Mantra meditation in sport: a scoping review of its use as a mental training and coping strategy for psychological well-being.
Siqi Liu, Young-Eun Noh, Jeonghyo Kim
Australian Journal of Psychology 2026 DOI: 10.1080/00049530.2026.2700236 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Mental health Mental toughness Spirituality Sport injury |
| Key findings | Athletes reported using mantra meditation to regulate attention, maintain pace or rhythm, cope with fatigue and psychological stress, and support spiritual meaning and mental well-being in sport contexts. |
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review to map the existing literature on the use of mantra meditation in sport contexts, clarify its conceptual distinctions from related constructs such as self-talk, and identify directions for future research. This study employed a comprehensive literature search, combining electronic database searches (including Web of Science, Psychology & Behavioural Sciences Collection, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus) with manual searches, following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. The search initially identified 17,346 articles electronically and 324 articles manually. After a four-step screening process - duplicate removal, primary screening, secondary screening, and expert consensus - a total of four articles were initially included, with two additional articles added through a manual search by the first author, resulting in six articles for review. These studies were categorised into two main domains: mantra meditation as a mental training strategy and mantra meditation as a coping strategy. The findings provide preliminary insights into how athletes describe using mantra meditation in sport contexts. Across the included studies, athletes reported using mantras to regulate attention, maintain pace or rhythm, cope with fatigue and psychological stress, and support their sense of spiritual meaning and mental well-being. However, the limited number of available studies highlights the early stage of research in this area. Further high-quality empirical and intervention-based research is needed to clarify the mechanisms and potential effectiveness of mantra meditation when applied as a mental training strategy and as a coping strategy in sport contexts.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. Neuroimage August 15, 2024
- A Preliminary Evaluation of the Feasibility and Efficacy of Mantra-Like Phrase Recitation in Improving Mental Health in Autistic Adults. Advances in neurodevelopmental disorders December 1, 2024
- Trait Mindfulness Moderates Treatment Outcomes in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Mantram Repetition Program for Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine October 1, 2024
- An Internet Mantram Repetition Program to Promote Well-being in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. Integrative Cancer Therapies 2024
- Defining Mindfulness: A Review of Existing Definitions and Suggested Refinements Mindfulness 2025
and 2 more in the library