Mind fitness and performance.
A human being first, an athlete second. Listen to Tarun Gulati, founder of Contemplate, on the past, present and future of sports mind fitness, and a healthier, more sustainable approach to high performance.
Our philosophy
A human being first.
An athlete is a human being first, a “human being plus an athlete” for only a few years, and a human being for many more.
Sport has focused on the body, and discussed the mind only to make the body perform. Now we discuss the mind for its own sake: mental health. But mental health today really means mental illness, a cure approach. The next step is prevention. That's mind fitness.
Our approach
Three pillars of sports mind fitness.
Human being first, athlete second
We need to acknowledge this and address it authentically. The Contemplate system starts with a core mind fitness programme that addresses the human being in the athlete.
From mental health to mind fitness
From cure to prevention. An ongoing training system so athletes never cross the threshold into mental illness, maximising their potential as athletes and their peace of mind.
Ongoing 52-week mind fitness training
Awareness reduces stigma, but a half-hearted approach won't work. Crisis hotlines, tips and generic free resources won't work. Athletes need ongoing mind fitness training, just like physical training.
Methodology
How does Contemplate work?
We certify coaches as Contemplate Mind Fitness Coaches: your existing coaches or staff, yoga teachers, psychologists or therapists. They then use the Contemplate platform to train athletes in mind fitness on an ongoing basis, adding mind fitness exercises to the weekly schedule alongside physical work.
Core mind fitness
Addresses the human being in the athlete with the practice of Contemplation, for better decisions at home, work, school, on social media, at practice and in the game.
Sports mind fitness
A comprehensive sports module for stress, focus, discipline, flow state, injury downtime, peripheral vision, meditation, visualisation and more.
The key is to address the root of the problem. When a coach tells a player ‘Get your head back into the game’ or ‘Don't stress’, the question is how many hours of specific training the athletes have gone through for those things. Probably zero.
From telling to training. From mental health to mind fitness.
Under match pressure
The tie-break, the final over, the point that matters.
A badminton player leads 19–17 in the decider. Then her hands tighten, her shots go short, and she starts thinking about the score instead of the next rally. A cricketer bowling the last over finds his run-up and his plan have both gone. Both have the skill. Neither has trained the moment.
Prepare the moment
Your coach walks you through the match on WhatsApp: where you tend to tighten, and what you will do when it starts. You choose a pre-match ritual and rehearse it with the Focus Dot and your breathing, so the pressure point is not new to you.
Come back in one breath
Between rallies or balls, the ritual runs: one slow breath, eyes on one point, one plan for the next ball. The principles are not theory here. They are the few seconds that bring your attention back to what you can control.
Reflect, don't replay
That evening you write it up in the Adioscope, your private journal: what you felt, what you did, what you would do again. Your coach replies within 24 hours and helps you shape next week's practice.
The system
The sports mind fitness framework.
- Stress management (performance, image, expectations, winning, future)
- Focus and discipline
- Injury management
- Mental reset
- Focus Dot exercises
- Pre, during and post game rituals
- Peripheral vision
- Flow state
- Conviction
- Emotional regulation
- Physical stillness
- Breathing
- Meditation
- Visualisation
Featured exercise
The Focus Dot, on and off the field.
The Focus Dot improves stillness, patience and one-pointedness. At first you combine it with breathing exercises in daily practice, and use it in pre-game and in-game rituals to keep your focus where it should be.
At an advanced level you program your Focus Dot for your own life, so it becomes a lifelong companion that gets you out of stressful situations instantly.
Why ongoing training
Not a workshop. Not a retreat. Ongoing training.
Just as an athlete's body doesn't train on tips, hotlines and free resources, their mind needs an ongoing, 52-week training system, for athletes, coaches and parents.
Get certified
Train your coaches in mind fitness.
Apply to become a Certified Contemplate Mind Fitness Coach, or tell us about your team or club.
Questions
Common questions.
Why is Contemplation useful for athletes?
Athletes face immense performance pressure resulting in split-second self-doubt. The framework trains objective detachment and supreme mental focus critical for high-stakes execution.
Can mind fitness improve athletic performance?
Yes. A clearer, calmer mind improves focus, composure under pressure, and recovery between efforts — the mental side of performance that often separates good athletes from great ones.
Hope is not a strategy. Training is.
Become a more peaceful partner, parent and professional — starting this week, with a coach beside you.