Focus on how the game is played (process) as opposed to its outcome.
Attention or goal setting around outcomes can be used to sharpen physical and mental clarity but its not a fundamental focus or attachment
Use athletic events and competition to gain greater self-realization (ie. what values do I demonstrate on the field and off?)
Train the mind to see through the unnecessary superficial complexities of athletics (politics, coach or club pressures) and to, instead, find the joy that initially birthed love for the game
Know ones vulnerabilities and train to strengthen them. Accepting our vulnerabilities as opportunity, helps create balance and wholeness, while fueling acceptance
See competitors (especially the best ones) as partners who facilitate improvement
Pain and Anxiety are inevitable in sport and life, so accept that one can and will face them with courage strife and triumph.

2. The Science of PolyVagal Theory: A BioPsychoPhysiological explanation of Connection and Protection

The graph above depicts three levels (ventral vagal, sympathetic, and dorsal vagal) that exist within every human’s Central Nervous Systems. Each persons’ nervous system is uniquely shaped by the interplay of their biology and biography. Three states of our nervous systems are central to experiences of connection and protection. Each state intrinsically impacts our felt “mindbody” experience in soccer and in life. We move within and around all three – sometimes in a blended state of two at a time.

To explain the graph a bit more, consider the colors of each zone. When we are activated or threatened we are in a sympathetic fight or flightvstate (yellow) – ie. foot is on the gas pedal. When depressed, hopeless, shamed or shut down, we are in our dorsal vagal state (red) – foot is on the brake pedal. When experiencing ourselves as open, curious, reflective, creative and compassionate, we are in our ventral vagal space (green) – ie grounded, and sometimes zen. Sometimes we are in a blended state of two at a time.

Life and soccer are emotional games and the nervous system frequently governs how we engage and experience them. The Polyvagal Institute largely sees our optimal zone for sport as existing in a blended green/yellow state. In this space, we are grounded, calm, confident, focused and driven. This Blended State is ideal and involves the sympathetic and ventral vagal states interacting, which creates a self-state of being both mobilized and grounded, not overly stressed or depressed.

Ironically Buddhist values and principles lend themselves to engaging these states much more than a western focus on achievement at any cost, which can overwhelm our central nervous system and impede dynamic performance. We actually are at our best when we are driven, mobilized, and connected. Think ‘Flow State’.

Look below and find where the Polyvagal Model lists the best autonomic state for ‘sport’. Its likely a great state to enjoy other facets of life as well.

There is so much to say and learn about this. Some initial questions to explore in life and on the field are: Which spaces/states do you move through on a daily basis? When, where, and what gets you into each state? Why did it happen that way? How well can you regulate or fluidly move through these states on the field and in life?

At SoccerPsychology.com, we will map your nervous system and help you to function in the most optimized states while gaining mastery over how to get there. You can also map your own nervous system at https://themovementparadigm.com/how-to-map-your-own-nervous-sytem-the-polyvagal-theory/