OHV Motorcycle Riding & Meditation
Arlo Y
“Is happiness now or when? I’ll be happy when…”
Part 1 – Mindset Affects You: Focus on Goals
There is a difference between distractions and escapes. Let’s first define both as they will be seen in this text.
Disclaimer: These are not exact definitions from Webster’s Dictionary, so don’t shove a rod up my ass for providing “inaccurate information.” This is purely my thoughts and observations. Learn what you can from it and move on.
Alright, first up is distractions. A distraction is anything that pulls your focus away from goals. A good example of this is not doing work in class. It doesn’t affect your mindset on reality, but it does distract you from your objective. (I am certainly guilty of this!)
Escapes are completely different. An escape is pulling your focus away from your perception. A good example of an escape from your perception is marijuana. It doesn’t affect your goals, but it affects your view of them. This can lead to you being distracted.
Escapes lead to distractions, and distractions lead to goals being lost. In the context of riding an off-road motorcycle, that can be incredibly dangerous.
You lose your goal because you’re escaping with your thoughts, and then in turn become distracted by them. Dirt-bike riding is all about creating goals and executing them with persistent precision. You will escape your perception of what is going on in the trail with your thoughts. Maybe it’s because of habit, fear (usually fear), or something else entirely.
If your thoughts are focused on embarrassing yourself in front of some girl or boy, that is what’s going to happen. You must remain focused on your goal. You can’t be thinking about what is going to happen next or about what happened before. You need to focus on the now.
You may remember the saying: Look where you want to go. This is incredibly relevant both in where you look physically and mentally.
Part 2 – You Can’t Control the Bike
You cannot control the bike. This seems counterintuitive, but give me a moment to explain.
In the last section, we explained that your mind is the most powerful tool for riding. Your mind controls your body, and assuming that your mental self is you, then you (your mind) can only control your actions. Your physical actions can only control the bike.
Your mind needs to be in balance with your body, and in turn your body is in balance with the bike. This is the real challenge in dirt biking.
When you crash, adrenaline ignites inside of you—your body is ahead of your mind. Sometimes this is a good thing, but in most scenarios, it’s not.
Your mind needs to be in balance with the bike. Your mind needs to initiate your actions and, in turn, control the bike. It’s a game of balance and control.
Part 3 – Employment of Meditation into Your Riding
Take some time to physically meditate, focusing on keeping your mind and body steady and in balance.
Running is a good example of this. Run around and focus on letting thoughts pass and breathing.
When actually riding, think of it as a meditative sport. Let your thoughts pass and focus on what’s happening right now.
This is difficult, but with practice, you will become a better rider.