Being "in the zone", have you ever experienced this?

So why not try meditation?

The results aren't just when you're doing it, but extends into everything you do.

In 1983 (jeez, that was 26 years ago) I trained for the Ocean State
Marathon. I was faithful -- borderline obsessive -- to my training
schedule. Nothing, but nothing kept me from getting in my miles for
the week. If I wasn't pushing myself to go longer, I was pushing
myself to go faster. All my "personal best" race times are from that
year. I think I was hooked on my own endorphins. I remember being in
the finish chute after a 10K, hunched over with the dry heaves and
thinking "I shoulda pushed harder on mile three."

Yes, many times. It's a great experience, one of the big benefits of playing sports or other games of skill.

I've had it happen in many different ways, Tennis, Racketball, Karate, even Chess and video games. At times it feels like someone else is doing things and I'm just an observer (from the inside). Amazing things can happen.

Swimming - I've always felt very at home and graceful in the water.
Also ice skating and roller blading- I could go for miles doing either one- and I hardly ever fall down.

i know what u mean...


the worst ever case of the zone was when i was scrimming a
cyber athlete amatuer league nvite only team on their pub server...

pretty much best in the world..

I played with them off and on, but when they decided to go their official team versus random public players, i decided to use the sniper rifle. the A.W.P

i killed 2, got grenaded to 15 health, then it was like i was seeing the screen, and i had a seperate 3d model of the map projected in my head, and i could hear their footsteps and it was like i perfectly timed it to 1 shot them everytime one would pop out.

i got 7 total and they said i was hacking. hilarious, to be called a cheater by the best. sorta epic in that game.


it was crazy tho, everyone was on their microphone talking after i got the 4th or 5th guy, like damn hes so good! this guy is amazing! instant death, soon as their avatar showed up in my screen they went down..

*boom boom boom boom boom* pretty much.heh

its like you tap into something...

ive heard pool players talk about how the stick will move an inch or two in their grip, how it just slides when they are in the zone.

i think im addicted to "the zone"...

its almost frightening.. like zome mystical energy hahaha..

...it happened in billiards ...when I was playing 4 nights a week

I also played competition 8 ball. Being in the zone was,a rare occurence when the stick needed nothing but a partnership among your eye, the stick, and the bridge of your hand. I beleived that, whenever that happened, I was invincible and could shoot pool blindfolded.


THEN ID USUALLY GET SHITFACED AND LOSE

ain't that the truth?

um yeah.

It's happened for in golf, swimming and a couple of times when I got a great glide on my bicycle. It's like everything becomes totally silent in that perfect physical moment.

The Zone is real. I get it on my bicycle all the time.

When you go from being totally out of breath and toasted to your fastest time ever in just a few minutes - that's the zone.

Cycloptichorn

One time that I was in the "zone", was a strait pool tournament that wasplanned for several months to be played in Harrisonburg Va. Those of us who went there , heard about it in the little thug town of Reading Pa.Today, Harrisonburg is a bustling University town that clots up the Great Valley and is served by several cross Interstates . In the 70's it was just a clandestine meeting place for all sorts of illicit events that started with chain betting on all kinds of tournaments, from pool to darts and the town had several actual underground casinos that were populated by big bruiser "Soldiers " and very unnice gamblers.
I got into one of the tournaments and I doing great, I ran several tables before I miscued and sat down. I did really good and was quite proud of myself because I was about 25 points shy of winning (200 points). The guy who came up after me , picked up his cue and smiled at me and began to shoot pool like Ive never seen. He was so good that I was going WOW when he made masse' shots at the rare times that he didnt leave himself a pefect position. I was so in the zone that night , but I still lost to this guy who never missed a shot. I paid up and never played again the entire weekend progressive tournament(It was that times version of TExas Holdem, but with eye hand coordination). I did, however, stay up and watch these guys, many of whom came from South Dakota or West Texas, just to play in a tournament that never ever saw the slightest mention of it on TV or in the paper.

The sponsors wanted it that way.

I used to visit my girlfriend in Radford College and stopped in many a time at the ol Polytech ...truly was a sleazy town

This is really interesting.

I can't say I've ever experienced it within sport, but within music certainly. When I play the piano and REALLY feel the shape of each note, the colour of each chord, it's like my hands (and arms and back to a lesser extent) are dancing.

I'd be really interested to see what relation meditation has to this, since someone mentioned it-
I have a feeling this could be one of the reasons why sport/art/music etc are such important human cultivations. A break from cognition.

Do you think it sounds stupid if I say that I think in undertaking these activities it is when we are most like animals?
I think there may be some truth in that, ironic as it may be.

indeed.

mebbe there is your wow conversation starter...

i did

in meditation, i believe your mind and body cease to be seperate..

absolute peace and harmony with yourself.
(stories of asian monks staring at walls for 12 yers etc.. as in the origin of kung fu?)

the zone is like being part of something else, IMO of course.

i really wish i could meditate, but right now i cant, its like trying to relax in a boat in a lake and im in raging rapids.

hrmm...

i think i realised something, in that metaphor or whatever, i was assuming me in the boat was my mind, but its the water that reflects the state of my mind....

:/

i need to find out some more about meditation...

anyone have any links or advice? stories? hehe

Yeah, I think a good stab at trying to learn meditation would be useful.
I might go to a class.