by Kalika Yap

Many of us know Brian Shiers as our resident, trusted mindfulness facilitator for the Harvard-Westlake Mindfulness Club.

What some may not know is that for many years, Brian also taught mindfulness to the UCLA men’s and women’s volleyball teams and worked with future Olympians, helping them bring awareness and calm into high-pressure environments.

At our recent event, Brian shared those same practices with Harvard-Westlake athletes and families, showing how mindfulness can support them in academics, athletics, and daily life.

One of his former UCLA athletes later competed in the Olympics and told him that the very same techniques she used at that level were ones she had already practiced with him in college.

These practices aren’t just for today’s students, they can support tomorrow’s leaders and even future Olympians.

Brian reminded us with a simple truth:

This training includes not only academics and athletics, but also how we care for our hearts and minds.

Mind and Awareness

Brian encouraged our students to notice the difference between the mind and awareness:

• The mind is filled with thoughts, worries, and plans.
• Awareness is simply noticing what is here, right now.

He used the term mind-sight, from Dr. Dan Siegel, to describe how we can learn to observe our minds with clarity and compassion.

During one mindfulness practice, HW Coach Morgan Wijay admitted her mind was busy planning drills.

Brian reassured her that this is part of mindfulness too.

Four Practices Brian Shared

1. 20 Seconds to Focus
Inhale for 5, hold for 7, exhale for 8. A simple reset before a test, a rehearsal, or a stressful moment.

2. The Riverbank
Imagine the mind as a flowing river and awareness as the steady bank. Thoughts keep moving — you can step back and watch without being swept away.

3. Body Scan
Notice the breath, feet on the ground, weight in the chair. Then gently ask if a sensation feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.

4. Visualization + Focus Word
Picture yourself doing something you know you do well, in slow motion. Choose one word to anchor that feeling.

• Past athletes chose words like smooth.
• Our students shared words like flow and aggressive. Brian explained: “Aggressive doesn’t mean harsh. It means moving with purpose and energy.”

What the Students Shared

One student reflected, “It was really nice to just focus on my breath because my mind is always going and going.”

Another said that when Brian encouraged them to notice the exhale as rest, she felt her thoughts quiet down and experienced calm she rarely feels during a busy day.

Brian reminded everyone that mindfulness is not about striving for silence or perfection. It’s about noticing what is present with loving awareness, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, and allowing it to be there without judgment.

Final Thoughts

Brian left us with two simple but powerful thoughts:

1. Trust Yourself. “Your awareness is trustworthy. Worry is like putting bricks in your backpack — it just weighs you down.”
2. Practice. Mindfulness is a skill. The more it is practiced, the more naturally it shows up when it’s needed most.

For Parents

Mindfulness is for all of us, not just students. The most helpful way we can support our children is to show them what mindfulness looks like in everyday life.

• Try the 20-second breath before a meeting or while waiting in traffic.
• Pause before reacting in stressful moments.
• Notice your own experiences as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral — and simply allow them to be.
• Bring presence to meals and conversations.

When we practice ourselves, we model for our children how to meet challenges with steadiness and kindness.

Looking forward to seeing you in a future event!

Let’s practice together!

MINDFUL ATHLETE

Downloadable PDF

We’ve also created a student-friendly downloadable PDF of this article that shares the practices in a simple, direct way.