{"id":380967,"date":"2026-06-30T18:21:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T18:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/380967\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T18:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T18:21:12","slug":"what-is-mindful-archery-inside-the-new-somatic-wellness-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/380967\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Mindful Archery? Inside the new somatic wellness trend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Give a girl a bow and arrow, take her to the woods, and anything feels possible.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what I was thinking as I positioned myself in front of bales of hay in an open field at the Woodley Park Archery Range<\/a> in Van Nuys. Channeling my inner Katniss<\/a>, I took a \u201cpower stance:\u201d shoulders back, legs slightly bent, bow cradled in my upper body. I slid a small but fierce-looking arrow bearing orange feathers onto the bow \u201cnock,\u201d filled my lungs with air, then heaved the tense bowstrings back to my jaw, one eye closed and the other narrowed in concentration.<\/p>\n

Then I did what often feels impossible for me: I let go.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Share via Close extra sharing options <\/p>\n

The arrow hurdled forward, unleashing an audible woosh followed by a distant thwack. I missed my target entirely, stabbing the hunk of hay more than a foot away from the bull\u2019s-eye. But the feeling of release as the bowstrings were left vibrating in my arms was palpable, intensely satisfying.<\/p>\n

This was Mindful Archery.<\/p>\n

\"Angie <\/p>\n

Angie Fadel, founder of Soulcare, leads Mindful Archery.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

The seemingly militaristic act of archery and peaceful meditation may seem diametrically opposed. But at Angie Fadel Soulcare<\/a>, they make perfect sense together. Fadel leads workshops in Mindful Archery that combine meditation, somatic practices such as breathwork, immersive nature therapy<\/a> and archery instruction.<\/p>\n

The idea, Fadel says, is for participants to gather in a healing nature setting while becoming mindful of something they want to either let go of (an unfulfilling job or toxic relationship, for example) or something they\u2019re aiming for and want to bring into their lives. Fadel leads a short guided meditation at the start of the workshop for participants to relax and get grounded, followed by a nature walk so they can further sink into the moment and become clear on what, exactly, their targets will be for the day \u2014 what they\u2019ll be shooting for, or at. Then participants draw their individual targets on paper with colored markers that Fadel provides.<\/p>\n

\"Attendees <\/p>\n

Attendees hold up their targets during a Mindful Archery class.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

One target might look like an abstract drawing representing a feeling, another might be a jumble of words and symbols such as \u201cLove,\u201d \u201c$\u201d and \u201cHealth.\u201d Or an illustration of Donald Trump<\/a>, as one past archer aimed for.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen everything,\u201d Fadel says. \u201cPeople have put their parents, their exes, people have put rapists \u2014 the most damaging things that have happened to them \u2014 on a target because if you can hit that thing, it feels better in your body. The same thing happens when you hit something good, it\u2019s a hopeful mechanism in the body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fadel\u2019s archery instruction is as much about how the sport feels in the body as it is about technical precision. The slow and steady, intentional steps of deep breathing, taking aim and shooting at a carefully considered target is a powerful act, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if the arrow doesn\u2019t go where you want, there\u2019s this immediate thing that happens in your body that feels good,\u201d Fadel says. \u201cWhen you let go of that string, there\u2019s an energy, there\u2019s a movement \u2014 actual, physical energy moves. Something magical happens. It helps the things that are stuck in the body get unstuck. It\u2019s somatic. Then it\u2019s an extra bonus if you do hit your target, because the slap of the paper feels even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Angie <\/p>\n

Angie Fadel readies bows.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Fadel, who lives in Portland, Ore., and calls herself \u201ca soul-collaborator,\u201d has a masters in spiritual companionship and spent a decade working as a pastor in a Portland church helping members find untraditional spiritual paths. She\u2019s also been an archer for more than 15 years. She came to both practices \u2014 spiritual companionship and archery \u2014 separately before they organically entwined. Midway through pursuing her master\u2019s in 2011 she discovered a friend was a master archer. She\u2019d always wanted to learn archery, since she was a kid growing up in rural Washington, and she persuaded him to give her a lesson.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just one lesson, but it changed my life,\u201d Fadel says. \u201cI was doing something that I\u2019d always dreamed of doing. It unlocked something I didn\u2019t realize could be unlocked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Targets <\/p>\n

Targets pinned to a hay bale allow participants to take aim at what they want to bring into their lives.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Fadel found archery increasingly therapeutic. She was doing a lot of introspective Jungian journaling at the time. As life challenges came up in her journaling \u2014 the stress of school or a difficult roommate, \u201cor just society as a whole,\u201d she says \u2014 she\u2019d put them on targets in the form of words. Shooting at them helped her process the conflict. She thought the beneficial side effects of archery were particular to her, however. Then she took a struggling friend out for her first archery lesson and the response was profound.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized, you know what? This works. I can take you from never touching a bow to your leaving with your nervous system relaxed. I thought: I have to figure out how to give this to other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now with Soulcare, Fadel conducts multiple types of archery workshops in Portland and around the country, including in Colorado, Texas and throughout California. She comes to Los Angeles to lead workshops several times a year. One workshop is a Mindful Archery class, not to be confused with her other course Meditative Archery, which involves Jungian journaling; and there\u2019s a one-on-one archery session with spiritual guidance. <\/p>\n

Empowering women and minorities, Fadel says, is a key part of her archery workshops.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn archery range can be a very white, male-dominated space,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd the stance, with a bow and arrow in your hand, shooting \u2014 it\u2019s very male. And [men] don\u2019t have any problem, most of the time, taking up space. So it is a practice to remind ourselves, as a queer woman, a trans person, nonbinary person, anybody that\u2019s kind of othered in our society, to be able to take up space. To adopt a power stance and be, like, I\u2019m allowed to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside the Mindful Archery workshop<\/p>\n

Our workshop began with gentle stretching in an open field. It was a cool, overcast day and as the wind rustled the tree leaves, a baby coyote raced across the lawn in the distance. During introductions, attendees shared why they were here.<\/p>\n

\"Archery <\/p>\n

Archery is about \u201cletting go\u201d and here, a student lets her arrow fly.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m actually a very anxious person,\u201d said Rachel Clipper, 26, \u201cso I\u2019m always looking for something to help me feel more grounded and promote mind-body connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kati Lee, 29, said that as a \u201c\u2018Hunger Games\u2019<\/a> girlie,\u201d she\u2019d always thought archery was cool. \u201cBut what drew me to keep coming back was the mindful part of it,\u201d she said. \u201cMy favorite part is that we make our own targets.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the nature walk, we ambled down a tangle of dirt trails as Fadel pointed out wild rose bushes, Aspen trees and elderberry, giving a recipe for syrup. When we came to a body of water in a clearing \u2014 the Woodley Park Wetlands \u2014 we watched as a majestic-looking cormorant stretched its wings in the distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink about what would feel good to either annihilate,\u201d Fadel said as we returned to the range. \u201cOr bring in, or let go of, or make peace with. You can put all of it on your target.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so we did. We hunkered down at a picnic table by the archery range for crafting and snacks that Fadel provided, every one of us falling into silent sketching and scribbling as we munched on peanuts and granola bars. It felt like summer camp.<\/p>\n

Lee set her markers down. \u201cDone,\u201d she said, contemplating her target. It was adorned with words such as \u201cHealth,\u201d \u201cLove,\u201d \u201cFamily\u201d and \u201cFriends\u201d inside concentric hearts.<\/p>\n

Yvonne Golomb, 70, said she\u2019d done archery as a high school student in gym class. She was shy back then, but archery had made her feel bold. Now that she\u2019s retired, she\u2019s craving that feeling again and is returning to the sport for sustenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this nice memory, it made me feel strong, it was freeing,\u201d she said. \u201cNow that I\u2019m retired I\u2019m exploring it. I wanted to bring back those memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it was time for our archery lesson, Fadel conducted one last somatic exercise to loosen us up. She had us tap up and down our body parts, from our feet to our ears, before shaking out any remaining stress.<\/p>\n

Then she coached us, individually, as we took aim at our targets in sets of three.<\/p>\n

\u201cBreathe, zero in on your target, OK, now smooth \u2026,\u201d she said, hovering over one attendee.<\/p>\n

May Claire La Plante, 31, said she was doing archery today, in an \u201cadaptive stance\u201d Fadel had taught her, to build up her arm strength after a surgery.<\/p>\n

\"Kati <\/p>\n

Kati Lee, right, and Tristan Gonzales affix their targets during a Mindful Archery class.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was feeling very frustrated that I couldn\u2019t get it at the beginning,\u201d La Plante said. \u201cI didn\u2019t even finish my arrows. But getting back up and the act of trying again \u2014 despite the injury and all the baggage that comes with it \u2014 is really empowering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBull\u2019s-eye!\u201d Clipper cheered nearby, her anxiety seemingly dissipated. She\u2019d hit her target, dead center. What was on it? A labyrinth-like spiral of words with \u201cPeace,\u201d \u201cLove\u201d and \u201cCreative Control\u201d at the epicenter.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t having as much luck and was missing my target repeatedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry loosening your grip,\u201d Fadel coached. She adjusted my stance. \u201cNow breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n

It seemed counterintuitive to slacken my grip given such a precise goal \u2014 to land a slender arrow in the epicenter of a black dot. But I did, letting the edge of the bow sit loosely, even wobbly, between my fingers. I took aim and shot. This time the arrow flew strong and straight.<\/p>\n

\"One <\/p>\n

One participant hit the bull\u2019s-eye, which calls for \u201cpeace\u201d and \u201clove,\u201d dead center.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Another round later and it landed smack on the paper target, just above my bull\u2019s-eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?\u201d Fadel said, elated. \u201cArchery isn\u2019t about doing it right, it\u2019s about repetition. The more you can be in your body, and relaxed with the repetition, the better you are. Rarely do I have someone not hit their target at least one time.\u201d<\/p>\n

She squinted at my target, then turned to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s because they\u2019re relaxed and it\u2019s because they trust me,\u201d she added. \u201cAnd they learn to trust themselves more.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Give a girl a bow and arrow, take her to the woods, and anything feels possible. That\u2019s what…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380968,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[18572,132789,145485,2789,154025,154024,48,52,51,47,50,49,154026,14756,154027,130,154028,2838,315,27721,71533],"class_list":["post-380967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-aim","tag-archery","tag-arrow","tag-body","tag-bow","tag-fadel","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-mindful-archery","tag-participant","tag-peaceful-meditation","tag-portland","tag-somatic-practice","tag-target","tag-time","tag-word","tag-workshop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}