I started this blog just for a reference for another forum because I'd end up answering many of the same questions about certain things like meditation and training the mind. This one is about discgolf and meditation and I figured this forum would get kick out of it. I just do the blog for fun, let me know what you think guys.
http://tamingyourmonkeymind.blogspot.com/
http://tamingyourmonkeymind.blogspot.com/
In a book by Ram Dass (psychologist, author and meditation teacher) I read something that rings true in my mind and gives great insight to why meditation is so hard for many Americans and I assume many people in the west. "India is the land of spirituality, while America is the land of action." I was explaining that quote (which I probably butchered lol) to a good friend of mine the other day during a round of disc golf. It makes since when you think of how ancient the civilization and culture of India is and the US is so new that we have much work to be done in this land just for the basic infrastructure for the population that was and is still growing. Well after some time with that quote, the history of the lands and our appetites for meditation in mind, it became very clear to me that it's almost against our very societal nature to do a simple sitting form of meditation. THIS IS THE LAND OF ACTION!!
Even I find it hard to meditate sitting still for longer than 5-10 minutes even though I first tried out meditating very early in life at around 8 or so, although I was just copying what I saw in kung fu movies and didn't know what I was doing lol. 22 years later and meditating on and off during that time I still find it a struggle to do a sitting meditation as funny as that may seem. It does seem as though this form of meditation is against our very nature as the land and it's people call you to take action. We love action movies, working hard ( if we like our job ), we love sports, THE GREAT OURDOORS, we even love rough and playful sex. Everything screams at you to take action!!
With that in mind I look at our allies and trade partners in the east, the Chinese. Just like India they are well established as an ancient culture that is rich with spirituality and are known for a long history of meditation. They also have an appetite for advancement, progress and building up their society to modern ways and even beyond with some of their new mega constructions going on. In a sense they have a good mix of both being a land of spirituality, as well as being a land of action and advancement. The best of both worlds so to speak. Just as a lot of people in the west can't sit still for too long, it seems many of the Chinese also have an appetite for action that gets in the way of sitting meditation. Their answer seems to be Tai-Chi, a moving form of meditation. Now I know very little of Tai-Chi and have never done it but lets face it if you watch movies you have seen certain Kung Fu masters show it off on film like Jackie Chan. I even remarked to a couple of friends when I was re-learning how to putt recently that the technique for putting reminded me of Tai-Chi moves during my practice swings.
I got into disc golf years ago but just got back into it 3 years or so ago and I got into using a mantra about 2 years ago. Since then my game has grown leaps and bounds and of course the help of being one-pointed or you could say being focused on one point (think aiming a gun at a bullseye) that my throws have become more focused and accurate as well.
Recently I introduced an old friend of mine to disc golf and immediately he became addicted!! He had just broken up with his long time girlfriend and as many of us do ended up in a hole of booze and self-loathing. As soon as he got a taste of disc golf he immediately jumped out of that hole and he's gotten better in a matter of months then some people I know who have played for years.
Now with my work with the mantra I just say it at all times when Im not using 100% of my mind, including playing disc golf. Almost naturally and with no interest in mantras or meditation I noticed that my buddy was repeating a mantra out loud!! Whenever we would go practice in a field or he was throwing during a round at the course he would end up repeating "Woooosaaah, Woooosaaah, Woooosaaah." during his practice swings and throw. He picked up the anger quelling mantra that he saw in the movie Anger Management and whether he knew it or not he was doing a moving form of meditation out of the blue as well as having a new addiction.
At this point disc golf is my favorite way to meditate and even brought my addiction to disc golf to an entirely new level. A form of meditation where I get to play a sport, be out in nature and hang out with friends?
HELL YA, SIGN ME UP!!!!