As Terry mentioned in a recent post, an effort to improve equipment will only take an archer so far. Ultimately the shot is up to the shooter and this is a sport of SELF improvement, as each bow, setup and body is entirely unique.
That being said, I'd like to hear from all of you what "ritual" or process do you go through to bring your mind into the stillness required to really be present and make the shot happen.
For me its a combination of prayer and breathing. When I get to the woods often times what strikes me is the contrast between the scerene, calm environment and the raging storm of thought after thought that plagues my mind. I assume it's the curse of modern man...
I give thanks for the opportunity to participate in the most basic and fundamental of human endeavor, breath deeply the air around me, and tell myself my worries and thoughts will patiently wait for me at the edge of the woods for when I return.
This "ritual" is harder to do when I'm practicing in my back yard, but regardless of where I am if I don't "check in" and take the time to calm the monkey head no amount of "talking myself through the shot" makes one bit of difference. When I'm conscious of breathing, when I feel the earth solidly beneath my feet, when I'm present enough to feel the texture of the bow grip in my hand and the string in the other - THAT's when I hit what I'm looking at, that's when I surprise myself with how much my muscles "know" what they are doing.
Topic: Clearing the mind (Read 436 times)
