Ritualistic

Tea party shoes!

Don't mess with my rituals.

We all have them, from the order of how we get up and ready in the morning (I am coffee, shower, dress, brush teeth), to just preparing that perfect cup of coffee in the first place. It allows you to savor the moment, something we don't do enough of on a daily basis while we are busy trying to cram two hours into one. If you are female, we love the ritual of getting dressed up to go out. Hair, makeup, shoes, the whole package. Cooking on the weekends, same deal. Chopping, wine, stirring, tasting, more wine... One of my friends enjoys getting new ink on a regular basis, a very involved ritual with lasting results.

Archery really can be seen as a mini-ritual for each arrow. Same plan, thoughtfully executed over and over.  Ideally, there is just you, the bow and your arrow. The Japanese have this down to a beautiful science.

I don't mind getting interrupted mid-ritual during practice. Your friends stealing your arrows, the puppy gettin' into the squeaky bone in the next room, or someone having a giggle fit (Oh wait, that was me). It's good practice for the idiot that I encountered today (who I hope is reading this). If I am shooting for a score, it's wise to NOT talk to me while I am at full draw. Please, do not under any circumstance tell me to let down unless you are my coach. If you can't keep your arrows and/or stabilizer in your own personal space without banging into someone else, it might be time to take up bowling instead. He wasn't trying to mess with me, just unbelievably clueless. Those who know me well would be shocked to hear that no heads (his) were taken off. I breathed in. Breathed out. Told my inner bitch to sit this one out. Continued my ritual of visualizing my shot sequence. Nice end with a decent group. Sucks to be you buddy.

How do you recapture your mojo after your ritual has been interrupted?  Do you have your own ritual before you shoot to get in the right mindset?