Are you asking yourself what meditation has to do with golf? Well, the answer may be more than you think. Golf is a game of concentration; focusing all of your attention on one object, and one moment, for one perfect action. By that definition, meditation and golfing are nearly the same.
The game of golf is more of a mental exercise than a physical one. It requires complete concentration and precise action. A flitting and distracted mind has no chance at the game of golf. The sport helps its players improve their confidence and ability to focus.
So what is one of the best ways to practice your golf game? It might sound strange, but your game can be affected more by practicing the art of meditation than it can be by working on your form.
The point of meditation is not to stop thinking. The point is to consistently bring your attention to one point. The mind cannot stop thinking. Its job is to think, so by trying to stop the mind, you’re asking it to do something that is unnatural to it. In fact, if your mind were to stop, then you would be dead.
In meditation, our goal is to slow the mind, not stop it. By utilizing your active willpower to slow the mind, you are sharpening perhaps the most important tool that you have, your mind.
Meditation is not some mysterious, esoteric, Eastern magic. It is simply the art of willful concentration onto one point. Nothing more. While golfing, as you focus and prepare your swing, you find that your mind slows down, as your attention goes to a single point. At this moment, you are meditating. It’s perfectly natural for the mind to wander a bit, however, the practice of meditation is acknowledging that your thoughts may stray, then bringing them back to the present. When you do that you are practicing mindfulness.
You can start by taking 10 minutes a day and choosing to sit quietly and do nothing but follow the breath. At first, you will see that your mind jumps quickly from one thought to the other. After time and practice, you will notice those thoughts start to slow down and your focus deepens. The more you practice meditation, the shorter it takes for you to enter into this calm space and the more profound it will become.
This simple practice of choosing, once a day, to return to your inner, peaceful state will work wonders in your life and your golf game!
This blog was originally published on Nordo Nissi’s website.