A bit late to the party as usual, I have since childhood been a model maker. 20 years ago I caught the scale model helicopter flying bug and the challenge of building a 5th or 6th scale model is totally absorbing. Trying to keep a couple of young kids amused pushed me into competition buggy and truggy racing and the complexity of those models is astonishing. Sadly having to maintain 4 electric cars, 2 buggies and a truggy every week for competiton got a bit obsessive so backed away. Still got a very competative Losi Eight somewhere. Mmmm, retirement beckons. Andy
I've tried a few things over the years, but grew up with Bikes and boats, so keep coming back to them for kicks, relaxation and therapy, depending on what's needed at the time. Haven't been without a bike since I was 16 and am now 49, so they've always been there whilst trying other things. Still have a 7.5M RIB, but putting fuel in it really limits trips out these days. I gave up Rugby a couple of years ago, played loose head prop on and off since school, and found that focused the mind, but keep fit in the gym 3 times a week these days. Strangely whilst my boys were young and I needed something I could do on and off locally I discovered something that others have mentioned - Archery. I found the focus required really took my mind off work and family stuff, and a quick hour at the range was often ended hurriedly when I realised I'd been there 3hrs. Nasher
Scratch building guitars. The Guitar Refinishing and Restoration Forum :: View topic - Neck-thru Flying V Steinberger Copy?
Flying. I had to overcome a later-life-acquired fear of flying in the process of learning to fly. Nothing like being scared for focussing the mind,but wasn't long before I discovered that I was concentrating so hard on flying that all the fear had evaporated as had many other potential distractions. I thought I took "being in the zone",to another personal level when I did my night rating,(many visual cues are removed),but then I started an IMC,(flying by instruments only),course...absolute and complete focus on the instruments and ,(at times),the AT controllers voice on the radio. Despite making only the tiniest of movements on the controls,after an hour's lesson I'd find I was soaked with sweat due to the intense concentration,and sometimes even forgot I had my Instructor sitting next to me when I took the foggles off to land at the end of the lesson. Fantastic.
States of mind are a volatile thing for sure. Before I bought the 996 I had been bikeless for 3/4 years, and forgotten how much I loved riding. So I definitely think that time in the 'saddle' does fuel the passion for biking, as we get so wrapped up in the buffeting of modern life that we need constant reminders of the need to reset, step back, and breath. Regular bike trips do that for me.
Yes I agree. I have a small town-style garden, which we had planted with evergreen, low maintenance plants and decking. But I love plants, and nature in general. And so twice a year I have to prune and shape (it's a Japanese/Zen style garden, so 'Niwaki' is probably the proper term) the plants, and I find this a very cathartic experience. Any time in nature does the same for me.
Archery is very similar to martial arts I suspect, in the mental game aspect of the sport and the requirement to focus and maintain awareness in the present moment and of the environment. It's a hobby I've often thought of taking up, but not enough time. Skiing or snowboarding is another I'd fancy, but no time with all the other hobbies and no space for all the gear I would no doubt accumulate!
My experience of martial arts is that the internal aspects take a lot of practice to get this feeling. It's also true of meditation. These are skills, and hard ones to master at that. Shaolin training incorporates Chen style Tai Chi, meditation (Shaolin is rooted in Chan - or Zen in Japanese - Buddhism) and Qi Gong. For me, it probably took a good few years of training before I was feeling in the zone when practising.
Yes, close to the edge moments definitely does it for me too. Track riding gets me to that place, and the sailing as the experience involves an assault on the senses. Haven't tried rock climbing, but planning to give this a try - my shifu, or teacher (Shi Yan Min, a 34th generation warrior monk from China) is a regular climber so I plan to give it a try.
The overspill into survival is a really interesting point IMO. I actually think we absolutely should go there, and often! At the California Superbike School, they talk about "survival instincts" overtaking you, and causing you to do the wrong thing - like throttling off on entry to a corner, or looking where you don't want to end up. These instincts have to be re-trained to align to the reality of the physics of a bike. Similarly, the mind has to be mastered in martial arts. Taking it to the extreme, the Samurai warriors knew that to go into battle required the defeat of fear - which is a personal, internal struggle that starts long before they find themselves in battle. This is obviously the edge that you refer to, or rather what happens when you go over it. If you are facing an opponent (even just sparring in boxing or kickboxing), fear causes hesitation and shifts your mental and physical energy. People not only sense fear, but at a purely physical level it undermines the performance. The well-known flow state is the goal. A really interesting book about mastering mind-body-performance in the moment, is "With winning in mind" by Lanny Bassham. Bassham was an Olympic Gold medalist in shooting (76 games I think), and he subsequently taught the skills of managing your performance to CEOs and people from all walks of life. His methodology looks to develop 3 related areas that unlock optimal performance in the moment: self image, unconscious skill and control over the conscious mind in the moment when 'performing.' Unconscious skill has to be developed before you need it, like the Samurai or track rider, so that it is just there. Self image has to keep being reprogrammed. He tells the story of how he plataeud in his shooting, becoming an "8/10 guy" - in other words, when he shot a 7/10 his subconscious would say "you're not a 7 out of 10 guy" and he'd pull his socks up and improve. But the same would happen at 9/10, and he'd revert to an 8. So the self image needs to re-align so that you don't unconsciously un-do yourself. The conscious mind mastery focuses on focusing the mind so that it doesn't focus on outcomes, but focuses on the process/task at hand. Simpler than it sounds of course... my brother is British freediving champ, and put me on to this book. He's also a former Royal Marine Captain, so no stranger to risk nor pushing his own limits! Personally I think you have to go to the edge regularly, but in small steps. We only develop as we go just beyond our knowledge, capability, skill and experience. My shifu in Shaolin training is a great role model of complete fearlessness, and despite my tender age of 47 I am still redefining for myself what is possible for me and trying to reprogramme my mind (ie get rid of that thinking that physical decline is inevitable, or rather defeating the mental state of giving in to the decline which means that you give up health sooner than you need to...). I went to China to the Shaolin Temple a few years back, and trained more intensively than I have ever done, basically living the life of a Shaolin monk only for a few weeks rather than a decade! We trained literally all day, from 5.30am wake up until bed time about 9pm with just meal and rest breaks in between. My body went into shock, and muscles and tendons got very tight, so every morning was a struggle to literally get out of bed until the body warmed up. But what this teaches you is that the will - ie your mind - can take you much further than you ordinarily think it can. Even pain is a mental thing, literally, and their mantra was "pain is good" - which sounds a bit mad, but actually was quite a revelation. When your tight muscles are sore, and tendons tender, and you try to stretch... you get intense pain. Pain causes tension, which makes it worse. If you decide to push past it, you do so by relaxing physically and letting go mentally. Slowly you change your relationship with pain, so that you go past it. Clearly acute pain can be a sign of injury, so you learn to distinguish between different types of pain and what they are for, and how to interpret them. The same principle, I think, applies to learning - or rather the achievement of mental potential. Recently I was reading a book by an LSE professor (from where I graduated eons ago) aimed at PhD students, guiding them in their journey to create new knowledge in their fields of expertise. He also talked - similar to the California Superbike School - of student's fear that held them back from pushing themselves and taking (intellectual) risks, and the fact that risk-takers tend to achieve more and publish more often. I've observed this same pattern in my professional life in corporations, leading change and learning programmes.
You won't catch me jumping from a plane! I like to be in control, or at least I like the illusion of feeling in control ;-) A good friend died in a tandem jump many years ago, so that didn't help...
Agree. I'd love to try gliding especially, but I also can't afford it on top of boat ownership, and don't have the time to go full time on my hobbies!!
At the risk of sounding like your mum Bradders, you gotta do something about that! I'm also what I call a "head" person, always thinking. Presence/mindfulness/attention are trainable, but bad habits get in the way over time. And sleep is the most important health-generator there is, as you know. Take it from me Bradders, as someone who thankfully survived cancer after chemo 3 years ago, lifestyle and health choices shouldn't be taken for granted. Just sayin'
Yes I have, didn't get on with that book though Wiggins and others rate the author so I bought it and tried to digest it. Quite honestly, I think this type of development hugely benefits from a really good coach, instructor or master (in martial arts or meditation). Trying to self-teach on this stuff is daft: so much of what you are trying to undo is unconscious, and for me anyway I need the inspiration and encouragement of others to help...
I used to take part in paintball. Allowed you to focus, team build and we had some great days out as a "me time" escape. Still have my old sterling pump marker in the cupboard
Yes fuel has made motor boating very expensive - some neighbours of mine have eye-watering fuel bills on their motorboats. Mine's a sailing boat: two tanks a year at most of fuel gets me through the season... but you don't get anywhere very fast!
