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71-Sam Lofton, the power of meditation for athletes

January 14, 2021 by Kendall Johnson in Podcast

In today’s episode, I interview meditation teacher and former professional soccer player Sam Lofton. 

I first met Sam playing with the Portland Thorns. We bonded over the fact that we were both obsessed with finding (often unconventional) ways to maximize our performance on the field and off. 

Sam played soccer and studied Health Science with a pre-med track at James Madison University. After college, she was picked 20th overall in the 2015 NWSL College Draft by the Boston Breakers, making her the first James Madison University player ever to be drafted by a NWSL team.

In 2016, she played for the Portland Thorns. She also played overseas in Sweden for Sunnana SK and in Iceland for Breiðablik UBK.

While playing professionally, Sam discovered meditation and it changed her life. 

Through her business “Meditation by Sam” {https://www.meditationbysam.com/sign-up-control-and-create )she teaches athletes how to gain control of their minds and their lives. 



In this episode Sam talks about:

-her all-time favorite hacks for improving performance 

-how meditation helped her be confident playing against Tobin Heath

-why visualizing  is so powerful for athletes specifically 

-tips if you are a beginner meditator 

-common misconceptions about mindfulness

And, she guides us through a quick meditation! You’ll walk away from this episode feeling the zen. 

Listen on iTunes HERE 

Resources

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A list of the 11 books that have had the biggest impact on my life as an athlete HERE

January 14, 2021 /Kendall Johnson
sam lofton, meditation, soccer, NWSL, James Madison, visualizing, mindfulness
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“There isn’t anything Kendall does without pouring everything she has to offer into it. She cares enough to not be scared to say what you might not always want to hear. She’s already been a great mentor. She is someone I admire so much. She doesn’t make excuses and will achieve what she is after.”
— Allie Long, USWNT World Cup Champion
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— Michelle Betos, NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year
“In the world of professional athletes, you are surrounded by self-motivated people who are all working to a varying degree of “obsessive” to push themselves as hard and far as they can physically, mentally, and psychologically go. This doesn’t even begin to describe Kendall’s approach to all aspects of life. She lets nothing slip through the cracks and has a natural ability to put her passion to practice. Anyone who sits down in a conversation with Kendall will leave smarter, challenged, and with their perspective on life considerably altered.”
— Emily Menges, NWSL Champion
“I met Kendall at a challenging time in my life, and from the start, I felt comfortable sharing those challenges with her. After I first opened up to her about it, it was easy from then on out because she always helped me see my feelings are valid; my experiences and my story are my own, and I can make them to be what I want. She helped me find the beauty in times of struggle and she somehow managed to respond to my life hurdles, and her own, with an open mind and a good laugh. She has helped me to believe life works for us, not against us, and my life has become better for that. She is an amazing teacher.”
— EJ Proctor, Duke goalkeeper

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