ZAF Meditation Cushion Partners with Takaoka Ryukoku High School Soccer Team to Launch 8-Week Mindfulness Program Focused on Posture, Breathing, and Mental Reset

ZAF (operated by Saekinran Co., Ltd., headquartered at 59 Tonoyamachi, Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture; representative: Hiroko Yamagishi) has partnered with the soccer team of Takaoka Ryukoku High School to launch an 8-week mindfulness program for approximately 70 team members. The program, which began in late May, incorporates posture, breathing, observation, and brief reflection, and is currently being implemented before and after training sessions as well as through ZAF-led pod practices.

Takaoka Ryukoku High School soccer players using ZAF to align their posture and breathing before practice

This program introduces 1- to 5-minute short routines during transitional moments in club activities—such as before practice or matches, after making a mistake, or after completing a session—with the goal of helping athletes become aware of their current state, regulate their breathing, and regain focus for their next action, using ZAF as a supportive tool.

The program is named the "ZAF Mindfulness Program."

Beyond improving athletic performance, it aims to contribute to the personal development of high school athletes by fostering self-acceptance, resilience, and the habit of reflection.

Illustration of the ZAF Mindfulness Program

Background: The Need for 'Resetting Oneself' Among High School Athletes

High school athletes operate daily under numerous pressures and stimuli, including performance expectations, team roles, academic workload, future career decisions, and physical fatigue. In large team settings, it is especially important for each individual to understand their own mental and physical state and possess the ability to recover from mistakes or failures.

At the same time, practice time is limited, making it difficult to incorporate lengthy mental training into daily routines. Therefore, this program is designed around short practices—1–3 minutes before practice, 60 seconds before matches, and 90 seconds after practice or matches—that do not disrupt the existing flow of club activities.

ZAF's core philosophy of "aligning mind and body through posture" has been restructured to fit the context of high school sports, offering athletes practical, daily routines they can use consistently.

Program Feature 1: Short-Duration Design (1–5 Minutes) That Does Not Reduce Practice Time

The program is designed for 1–5 minute sessions and is integrated into existing club routines—before and after practice, before and after matches.

Before practice, athletes align their posture, calm their breathing, and confirm their focus point for the day in a single word. After practice, they briefly summarize facts, positive points, and areas for improvement to transition smoothly into their next activity.

Soccer team members engaging in a 3-minute mindfulness session before practice

Feature 2: Self-Management Through Posture Using ZAF

ZAF is a product developed to support zazen and mindfulness practice by helping users maintain proper posture. In this program, ZAF is not used merely as a tool, but as a physical gateway to "align posture," "facilitate easier breathing," and "ease entry into short mindfulness practices."

The approximately 70 athletes are divided into four pods. Each week, one pod of about 17 students participates in a roughly 5-minute mindfulness session using ZAF. This structure combines team-wide routines with small-group ZAF experiences, aiming for sustainable and manageable implementation.

Feature 3: Transforming 'Self-Esteem' into Actionable Strength on the Field

In this program, 'self-esteem' is not treated simply as boosting confidence, but as the ability to avoid self-blame on difficult days and return to action.

After practice, athletes are encouraged to "find one positive point," and before matches, to "define today’s role in one word," helping them concretely recognize their current state and responsibilities.

Feature 4: Cultivating 'Perseverance' as Continuity and the Ability to Restart

In high school club activities, the ability to return after setbacks is more important than maintaining perfect consistency. This program nurtures 'perseverance' as the ability to continue with small commitments and restart even after lapses.

Each week, athletes set their own minimal action based on the weekly theme, emphasizing the importance of restarting in the next opportunity even if they fail.

Main Weekly Themes Over 8 Weeks

The program sets a weekly theme over eight weeks, integrating it into short routines before and after practice and matches.

Additionally, during weekly ZAF Pod Sessions, ZAF staff visit the school and deliver a lecture-style session to students on that week’s theme. After discussing the theme’s meaning and practical application in training and matches, students split into pods of about 17 and engage in a 5-minute mindfulness practice using ZAF.

During the ZAF Pod Sessions, students do more than just sit—they experience structured self-management techniques such as "aligning posture," "returning to breath," "noticing their state," and "choosing the next action," connecting them directly to real-life team scenarios.

Week 1: Entering with Posture – Establishing Your Personal Entry Method [Completed]

Week 2: Reading Your Current State – Noticing Without Over-Evaluating [Completed]

Week 3: One Breath After a Mistake – Returning to Action After Errors [In Progress]

Week 4: Creating Space – Pausing Reaction and Choosing Anew

Week 5: Seeing Broadly – Returning and Recognizing What Went Well

Week 6: Correcting Without Blame – Cultivating Self-Acceptance and Reflection

Week 7: Calm Mind Before the Match – Confirming Role and First Action

Week 8: Making It Your Own – Routine for Continuity and Restarting

Weekly themes are shared in lecture format during ZAF Pod Sessions

Program Overview

Program Name: ZAF Mindfulness Program

Target: Approximately 70 members of Takaoka Ryukoku High School Soccer Team

Duration: Approximately 8 weeks, from late May to early August 2026

Session Duration: 1–5 minutes per session

Implementation Scenarios: Before practice, after practice, before matches, after matches, and weekly ZAF pod practice

Format: Team-wide routines combined with a 4-pod ZAF practice system

Main Objectives: Habit formation in focus, mental reset, self-acceptance, resilience, and reflection

Evaluation Methods: Pre-program, 4-week, and 8-week surveys; weekly check-ins; coach observations; post-ZAF-use feedback

Safety and Protection of Minors’ Personal Information

This program is implemented with the following commitments to safety and the protection of minors’ personal information:

• It is not a religious ritual or prolonged meditation. No chanting, worship, sectarian teachings, or deep exploration of personal issues are involved. It is an educational initiative aimed at focus, mental reset, and self-management.

• Closing one’s eyes is not mandatory, and participants may stop at any time if they feel discomfort. Participation respects each athlete’s condition and will, and is conducted safely in coordination with the school to avoid coercion or psychological burden.

• Player response data will not be used for individual evaluation or decisions about playing time. It is used solely to understand team-wide trends and improve the program.

• In handling data, the protection of minors’ personal information is prioritized. Names are not used; instead, school-managed IDs are used to ensure individuals cannot be directly identified. The mapping between names and IDs is securely managed by the school, and ZAF原则上 does not obtain personally identifiable information.

Comment from the Representative

ZAF Brand Director

Taketo Takezawa, Representative Director, Saekinran Co., Ltd.

"ZAF has always valued creating moments of 'pausing' in daily life through posture alignment. Collaborating with the soccer team at Takaoka Ryukoku High School is a special