Hmm... I'm a relatively poor shot, and I've never tried meditation myself, only listened to people talking about it, so maybe I should retract that. What would you say the major differences are?
(might you see more of a parallel between ice climbing and meditation?)
Have an excellent 2026! (and a good slide in, on the slim chance it's not too late for you)
PS the US Navy (although its final cause is instrument of empire) is one of the easier ways for a young man with little cultural capital and even less economic capital to find himself in an organisation that not only values lifetime learning but even goes out of its way to support it.
In ("cultural") theory, USMC, being "integrated", should have an advantage over USN but in practice(, putting sentients together in a confined space .. :)?
(because (a) crampons mean you get to study the ice and make your holds, instead of rapidly making use of what's there, and (b) the process of making them takes time... I was very pleasantly surprised; I'd expected it to be more thrilling and above all „Besonders Im Winter Arsch-Kalt“ but it was actually relatively low-adrenaline and high-activity)
- relax their muscles and search stillness
- maintain awareness of their breathing and heart beats
- focus without letting their minds wander
so there are definitely parallels!
(on theory vs practice, I have a minor comment that can wait for a thread with some PH participation)