This virtual hub offers coaching support to individuals. The focus is on the Psychology of Performance, Stress, and Recovery in Life, Work & Sport for Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers.
It is also a space where I share insights from my postgraduate studies in Exercise & Sport Psychology, and reflect on my current research on the Motivation to Practice Over Time and the the Impact of Hope and Fear on Action and Movement, and Perceptual Motor Performance, from a coaching and training perspective.
I work in partnership with the Positive Psychology Guild (PPG), where I direct operations, research, and education, and where Inner Athletics partners on the Somatics & Kinaesthetics Initiative. A key part of my research and how I coach and train bring movement, stillness, and action to the fore alongside critical thinking.
To discuss whether Positive Psychology could support your performance in life, work, or sport, or to explore collaborative research on Positive Psychology or Somatics, please drop me a line at:
Welcome to Inner Athletics!
Claire Higgins
Claire Higgins, Director
Positive Psychology Practitioner & Researcher (Somatics & Kinaesthetics), FPPG
MSc Exercise & Sport Psychology, Diploma Positive Psychology Practice, Certified Health Coach
Performance, Stress & Recovery in Life, Work & Sport
Motivation to Practice Over Time
A research study on character and emotion in somatic and kinaesthetic practices (2021-2022).
How do we experience joy in movement? What do curiosity or love of learning feel like in an exercise or sport setting? Is love of movement a missing character strength in Positive Psychology?
If you are someone with a movement practice such as dance, martial arts, yoga, exercise, physical activity, or sport, you may intuitively "get" how movement makes you feel. You may also "know" that practice cultivates character. But how does this happen and what are the dynamics that allow for such experiences? And what keeps you coming back?
Does the social or geographical environment count? Can the presence of other people in your practice or where you practice influence how you feel? Do your physical or mental or emotional energy levels change how you engage in your practice? Does practice influence how you look, think, move, and engage with the world around you?
Does your upbringing, class, or race matter? Does your perception of self affect how you engage in practice? Can a teacher or coach positively or negatively affect how you relate to your practice? And can practice really support human experiences such as self-actualisation and self-transcendence?
The main question of this qualitative research study is, What Motivates People to Practice Over Time? All research participants have been recruited but if you would like to be part of a broader conversation around this topic, please drop me a line here.
Qualitative Research
Past and ongoing research on:
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Motivation to teach martial arts and/or self-defence
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Motivation to practice movement, exercise, and/or sport and how this changes over time
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Exploring the relationship between fear, action, and movement (coaching & training perspectives)
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Exploring the impact of fear on perceptual motor performance (self-defence context)
"Inner Athletics is a research, coaching, and training centre grounded in the science and lived experience of Positive Psychology and Exercise & Sport Psychology. It is also a Positive Psychology Guild organisational member & approved learning centre."