Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg – Ep. 294 – George Mumford

Beloved teacher, coach and author George Mumford returns to the Metta Hour for episode 294 to talk about the 2nd edition release of his book, The Mindful Athlete.

George Mumford, a.k.a. The Performance Whisperer, is a globally recognized speaker, teacher, and pioneer in sports psychology and performance. Since 1989, he’s been honing his groundbreaking performance and mindfulness techniques with people from locker rooms to boardrooms, Yale to jail — as Phil Jackson’s ‘Secret Weapon’ to winning eight NBA Championships, helping Michael Jordan transform his leadership, and teaching Kobe Bryant to “just be.” George’s work incorporates principles based in positive psychology, mindfulness, philosophy, neuroscience, the recovery movement, group and organizational dynamics, and spiritual traditions from around the world. This is his third appearance on the Metta Hour Podcast.

In this conversation, George and Sharon speak about:

• The second edition of The Mindful Athlete

• George’s three-fold training

• Debunking mindfulness myths

• Mindfulness versus right mindfulness

• The Five Superpowers

• How George adapts teachings

• Compassion’s role in peak performance

• Dissolution of ego for team success

• Why George reads a book-a-day

• Circular learning style

Ajahn Sumedho’s wisdom

• The resilience of the NY Knicks

• Finding our enthusiasm

• How effort creates energy

Additional Resources

The episode closes with a guided meditation from George. You can learn more about George’s work right here and get a copy of the second edition of The Mindful Athlete right here.

Related Metta Hour Episodes
Episode 71 George Mumford’s first appearance on the Metta Hour, released in 2018
Episode 214 George Mumford’s second appearance on the Metta Hour, released in 2023 as part of the Mental Health Series.