Inspiration Doesn’t Need A Tee Time

Inspiring moments on the PGA Tour are easy to find.  However, for us mere golf mortals, we self-motivate by taking the “golf vitamin” of virya (Sanskrit). The quality of virya is our boost of courage, energy, and a warrior-like attitude to keep pursuing our golf endeavors.

Virya gives us the strength to be responsible for our own inspiration.  It takes a lot of fortitude to face the challenging nature of golf, and our practice is to continuously check the ever-present, self-sabotaging ways of the downward pull of our inner afflictions.

Although our teachers can guide, challenge, and gently push us to achieve self-improvement, we are essentially on our own to perform on the links.“One of the great things about golf is that once a player steps on to the first tee, no coach, no swing doctor, and no sports psychologist can help her.  She is alone with her mind (and caddie).  She has to do it herself.”  -Unknown

Our drive down the center of golf and life’s fairway is continuously enlivened with the quality of virya.  This courage and warrior-like mindset to pursue our journey through the bunkers, bogies, and birdies is just the vitamin we need for inspiration.

Dodie Mazzuca is the author of “Golf Sutras: Lessons for Transforming the Mental Game with Yoga’s Inner Wisdom” and founder of Golf PROformance. She teaches golf lessons, golf yoga workshops, and Mindfulness for Golf programs in Santa Cruz, CA