I spent this morning, and pretty well every morning for the last two weeks, shooting my recurve and longbows. This is something I always do this time of year to prepare myself for the upcoming hunting seasons. I will not hunt with a traditional bow if I have not practiced diligently. That’s because to shoot a traditional bow well, you need to develop good, consistent form – and rock-solid confidence.

Also, traditional archery, and all archery for that matter, requires an incredible amount of mental focus to make the most of each shot. If your mental process is distracted by the slightest thing, your shot won’t go where it should.

That’s why I liken shooting a traditional bow to yoga. It’s all about form and mental focus – but, thankfully for all those who have seen me shoot, this happens without the yoga pants.

That thought actually crossed my mind this morning and luckily I was between shots when it did.

In hindsight, I think I was onto something.

You see, I have never been much for archery contests – partly because I am not as good at dealing with distraction as most of the people competing in them. I can focus just fine, if I am alone on my home range or in the woods during a hunt. But put a bunch of shooters and spectators around me and I have the focus of a springer spaniel puppy standing between three mud puddles.

This has been the primary reason I have avoided even informal competition, even though that sort of pressure is generally considered good for a shooter. I believe that too. But I also believe, if you are always losing, it isn’t good for your confidence. And confidence is key.

Now that I have made the connection between archery and yoga, however, I think I have found a way to make the most of this conundrum. Next time I am invited to shoot in an archery tournament, I will arrive wearing yoga pants.

Visual benefits aside, this will introduce two new things to the tournament. First, it will cause many competitors to leave the field immediately, especially if they just consumed a meal. Next, it will provide a significant distraction to those who remain.

Why you ask? Well, first off, I suspect I will not look good in yoga pants. In fact, I will probably present one of those visual images a person cannot unsee. After all, I am a 60-year-old man and lululemon has never marketed to my demographic for good reason.

Of course, all that might change after I win a few tournaments. Because, if that happens, it is very likely the fiercest male competitors in the sport, will probably start wearing yoga pants too.

Those guys will do anything to win.

Fortunately, by the time that happens, I will have won several tournaments and perhaps even left an indelible psychological scar upon those I competed against. Partly because I will insist upon walking ahead of the group when it comes time to collect arrows from the targets. And, if the competition does get tough, I can always consider wearing one size too small.

I honestly think wearing yoga pants will even the playing field and give me a much better chance at winning. OK, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch…