Flying as a release from the ego

Flying as a release from the ego

Photo Ivan Ripoll

Flying is a way to release myself from the ego.  When I am flying a long cross country flight I am only using my mind-body to continue the flight.  Petty problems, things that have already happened, do not come into my perception, rather I am consumed by the now.  Experiencing the sensation of my wing, the information my vision is supplying, and combining that with knowledge and gut instinct to make decisions that matter very much in the now.  Leaving the now to think about things that have already happened or might happen in the future is bad for my flying and for my safety. After a long flight, in interesting conditions and terrain, my mind is less clogged by the usual bullshit.  My body-mind has just spent hours doing nothing but what was important in the now, reacting and adapting to the present.  

There have been times during big flights with great conditions when I have allowed my mind to think “I’m going to break that record” or “I’m going to do really well in this race”.  Thinking about the future often puts me on the ground or stuck in a shitty place.  In order to fly well my mind body must stay in the now.   

In general life I allow things that have already happened to change my present being.  Instead of being completely in tune with the now I often spend energy thinking about past events, or future outcomes.  I believe that if I can work towards living more in the now then life will become more vivid, rewarding and successful.  That last statement is glaringly hypocritical, making a future plan to live in the present.  The way I’ll do it is to notice when my mind is occupied by something that happened in the past (the past can not be changed), or might happen in the future.  Just noticing the ego allows you to focus back on the present, the sensations and reactions of your body-mind.  Obviously it helps us in the present to learn from the past and incorporate it into our decision making process, but dwelling on regret or blame is unhealthy and hurts us in the present.  The only thing that is sure is now, yesterday is based on memories of perceptions and tomorrow does not exist until it is now, I need to perform the best I can now, and flying helps me experience a very vivid present.

Here in Pokhara, Nepal we fly in crowded skies above the take-off.  If I waste power thinking that someone in the sky is an idiot, asshole or moron for cutting me off, then I have lost precious moments thinking about something that has already happened and I can’t do anything about, thus being more likely to lose the core.  If I can accept that I must avoid hitting an erratic glider in the sky, but not allow my ego to attach emotions to the pilot of the erratic glider then I can focus on staying in the core while avoiding collisions, and I’m less angry and more likely to get out of the crowded house thermal fast.  Its hard to do, and I’m rarely successful, but its a good thing to try for.

Living life in the present does not mean that we should not have goals for the future.  “Enthusiasm means there's deep enjoyment in what you do, plus the added element of a goal or vision of what you work towards.”  Eckhart Tolle.  When you have balance between enjoyment in the present and the structure of a goal in the future the result is success in something you truly enjoy.  If we are successful at something we truly enjoy we can master it, and mastering something you love allows you to do what you love.  Don’t we all want to do what we love doing and love doing what we do?     

Thanks for listening to my rant.  Its Chinese New Year holiday so lots of tandems and no solo flying adventures, for now....