Breathe and Shoot

Breath and Shoot

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YOGI, bowyer and archer Lars Richter splits his time between yoga poses, crafting traditional longbows, and archery—disciplines he says have a strong meditative link.

“I have childhood memories where I have my longbow,” he recalls of his days growing up in East Germany, “so I have fond memories of bow and arrow time back then.”

Richter started a career as an engineer but eventually decided it wasn’t for the long haul: “I worked in that environment until I realised, hang on, that’s not what I want to do for the next 50 years. I changed. I went to India. I had my own yoga school.”

Back before the Berlin Wall fell, “yoga was almost illegal” in communist Eastern Germany, Richter says, so it was a huge change of pace.

Moriac craftsman and wellness warrior Lars Richter holds classes on how to make longbows. Picture: Peter Ristevski

Just a few years ago he met master bowyer Peter Yencken and learned the craft of honing a length of wood into a traditional longbow, and now the Melbourne-based craftsman travels the country, passing on the skills in two-day courses.

“I work with rasp and file, but I always invite people to bring their own tools if they have them. Bespoke tools like a draw knife and a plane, they work as well.”

Richter says there’s a lot of parallels between his disciplines, and yoga is hugely complementary, from the posture and movements you need to carefully carve out the belly of the spotted gum bow to the breathing and concentration techniques involved in loosing an arrow.

“It’s a form of meditation and a way to calm the mind,” he says. “Many people resist taking time for themselves to meditate because they feel a need to accomplish something and have something solid to show for the time spent.

“When you focus on creating a useful item out of a natural object, the quality and uniqueness of you is imbued in it and becomes one of the best forms of meditation.”

The meditative approach carries over to learning how to shoot: He doesn’t teach the rigid method of methodically lining up the sights and the target like you’d aim up a rifle. Instead he teaches “instinctive shooting”. “It’s more coming from a sense of feeling,” Richter says, closer to how people just instinctually know how to throw a ball at a target: the hands and the eyes work together to swiftly put the arrow in the target.

The other takeaway—along with people walking away with the bow they’ve crafted—is he’s hoping people will use the workshop as a starting off point and continue to craft their own bows.

Richter’s in town later this month, running a two-day course in Mandurah May 21 and 22 and in Fremantle May 28 and 29, and details and booking info are at http://www.narrativeyoga.com.au

by DAVID BELL

„Das Leben ist wie ein Spiegel: Wenn du stirnrunzelnd hineinschaust, wirst du auch die Stirn runzeln; wenn du ihn anlächelst, wist du einen Segen erwidern.“ William Makepeace Thackeray
Alles spiegelt sich im Spiegel. Jeder Aspekt unserer Wahrnehmung der Realität hat einen Spiegel.
Betritt mit uns einen sicheren, spielerischen Raum, in dem Mitgefühl für sich selbst und Andere sowie Neugier auf deiner Reise zusammenkommen. In diesem Raum werden wir untersuchen, wie wir wahrnehmen – wie sich jeder Aspekt unserer Realität in unseren Beziehungen und unserem Selbstbewusstsein widerspiegelt.
Der gemeinsame Nenner des Spiegelerlebnisses ist, dass Du, wenn Du den Blick wagst, immer das sehen werden, was Du sehen mußt.
Mit einem Spiegel gibt es alles. Alles, was Sie brauchen, liegt im Spiegel. Es bleibt nur noch, den Blick zu wagen.
Das Reflektieren, Spüren, Fühlen und Nachdenken über unser Leben auf dieser einzigartigen Reise ist ein Geschenk aller Elemente, die unseren Weg unterstützen. 

 
“Life is like a mirror: If you frown at them, they will frown back; if you smile at them, they will return a blessing.” William Makepeace Thackeray
Everything is reflected in the mirror. Every aspect of our perception of reality has a mirror.
Step into a safe, playful space where compassion for yourself and curiosity about your journey come together. In this space, we’ll explore how to perceive — how every aspect of our reality is mirrored in our relationships and our self-awareness.
The common denominator of the mirror experience is that if you dare to look, you will always see what you need to see.
With a mirror, there is everything. Everything you need lies in the mirror. All that remains is to dare to see.

Reflecting on life on this unique journey is a gift from all the elements supporting your path.  

 

What to Bring

  • Weather-appropriate clothing, sun hat, everything you need to be comfortable. Please check the specific retreat settings. 
  • Packed lunch and snacks (up to you), Water bottle – check catering options
  • A pillow and a yoga mat
  • Notebook and pen
  • Towel etc if it is a Summer retreat. 
  • A curious and open mind 😉

Please read the Narrative Yoga Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions before booking for this course. Camping is not available for every event. Please ask for more information.

Do not edit
Limitation of Liability

It is understood and agreed that Narrative Yoga will not be liable to the Customer, or any agent or associate of the Customer, for any mistake or error in judgment or for any act or omission done in good faith and believed to be within the scope of authority conferred or implied by this Agreement.

Ticket terms and conditions

Tickets are sold subject to the ‘Presenter’ (Narrative Yoga) and any third party vendor’s ‘Terms and Conditions’ of sale, which are available for review at the time of purchase. The ‘Terms and Conditions’ of sale, entry and participants presence at Narrative Yoga events include but are not limited to the following:

1   A change in personal circumstances of the ‘Ticket Holder’ does not entitle the return or the exchange of the ticket. However they can be transferred to another person as long as you notify us at least 48 hours before the event.  A $20 handling fee applies.

2   Children under the age of 18 must be advised of their responsibilities by a parent or legal guardian.

3   Children under the age of 12 must be under the care of a parent or legal guardian at all times.

4   Narrative Yoga reserves the right to add, withdraw or substitute any elements of the program or vary the advertised ticket prices or patron capacity.

5   Community standards of behaviour are expected and persons deemed to be behaving in a manner that is dangerous or unacceptable will be refused admission and/or removed from the site.

6   Deposits are not refundable.

Purchase of ticket and/or entrance to Narrative Yoga workshops indicates acceptance of the following warning: The property/venue you are about to enter is a provider of recreational and educational services and activities, where you are further warned and advised that Narrative Yoga and/or the land it is staged on is an inherently dangerous place that may contain all manner of obstacles, risks and dangers, both known and unknown, natural and man made which may result in loss or damage to your property, personal injury or even death. Knowing this to be the case you voluntarily assume the risk of serious injury or death if you choose to come onto the property and do so at your own risk.

Responsibility
Responsibility/Liability Waiver
The decision to take part in the workshops is ultimately yours, as is the responsibility for whatever results come from that decision. The workshop involves the use of body movement, sharp tools and arrows, and facilitator will do their best to make all participants aware of the inherent dangers of their particular workshop and relevant safety guidelines, however you (or you for your child) are responsible for using your own judgement and common sense when doing anything. If you (or your child) do attempt something and suffer injury at the workshop, I will of course do everything I can to help. In the end we are in a natural and often unpredictable environment….if you want a safety cocoon it might be best to stay home.
While I believe in taking full personal responsibility for our actions, all participants will be asked to sign a waiver on entry to the workshop.
Everyone (including the host and their guests, helpers and family) who enter the workshop space does so at their own risk. The Workshop organisers accept no​ liab​ility​ for any injuries or issues arising during or from the workshop. You agree to the private and refund policy from Narrative Yoga.
Ticket terms and conditions

Tickets are sold subject to the ‘Presenter’ (Narrative Yoga) and any third party vendor’s ‘Terms and Conditions’ of sale, which are available for review at the time of purchase. The ‘Terms and Conditions’ of sale, entry and participants presence at Narrative Yoga events include but are not limited to the following:

1   A change in personal circumstances of the ‘Ticket Holder’ does not entitle the return or the exchange of the ticket. However they can be transferred to another person as long as you notify us at least 48 hours before the event.

2   Children under the age of 18 must be advised of their responsibilities by a parent or legal guardian.

3   Children under the age of 12 must be under the care of a parent or legal guardian at all times.

4   Narrative Yoga reserves the right to add, withdraw or substitute any elements of the program or vary the advertised ticket prices or patron capacity.

5   Community standards of behaviour are expected and persons deemed to be behaving in a manner that is dangerous or unacceptable will be refused admission and/or removed from the site.

6   Deposits are not refundable.

Purchase of ticket and/or entrance to Narrative Yoga workshops indicates acceptance of the following warning: The property/venue you are about to enter is a provider of recreational and educational services and activities, where you are further warned and advised that Narrative Yoga and/or the land it is staged on is an inherently dangerous place that may contain all manner of obstacles, risks and dangers, both known and unknown, natural and man made which may result in loss or damage to your property, personal injury or even death. Knowing this to be the case you voluntarily assume the risk of serious injury or death if you choose to come onto the property and do so at your own risk.

Thanks for a great weekend with the longbow making workshop. I appreciated the mix of longbow expertise with the more meditative elements and advice that could be applied to other areas of life. To paraphrase: Don’t get too hung up on the final product without enjoying the journey. You need to enjoy the journey. If you don’t enjoy the journey, you’re missing the point. It was a relaxing time and I’m proud of the work I completed. I would definitely recommend the longbow workshop to others.

David

Just wanted to thank you again for such an awesome bow making weekend the other weekend. I’ve taken my bow out shooting since and I’m still so impressed with her. It’s an awesome feeling to know that I’m shooting with something I created myself and could make again too.

Jessie

The longbow workshop in Trentham a couple of weeks ago was the best! My son and I enjoyed bonding time in the company of a friendly group of likeminded souls. Best of all, we made something together that we will cherish and look after for a lifetime…reminiscent of the toys and tools of my own childhood. A bonus is the time my son spends daily (!) honing his newly discovered archery skills 🙂 The longbow workshop was a beautiful and enduring experience for us both. Thanks Lars!