Meditation Without
a Yoga Mat
William Fraser | Wellness Committee
If you are like me, the word meditation conjures up a vision of a person sitting
on a yoga mat, legs crossed, eyes closed, and chanting a mantra. While this
may be one form of meditation, it is not the only one. As I looked into this
topic, I found that many of us practice meditation without even knowing it.
Definitions in Oxford and
Merriam-Webster dictionaries
include both an original
definition from the Latin
meditor meaning ‘think deeply
about,’ as well as more popular
definitions such as ‘focus one’s
mind for a period of time,’
or ‘the act of giving attention
to only one thing,’ or ‘engage
in mental exercises such as
concentrating on one’s breathing
or repetition of a mantra for
32 | arta.net
the purpose of reaching a
heightened level of spiritual
awareness.’ When we examine
these definitions, we find that
we engage in meditation each
time we target shoot, practice
archery, or play golf, to name
just three examples.
Target shooters know how
important it is to ‘focus one’s
mind for a period of time.’
Control of breathing and the
elimination of distractions
become extremely important.
Also of importance is
consideration of wind and
distance, as is the slow and
steady pull of the trigger.
Suddenly, when that
concentration ends, and after a
check of the target, the shooter
once again moves into a state of
‘thinking deeply.’ These feelings
are why many believe that
the noisy shooting of a gun is
actually very relaxing.