Flow State vs. Mindfulness | Dr. Chris Bertram

Dr. Chris Bertram is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Bertram specializes in how human beings learn, and specifically how to create more optimal learning environments by tapping into flow states that lead to the ultimate goal of stress-resistant skill acquisition. As an academic, Dr. Bertram has published numerous scholarly articles in a wide range of human performance areas and has been featured in the Vancouver Sun, the Globe and Mail, and the New York Times. As a coach, Dr. Bertram has headed the UFV Cascades golf team for the past 14 years. In that time, his teams have won multiple National Championships and he has received numerous coaching awards at both the provincial and national level. As a high-performance expert, Dr. Bertram also works with Canada Snowboard in the role of Skill Acquisition Lead and Flow Coach, and does consulting work with various national teams through Canada’s Own the Podium program.

Table of Contents

0:00 - Intro

2:15 - Childhood/growing up

6:30 - Coaching girls vs. coaching boys

12:10 - Top 3 characteristics of great coaches

17:34 - What is fun for you at a high level?

22:40 - Making mistakes in sport

28:45 - What is flow state?

34:10 - Flow state vs. mindfulness

37:10 - Flow state technology and drones

47:00 - The importance of flow state

55:10 - The journey of winning a championship

57:55 - Book recommendations