Body, Mind, and Sport: The Mind-Body Guide to Lifelong Health, Fitness, and Your Personal Best

by John Douillard, Billie Jean King (Foreword), Martina Navratilova (Foreword)

Until recently, the effortless "Zone" of peak performance was only within the reach of serious athletes. Now, with Body, Mind, and Sport, anyone can reach the Zone, regardless of fitness level.

Designed to accommodate a variety of individual fitness needs, the Body, Mind, and Sport program is split into two levels. Level 1 is for non-athletes who want to improve overall fitness; Level 2 is for those who want to train for competitive or recreational purposes. Your own unique mind-body type is taken into account to guide you in achieving your personal best without stress or strain. In this revised and updated edition of Body, Mind, and Sport , fitness expert and trainer John Douillard outlines a program in which your individual seasonal constitution-Winter, Spring, or Summer-determines what exercises or sports are best suited to your mind-body type and what foods you should eat for optimum results.

Using the Body, Mind, and Sport approach you can decrease heart and breath rates while improving both fitness and performance. Dozens of world-class athletes, including Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, have used John Douillard's expert breathing techniques, dietary recommendations, and seasonally balanced workouts. Now you can, too!

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Fitness, Bodies, Self Help, Nutrition, Reference

254 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 1994

About the author

Dr. John Douillard, DC, CAP, is a youthful 60-year-old globally recognized leader in the fields of natural health, Ayurveda, and sports medicine. He is the creator of LifeSpa.com, the leading Ayurvedic health and wellness resource on the web with over 4.5 million views on YouTube. LifeSpa.com is evolving the way Ayurveda is understood around the world, with over 700 articles and videos proving ancient wisdom with modern science. Dr. John is the former Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets NBA team, author of 7 health books, a repeat guest on the Dr. Oz show, and featured in Woman’s World Magazine, Huffington Post, Yoga Journal and dozens of other publications. He has seen over 100,000 patients, and directs LifeSpa, the 2013 Holistic Wellness Center of the year in Boulder, CO.

Reviews

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing: the author proposes a different way to improve fitness. Instead of constantly pushing the body or trying to exhaust it to trigger super-compensation, he wants us to be gently and to leave the comfort zone only slightly.

What really helped me was the focus on nasal breathing. I have tried to run slow in the past but reached a point where it became frustrating without any of the promised improvements. (I guess I wasn't running often enough to benefit more.) Anyway, to know what "slow" really means Phil Maffetone made me wear a heart-rate monitor. While it's helpful in the beginning, listening to a technical device instead of connecting with your body is not the smartest idea in the long run.

John Douillard says that you should listen to your breathing instead. He tells the funny story of Indian doctors who watched a typical runner huffing and puffing. They wondered why he has to be under such a pain! Good point. It's also worth mentioning that nasal breathing gives you enough oxygene and that there is no need to breath through your mouth while running.

There are a couple of practical exercises and many success stories. I think he is up to something! There are different pathways to improvement in all areas (not restricted to sports). You can have someone yelling at you and pushing your limits all the time. Or you can work with an emphatic teacher who is building the base first and slowly expands of what you are capable of. The outcome is probably the same but the first approach is much more stressful. Or if you think about stretching. If you want to force it your body will not allow it. Relax and gently test your limits - and this time your body lets you continue.

Well, slowly I feel like a guinea pig by trying out all these different methods. :-) This time, however, another piece fell into place. People who need a structured, fixed approach will have no fun with this book. Everyone else who is open to the "body and mind connection" will find some real gems.

There is a lot more here. I don't know what I should think about the body types. My result was mixed with scores in any type and slightly favoring the Winter-Spring type. This wasn't really helpful. Nutrition and diets are other topics I only skimmed. The author has written a whole book about it (The 3-Season Diet and I might check it out later.

5 out of 5 stars

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book. To be honest, I almost didn't read it because, frankly, the summary seemed incredibly boring, and I've never been particularly interested in athletics. But with every chapter, I was constantly surprised at the skillful writing and fascinating material. This book has deeply influenced my thoughts and actions regarding health, fitness, and what it means to live a life in balance. I highly recommend this book to anyone who does any kind of physical activity AND to anyone who claims to "hate exercise."

[Mugga · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a runner that has had a fair share of injuries, I was curious about this book which was recommended to me by my friend who is a rower. Having practiced yoga for 6 years, the nasal breathing techniques and sun salutation warm ups seem like a good idea. Other aspects of the book, I took with a grain of salt such as dietary restrictions and times of day to work out based on body type.

For a couple of weeks I've been running with a heart rate monitor and breathing through my nose. I'm going a lot slower than I'm used to but the runs tend to be more refreshing than they used to be. This technique really requires me to check my ego at the door since I can't stand when someone passes me on a run. But, it makes sense to me that if I put that kind of strain on my body everyday eventually its going to break down.

I really can't imagine doing a speed work out on the track breathing through my nose but I do like applying the author's technique to distance runs.

I realize I've only reviewed the technique in the book and not the book itself. Well, when I'm reading a novel I never skim but for this book it wasn't really necessary to read all of his testimonials. They got a little hokey. Regarding the technique he is pretty repetitive. Also, way too many exclamation points!!!

[Glenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like this book at all. Hard to understand. What I got out of it was that people with certain body types will be better at different activities, so those are the activities that you should participate in.

[Larisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

For context, this was a birthday gift from my former esteemed college lacrosse coach who played a range of attacking positions when she was in college on the 2x, NCAA Division I Championship winning Penn State women's lacrosse team. Similar to many high-performing athletes, teams, elite units, etc. they, too, are known to push their physiological thresholds to the brink in honor of a fast-paced, ancient Native American game and highly popular sport which mirrors the intersection of field and ice hockey, soccer (fútbol), and basketball.

Mr. Douillard invites all types of people - not just elite, high-performance athletes - on an Ayurvedic journey through, well, precisely Body, Mind and Sport to guide and ensure optimum connection between human physiology and affective bodily factors: internal, external and environmental. Its endorsements span an array of individual and team sports, national and international sport governing bodies.

Highlights and observations:
1. Ayurveda is a way of life: an ancient "natural system of medicine." It's not a fad diet, or a rigid athletic training plan: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are the three primary pillars and the holy trinity of the Vedic lifestyle. In short, through Ayurveda, one learns about proactive preservation of life and people, not merely reactionary solutions to illness, injury or disease.

2. The self-assessment helps determine which one of the three you might be. I recommend taking the assessment when well-rested, clear headed, and in a relatively low to no distraction space for the intentionality of the exercise. It takes about 15-20 minutes to knock out. Hints: First, your results may or may not undergo seasonal transition(s). Second, the recommendations are only effective if the reader answers naturally . In other words, don't try to answer based on motivation for a desired profile type or having read in advance: let your personal assessment results unfold on their own and you'll eliminate the likelihood of diminishing returns and maximize this lifestyle's efficacy.

3. It recommends optimal and adverse foods, seasons, weather, rest/recovery, sports/activity, cognitive and kinesthetic types and more: all tailored to your results. The results are most effective if the assessment is, indeed, taken with intention. I recommend retaking the test every five years as human physiology undergoes transition with age: today's results highly likely reveal unexpected differentiation(s) or aberration(s) from the past and present across a long wavelength of time. High-performance athletes and coaches may find integrating bits or perhaps the entirety (as I did the latter) more beneficial on more frequent intervals.

4. Data-driven, logical types - fear not - will find inclusion among these concepts in the neurological charts, graphs, and diagrams of perceived exertion, brain wave activity, and the human body.

5. This book is not for sports performance prediction or forecasting model. This book is for rediscovery of and connecting to ancient ways of applying, maximizing and optimizing a personally tailored Body, Mind, and Sport.

A uniquely memorable reference in a class of its own that illustrates an ancient-globalized perspective of athletic training and overall mind-body fitness. It's highly recommended for all types of athletes, teams, and coaches looking to diversify their current training methods and/or deploy a breakthrough if experiencing a cognitive-kinesthetic plateau. Note: updated editions are available - I retained this early publication which contains my coach's autographed birthday sentiments. More recent editions reflect Mr. Douillard's reverence for and maintaining an infinite mindset, a commitment to learning, and sharing his most recent finds about the human Body, Mind, and Sport which, IMO, will cultivate your very best inner athlete for optimum performance and perhaps uncover your very own inner Olympian.

[Globusbetkzcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Руководство по ставкам на спорт

Чтобы начать делать ставки на спорт, вам нужно знать основы огромного мира ставок. Здесь мы предлагаем полное руководство, которое поможет вам найти лучших онлайн-букмекеров. Наше желание предложить вам полезную информацию привело нас к созданию этого краткого и лаконичного руководства по ставкам на спорт, где мы собрали самую важную и важную информацию для начинающих игроков, чтобы научиться делать ставки онлайн.

В следующих параграфах вы найдете советы по ставкам на спорт и ключевые темы, которые нужно знать, прежде чем делать ставки на спорт. В нашем кратком руководстве по ставкам на спорт мы также предоставляем практическую информацию о самых популярных видах спорта, чтобы вы могли научиться делать ставки на спорт с помощью нашего руководства по ставкам на спорт. Мы продолжаем делать первый важный шаг в нашем руководстве по ставкам на спорт, а именно научиться выбирать букмекерскую контору.

Чтобы выбрать букмекера, мы должны учитывать все эти функции, которые мы упомянули, поскольку они являются частью отличной работы любого портала онлайн-ставок.

Однако важно помнить, что первое, что нужно сделать, это проверить лицензию выбранного вами букмекерского оператора. Это разрешение должно быть действительным, чтобы обеспечить наилучшую возможную гарантию безопасности ваших личных данных и денег, размещенных на портале.

Срок действия индивидуальных лицензий оператора можно проверить непосредственно на официальном сайте Казахстанской инспекции по надзору за азартными играми (см. здесь).

Портал должен предлагать широкий спектр популярных и надежных способов оплаты, таких как Skrill или paysafecard, высококачественный сервис прямых трансляций, приложение для ставок, совместимое с устройствами iOS и Android, и, конечно же, обслуживание клиентов, эффективного клиента.

Что такое квоты?

Одна из самых важных вещей, которые нужно знать о букмекерских конторах, — это коэффициенты. Это основные инструменты букмекерских контор и отражают вероятность возможного исхода спортивной ставки.

Коэффициенты работают следующим образом: чем они выше, тем меньше вероятность того, что произойдет исход, на который вы ставите. Поэтому букмекеры устанавливают более низкие коэффициенты на события, имеющие более высокий шанс. Существуют две основные формы коэффициентов: десятичные коэффициенты и дробные коэффициенты. Существует также третий тип множителя – американский, который не используется на европейских рынках ставок.

На европейском рынке наиболее распространены десятичные множители, так как с их помощью проще всего рассчитать потенциальную прибыль. Дробные коэффициенты чаще всего используются в Великобритании. Примером десятичной квоты является 1,7, что соответствует дробной квоте 7/10. Что касается квот США, то они выражаются в положительных или отрицательных числах.

[Nick Kovronskiy · Rating 3 out of 5]

9Coins BD: Navigating the Growing Cryptocurrency Landscape
The global surge in cryptocurrency interest has reached Bangladesh, where platforms like 9Coins BD https://9coins-bd.com/ are facilitating user access to digital assets and blockchain technology. As awareness grows, local users are eager to explore this new financial frontier safely and effectively.

9Coins BD stands out by offering educational resources alongside trading options. For many newcomers, understanding how cryptocurrencies work is a major hurdle. The platform’s commitment to providing clear, jargon-free explanations helps bridge this gap.

Security is another pillar of the platform’s philosophy. With the inherent risks involved in digital currency trading, 9Coins BD invests in robust protection measures, giving users confidence when managing their investments.

The site’s user-friendly interface caters to both beginners and more experienced traders, making the process of buying, selling, and monitoring cryptocurrencies accessible for a wide audience.

In summary, 9Coins BD is contributing significantly to Bangladesh’s growing crypto ecosystem by combining education, security, and ease of use in one comprehensive platform.

[Anne Earney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after becoming interested in nasal breathing during exercise and I'm glad I found it. I read the entire book, but I probably could have just read the last section, as the beginning of the book is more about Ayurvedic body types, seasonal eating, etc, things I am somewhat skeptical about. But I got a lot out of the last part and have been using his techniques while exercising and enjoying it a lot more. I have a ways to go to improve my breathing, but I think I'll get there.

[diamond baier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, have put into practice and seeing results!

Was skeptical at first about getting this book, and being that it’s so un conventional to the no pain no gain stigma, had to give it a try. Have actually seen surprising results in as little as a week. Highly recommended and looking forward to staying consistent ans also getting into meditation. Thank you

[David Peirce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming to this book 20+ years after it was published. It is still relevant. In fact, the research increasingly supports two of Douillard's key conclusions: (1) Breathe through your nose, and (2) HIIT is better for both aerobic/anaerobic and strength training.

[Robert Suiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't judge a book by its cover, I really liked this even though the title and the front cover didn't jump out at me like most of the books in the Dojo Library did. Has great advice for how to improve yourself athletically in ways that seem simple, but the adjustment can be rough.

[Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble getting through this and wanted to quit reading it a few times. I do agree with some of its principles and wish I could breath through my nose better myself.

[Arah · Rating 3 out of 5]

He gives some helpful tools, which I’m trying. I love running but it exhausts me and I’d like to find a way to make it work better!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book I will be trying nasal breathing only for running. Disagree with other reviewers about the frequency of exclamation marks - he used the perfect amount

[Isabella Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has there own way of explaining things, this is another example. Again, recommended to me by a lifeguarding colleague in North Devon, a book that is now as far as I understand - out of print. I like it, because I think it makes sense and allows you to accept that you will be good at some things and not at others - so capitalize on those good things and don't try and fight to be what you are not Kappa, Vata and Pitta.......A book to keep to refer to once in a while.

[Russ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the message. The writing actual writing is a bit rough, and i perhaps wish i had skipped right from the intro to chapter 10.

Not sure if it's a magic recipe, but i will try out a bit if the specific advise. Moreover it's a great reminder of the high level message: that exercise should not be a strain on the body.

[Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have spent a lot of time focusing on the nasal breathing techniques explained in this book. While I haven't had an amazing epiphany or really experienced the "runners high", I do think it has helped my running ability and my overall cardiovascular fitness

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been trying his suggested breathing techniques and they're working like a charm. I used to have such difficulty running even just a mile, but now I can do it with relative ease after only a couple of weeks.

[Lise Windfeld Bornerup · Rating 5 out of 5]

A splendid book that advise and emphasize nasal breathing. I would have appreciated the book even more of the author had recommended the knowledge about nasal breathing there is to be forund inside the Buteyko Breathing method.

[Ioan Mosincat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting approach to exercising, that of "less is more" (train at an optimal heart rate/breath rate, around 50-60% of your maximum).
Also, the breathing advises are very solid and helpful.
I give it only 4 stars for now, since I haven't tried all the recommendations in the book.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read this book straight through, but in chunks. I found a lot of it to be a little kooky, but the breathing techniques, which I also use in yoga, have been mildly helpful on my distance runs.

[Ta0paipai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Body, Mind and Spirit offers some interesting theories, but often repeats itself and relies on anecdotes over clear explanations. The important points can be summed up in an article, there's no need to read the book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on listening to your body, healing your imbalance & performing your sport of choice in an optimal way. I would recommend it to anybody interested in their health & fitness and any serious athlete.

[Tom Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the author's ideas may make sense, but the mechanisms he proposes are total crap. It reminded me of the book/video, "The Secret".

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Douillard is one of my teachers and both his teachings and this book are a great resource for upgrading the quality of exercise in your life.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author is kookoo

[Sunflower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ayurvedic principles applied to athletic training with lots of anecdotes.

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new way for me to run. I'm tired of being tired. So far, I like what I've been reading. This practice integrates Yoga nose-breathing and listening to the body. There's a novel concept.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the connection of ayurvedic principles to fitness and nutrition. Found the breathing techniques and body reading reminders very helpful.

[Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read for all athletes and yoga practitioners. It was a major paradigm shift for me.