This is the first of an eight-part series on the ‘Golf Obstacles’ inspired by Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtra. Injuries/Disease (Sanskrit: Vyādhi): Listed as the first and foremost obstacle in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra (I:30), it is extremely hard to continue progressing with our game and our attitude improvements when we are sick or injured. On the physical level, […]
(Warning: Not ‘G’ Rated) Apologies in advance for the language, but Mark Manson’s perspective helps us see the ‘big picture’ in relation to our golf games:“Look, this is how it works. You’re going to die one day. I know that’s kind of obvious, but I just wanted to remind you in case you’d forgotten. You and everyone […]
The fifth affliction listed in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra is FEAR OF CHANGE and/or CLINGING TO LIFE (abhinivesha. II:3, II:9). Also translated from Sanskrit as ‘fear of death’, our ignorance and egoism cling to our golf game as we know it. Sprinkle on some memories of our past attachments and aversions to our previous golf adventures, and our performance on the […]
Golf Aversions: It’s Going To Be A Bumpy Ride. ‘I hate this hole! I despise slow play! I can’t stand unsolicited advice!’ Sound familiar? AVERSION is the flip side of desire. Listed as one of the five human afflictions, aversion is the negative form of the ego’s relationship to worldly objects. When we are living in our limited state […]
‘I desire to have NO desires!’ DESIRE and ATTACHMENT (‘raga’ in Sanskrit) are listed as one of the five afflictions of the human condition. Attachment accompanies pleasure and it can easily sabotage our games and our mindset. A desire rooted in the perception of ‘incompleteness’ is the basic impulse of the ego. The ego will collect information, experiences, possessions and the latest and greatest new […]
Just like our ‘favorite’ oak tree guarding the par 3 (you know the one), our mentally sabotaging origins can be traced back to one deep seeded affliction: FORGETFULNESS (avidya in Sanskrit). It’s also translated as “not seeing, non-wisdom, and/or ignorance.” Avidya is the basic thing we do when we forget who we really are. . .our unlimited potential over […]
Standing over those nerve rattling 3 footers can often do more harm than good. When reading the green, don’t over think the line. Usually our first ‘instinct’ is the correct line and then we talk ourselves out of the right choice. Also, spending less time over the ball means less time for doubt and tension […]
Listed as one of the five afflictions of the human condition in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Egoism (Sanskrit: asmita) can destroy our golf experience. The Ego’s attachment to a golf score and it’s influence on personal worthiness can bring our progress to a screeching halt. We’ve all been there. . . Consoling playing partners will mercifully utter after a bad […]