EEEEK! Too Many Swing Thoughts?

(This is the fourth of a five part series inspired by yoga’s systemization of inner wisdom and the ‘Qualities of Mind’) 

“It’s best not to have any thoughts, but if you are going to have one, make it a positive one. . . And for sanity sake, take on one thing at a time.” –Baba Hari Dass.

Ekagrata  (Sanskrit) is translated as ‘One-Pointed focus’.  This ‘One-Pointed Focus’ (Ekagrata) is the remedy for when obstacles interrupt our focus or the afflictions consume our emotional intelligence.  On the golf course, it’s the present moment commitment to ‘one shot at a time’. And it’s the sensory, zone producing attention you keep for 4-9 seconds over a shot and then continue down the fairway being mindful of your thoughts.

Bhavani Maki describes the attention of Ekagrata as “the mind is absorbed and relaxed, without becoming sleepy or distracted.” Imagine this type of soft focus over an important putt or before a pivotal drive on a narrow fairway.  This is when we start to uncover our pure potential.

Even the great sage Patanjali tells us:  “To prevent distractions, practice on one principle.” (Yoga Sutra 1:32). . .Again, for sanity sake, take on one thing at a time! 

In golf (and life), the ‘big picture’ is that the momentum of One-Pointed Focus (Ekagrata) creates the velocity to the ultimate state of attention, complete integration (nirodha . . coming next month!). . .and save the “EEEEEKS” for the rattle snake sightings on the course.  More to come. . .

Dodie Mazzuca is the founder of Golf PROformance and teaches golf and mindset programs in Santa Cruz, CA.