Non-reaction

No matter what time of year, tis’ always the season to practice “non-reaction” both on and off the golf course. I recently read a translation of the Sanskrit word “vairāgya” as “non-reaction”.  (Viarāgya is one of the two pillars, along with practice, abhyāsa, listed in Patañjali’s famous yoga sūtra I:12.)

What interested me most about this interpretation was the immeasurable applications to the game of golf and beyond. To remain in a “non-reactive” state after a bad shot or missed putt creates a mental neutrality in the post-shot routine. This encourages learning, objectivity, and more importantly emotional stability. 

It’s always the most wonderful time of the year. . . to PRACTICE NON-REACTION. Your family and your golf game will thank you! 

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.