The Wu-wei alternative: Effortless action and non-striving in the context of mindfulness practice and performance in sport

Abstract

Wu-wei is an important construct but is rarely discussed in the sport psychology literature. The present discussion fills the gap in literature and provides a conceptual overview of the wu-wei alternative. After explaining wu-wei briefly, the current state of mindfulness research is discussed to highlight the lack of research in understanding wu-wei and non-striving in sport psychology. In addition, the links between wu-wei and relevant constructs including mindfulness, non-striving, flow, nonduality, Zen, Mushin, motivation, goals, and implicit learning were clarified. Furthermore, suggestions on incorporating wu-wei as part of mindfulness training for athletes and possible future research directions are provided. In this difficult time of the global pandemic, wu-wei or non-striving mindset can help supporting athletes’ well-being and pursuit of goals beyond winning and striving.