Entering The Flow State

Entering the Flow-State is the ability to enter deep, states of concentration and fluid performance of your task at a high level. By its nature the idea of the Flow State is perhaps a little bit abstract to most, as it is not something that I believe to be experienced by all peope

Entering The Flow State
# The Flow State
# Achieving Proficiency and Quality
# Relaxation and the Flow State

The Flow State

The Flow State is a profound mental and emotional state an individual can train to reach. A state where (in my experience) the performance of our skill achieves a fluidity — a precision, efficiency, intuitiveness, timing, virtuosity, and elegance — that usually accompanies work of a fairly high level.

Here I am talking less about the flow state itself, rather the specific qualities of perception that are conducive to entering such a state. We are not concerned so much about the Flow State as we are about Entering The Flow State — the general procedures and conditions that appear to be conducive to entering the flow state.

Achieving Proficiency and Quality

In my opinion, achieving proficiency and quality is the more important focus over the flow state itself. First, in my experience true flow is rather unpredictable. Secondly, it is reliant on skill, proficiency, and quality in our actions — thus that should be where we place our attention.

If we are going to do anything, we should seek excellence. Simply, to do a thing well, since that is its own reward. The flow state is, in practice, nothing more than doing a task well.

You can experience flow making a recipe you have done a thousand times before, in martial arts practice, training, or performance, in a basketball game, in writing, or coding a project. It literally exists in everything. It is about skill, experience, concentration, and the task all coming together into a fluid, dynamic alignment.

Relaxation and Deep States of Flow

It is my experience that the deepest of the flow states are entwined with relaxation. An ease that comes from repetition, that leads to an ease even amidst chaos, and a seemingly heightened perception in the moment of the task. You have performed the skill in practice enough times, that it now becomes easy.

For this reason we must learn to calm our minds in the midst of effort and intensity.

“A warrior achieves his ambitions with a great deal of effort, but without stress and anxiety.” – Carlos Castaneda [KT]