Mantra meditation in sport: a scoping review of its use as a mental training and coping strategy for psychological well-being.
Australian Journal of Psychology January 1, 2026 Siqi Liu, Young-Eun Noh, Jeonghyo Kim
A scoping review mapped the existing literature on mantra meditation in sport contexts, clarifying its conceptual distinctions from self-talk. Six articles were included after screening 17,670 records. Athletes reported using mantras to regulate attention, maintain pace or rhythm, cope with fatigue and psychological stress, and support spiritual meaning and mental well-being. The limited number of studies highlights the early stage of research; further high-quality empirical work is needed to clarify mechanisms and effectiveness of mantra meditation as both a mental training and coping strategy in sport.