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The classic Zen text, Zen in the Art of Archery, by Eugen Herrigel, with an introduction by D.T. Suzuki, describes how ego and thinking get in the way of what is happening now. Our thoughts distract us. When we think about what a good shot we’ve made, or try to remember a way of holding the racket (or even what the score is) we are no longer in the moment.

Badminton is a sport. We can play it to be competitive. We can play it for ego gratification. We can demonstrate our mastery. We can play to be sociable, to connect with other people. We can play it for pure delight and enjoyment. But we can also play badminton as a way of self development.

Badminton is a fast game. The shuttle can travel at speeds of 200 mph. Reaction times are fast. There is no time to think about ‘how’ to execute a shot. But during this fast-paced game we can nurture concentration, inner calm, and focus. Badminton can give us what psychologist Abraham Maslow called “peak experience”, or what Mihaly Csikszentmihali author of Flow, The Psychology of Optimal Experience refers to as “flow” for that state of absolute timeless concentration. We can be in the moment, without stress, without thinking, and be fully present. It’s almost as if someone else were playing badminton through us.