Greetings and Blessings. My name is Freddy. Since then, I have been exploring archery as a skill, a practice, and more importantly a Way. Thanks to my spouse and children, I have also studied and explored Mindfulness and Yoga as a state of being and a lifestyle.

 

I have used archery in many different ways throughout the last 18 years. At first, it was to satisfy an innate desire to shoot a bow and arrow. Then, it became a hobby and the main concern was being able to control the bow and arrow. My life partner noticed my fascination with the bow and arrow and a few years into my exploration signed us up for a USA archery level 1 and 2 training. This added kindle to the fire. I began to learn the biomechanics and the NTS shooting technique from coaches and even continued to take USA archery certification courses. That was a great experience that provided guidance and support.

 

However, something was missing. The missing piece was the connection between archery and yoga. I began to explore archery not only as a technique to improve my shooting, but as a tool to improve self-awareness, focus, and in general my self. Every shoot session I began to question and analyze my actions on the archery range. Books that had been forgotten resurfaced with a renewed purpose. Like a puzzle, the pieces slowly started to come together. I came across the Vedic science of Dhanurveda (translated as knowledge of the bow) and literature like the Bhagavad Gita, Zen in the art of Archery, The Way of Zen, along with other books by many authors including Thich Nhat Hanh helped fuel my explorations on the range. These explorations were evaluated and applied to daily life. No longer is archery about hitting a bull's eye or controlling the bow. It is about focusing on the process and coming to synergy with the bow, the arrow, and the target and realizing that there is no bow, arrow, or target.

 

As a Spiritual Warrior, I have come to realize that the universal enemy is self-ignorance. I have also come to realize that combating self-ignorance is an ongoing process. We can employ self-awareness, compassion, humility, and faith to help us along the way. For the arrow to fly the archer must let go. However, we must learn to let go correctly if we want to learn to accept things for what they are and not for what we want them to be.

 

I would be honored to share and learn along with you on this journey. We provide a safe open-hearted place to begin your exploration. And please do not worry about your level of experience. From those who consider themselves novices to those who consider themselves experienced with the bow, we embody the spirit of shoshin: the beginner's mind. For if we look at everything with a beginner's mind the possibilities are endless.

 

Until the next now,

Blessings