Mindfulness-Based Performance and Health Optimization sessions offered to Auburn campus community

Members of the Auburn campus community looking to lead more productive and healthier lives have the opportunity to register for a Mindfulness-Based Performance and Health Optimization session through the School of Kinesiology.

Offered and facilitated by Auburn professor Ford Dyke and former Olympian Reita Clanton, these sessions showcase the adverse effects that stress causes on an individual, as well as mindful-based practices that can be implemented to reduce stress, maximize productivity and improve overall health.

“Through mindfulness practices we can make sure our needs are met and that we are best prepared to face our daily tasks,” Clanton said. “By being aware of the present moment, we have the opportunity to reset and reclaim our power to make choices that can support our well-being and lead us toward a healthier life.”

By highlighting the importance of upholding the pillars of performance and health­­—oxygen, water, food, movement and recovery—participants can learn to remove negative stress caused by the deprivation of physiological needs.

“People can perform at high levels, but often sacrifice our health and well-being in the process,” Dyke said. “Mindfulness is a practice utilized to cultivate present moment awareness. This form of awareness is the foundation of optimal performance, health and well-being.”

Dyke, an associate clinical professor, specializes in the subdiscipline of performance and exercise psychophysiology. He teaches courses in performance-based psychology, motor learning and performance and Mindfulness-Based Performance and Health Optimization. Dyke also serves as the performance coach for Auburn University’s wheelchair basketball team.

Clanton is the coordinator of performance and health optimization within Auburn’s School of Kinesiology. She was a three-sport student-athlete during her time at Auburn, a 1984 Olympian in handball and a 2010 inductee into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Clanton teaches performance-based stress reduction and facilitates Mindfulness-Based Performance and Health Optimization.

Sessions are offered in both face-to-face and virtual formats, with 45-, 60- and 90-minute sessions that are customized to meet the needs of the cohort. Rates vary based upon format, length and frequency.

To learn more about Mindfulness-Based Performance and Health Optimization, click here. To schedule a seminar or session for your department or organization, email mindfulness@auburn.edu.