The Playbook

THE MINDFULNESS MASTERY PLAYBOOK:

8 Strategies for Winning the Game of Life

“I wasn’t just learning a new playbook — I was writing one.”

In professional football, every team has its playbook — a system of strategies, terminology, and expectations. But when a career-ending spinal injury forced Keith Mitchell off the field, he faced a harder transition: There was no playbook for rebuilding a life.

This book is that missing manual.

The Playbook

THE MINDFULNESS MASTERY PLAYBOOK:

8 Strategies for Winning the Game of Life

“I wasn’t just learning a new playbook — I was writing one.”

In professional football, every team has its playbook — a system of strategies, terminology, and expectations. But when a career-ending spinal injury forced Keith Mitchell off the field, he faced a harder transition: There was no playbook for rebuilding a life.

This book is that missing manual.

Why This Book?

For anyone who:
Feels stuck in old patterns but craves transformation.
Faces adversity and needs a game plan (not clichés).
Wants to perform at their peak — without burning out.
Believes there’s more to life than “just getting by.”

What This Book Can Do For You

Inside these pages, you’ll find the tools and strategies I’ve gathered and honed through my own journey — methods that helped me navigate some of life’s toughest moments and continue to support me every day.

This isn’t about quick fixes or pretending life is easy. It’s about equipping yourself with practical, effective approaches to face challenges head-on, grow stronger through adversity, and create meaningful change.

Life will test you — through career setbacks, personal losses, or searching for purpose in a chaotic world. These strategies are here to help you meet those moments with intention, resilience, and clarity.

Just as I crafted a new playbook after football, this book is designed to help you create your own — a guide to help you step confidently into the next chapter of your life, no matter where you are on your path.

“Let’s get to work.” – Keith Mitchell

Inside the Playbook

Keith’s 8 proven strategies merge NFL-level discipline with yogic wisdom:

8 Championship Strategies for Life

Define Your Words
How your language creates your reality.
Acceptance
Acknowledgment without attachment.
Reality of Momentum
Embracing setbacks as part of the journey.
Make Your Practice Your Life
Mastery comes through repetition.
The Observer
Learn how to study yourself.
Embrace The Conflict
Why friction forges growth.
Speak Your Truth
Developing your authenticity.
Victim or Victor – Choose Your Path
The choice that defines everything.

Inside the Playbook

Keith’s 8 proven strategies merge NFL-level discipline with yogic wisdom:

8 Championship Strategies for Life

Define Your Words
How your language creates your reality.
Acceptance
Acknowledgment without attachment.
Reality of Momentum
Embracing setbacks as part of the journey.
Make Your Practice Your Life
Mastery comes through repetition.
The Observer
Learn how to study yourself.
Embrace The Conflict
Why friction forges growth.
Speak Your Truth
Developing your authenticity.
Victim or Victor – Choose Your Path
The choice that defines everything.

Praise for the Playbook

“Whether you are an athlete, a fan, or simply someone navigating your own challenges, this story will move you, challenge you, and ultimately inspire you. Because in the end, this isn’t just a story about football. It’s a story about what it means to be human.”

— Ganga White
WhiteLotus.org; author of Yoga Beyond Belief, and the forthcoming memoir, Psychedelic Yogi

What You’ll Gain

✅ A structured system — No vague “self-help” — just actionable plays
✅ Athlete-grade mental tools — For focus, emotional control, and stamina
✅ Somatic practices — To release trauma stored in the body
✅ A simple framework — to create your own code to live by

About the Author

“We ignore the body until it tries to break up with us.
That’s when we want it back.”

Keith Mitchell is a former NFL Pro Bowl linebacker turned internationally acclaimed mindfulness teacher, wellness advocate, and speaker. After a spinal injury abruptly ended his football career, Keith experienced a profound transformation—using conscious breathwork and meditation to regain mobility and discover a new life purpose.

His journey began at Texas A&M, where he earned MVP honors and a degree in economics. Though undrafted, his unrelenting discipline earned him a spot with the New Orleans Saints in 1997. In 2000, he led the team’s defense and became the highest-paid undrafted player in the league. After playing for the Texans and Jaguars, he was inducted into the Texas A&M Lettermen’s All-Time Hall of Fame in 2015.

Today, Keith’s work bridges ancient yogic wisdom with modern performance science. He has been featured in USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Yoga Journal, Men’s Health, Essence, and People Magazine, where he was named “Sexiest Yoga Instructor Alive.” His TV appearances include The Dr. Oz Show, CNN, BBC, Fox News, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

As a wellness leader, Keith has partnered with brands like Lululemon, Sun Warrior, The Vitamin Shoppe, Champion, and The Four Seasons. He’s taught yoga to celebrities like Tyler Perry and Paris Hilton, and was featured in Deepak Chopra’s One World Yogis.

He co-founded the Congressional Yoga Association, spoke at the United Nations for the International Day of Yoga, and helped lead the Just Breathe initiative alongside Congressman Tim Ryan to provide integrative care for military veterans with PTSD.

Keith continues to bring his unique blend of elite-level performance, mindfulness, and somatic healing to corporations, veterans, celebrities, and everyday people ready to transform their lives.

“They call mindfulness ‘self-care’ to make it harmless.
But real mindfulness is to challenge your so-called limitations.”