Zen In The Art Of Archery

I just got through reading, Zen In The Art Of Archery, Eugen Herrigel's account of his experiences training to use a bow and arrow under a master archer in Japan.  At the outset, Herrigel expects to spend a lot of time working on form and and physical techniques, but over the couse of his 5 years of training, his training follows an unconventional path, centering on his inner experience.  Key to his eventual success, is his gradual realization that the biggest determinant of performing a "perfect" shot lies within himself; even after 4 years of practicing hand placement and technique, the ability to execute perfectly can only be mastered by learning to let go of distractions, and become perfectly immersed in the process of the action.

The sport of sailing is filled with so many variables and distractions, that frequently it seems impossible to finish consistently, and it's astounding when athletes rise to the top of competitive fleets, consistently producing regatta wins against teams who are so close in speed and smarts (case and point: AUS 470 crew, Malcom Paige).  In contrast to the rest of the fleet, these sailors seem to be immune to pitfalls, rebounding from bad shifts, and seeming bad luck just as easily as closing the deal when leading the fleet.  They sail around the course closer to 100% of their potential, closer to 100% of the time, than anyone else.

The parallels between Zen In The Art Of Archery, and the mental game of sailing are striking, and at only 60 pages long, the book is definitely worth the read.  Through visualization routines, and mindfulness on the water, the 29er HP Team will be working towards achieving Zen-like focus in our racing this season!

A copy of Zen In The Art Of Archery can be purchased on Amazon.com here or can be found for free in PDF format here.