How To Access The State Of Flow And Transform Your Life

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The happiest people spend much time in a state of flow – the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

What is the state of flow?

Athletes call it ‘being in the zone’, runners call it a ‘runner’s high’, jazz musicians call it ‘being in the pocket’, comedians call it ‘being in the forever box’, and artists call it ‘being in a state of zen’.

In positive psychology, a flow state is the mental state in which a person performing a particular activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation of one’s sense of time.

Popularized by positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow state describes a feeling where, under the right conditions, you become fully immersed in whatever you are doing.

He conducted one of the largest global studies on optimal performance, discovering that flow is fundamental to well being and overall satisfaction. Csikszentmihalyi also discovered that flow contributes to significant progress and major paradigm shifts in arts, technology and science, as well as optimal performance in athletics and business.

Global management consultancy McKinsey Group did a ten year study in which they found that top executives in flow are five times more productive than when out of flow.

You’ve probably watched someone in the state of flow.

Take for example the athlete; a basketball player flying through the air effortlessly and dunking a basketball, or a hockey player stick-handling through the entire team, the puck moving gracefully off their stick and making that perfect pass or shot flying towards the goalie.

Singers, dancers and artists also describe being in a state of flow when performing or painting when they feel and perform at their best.

Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

You may have experienced a flow state — this is when you have complete focus on what you are doing.

You feel calm, relaxed and at ease. Your mind and body become one with the task at hand and nothing distracts you. Time stands still. The task or action feels natural and effortless. Your senses are heightened. You are most creative.

It can also be very challenging to access this state of flow, because as men we’ve been conditioned to muscle our way through life, to push and use great effort for a desired outcome.

So how can you spend more time in the state of flow?

This is a process. We need to really connect with our mind, our bodies, look deep into our hearts and see what needs to be moved energetically.

We need to learn to sit and just be, to work through anything that is holding us back from finding inner peace and leading our best life.

We need to see and let go of any negative habits, patterns or addictions that we may not even know that we have. We need to find our true purpose in life.

Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.

Rainer Marie Rilke, Poet, Playwright

Most importantly, learning embodiment practices helps us accomplish all of the above – the one that I love is Qigong.

Qigong is ancient movement practice that strengthens the environment of the body: builds the life-force energy, improves the immune system, clears stress and tension, and increases circulation throughout the body.  It teaches us to be present and to be calm, clear and content. It also gets you into the state of flow.

When you access the energy of this movement practice, you access deeper states of consciousness within your body and you feel more at ease.

When the mind and body is at ease with itself we are more likely to experience the flow state because we are training in non-distraction and focus. If we can learn how to apply focus moment-to-moment, and live in the present moment, then we’ll see that play out in all areas of our lives.

If you’re curious about Qigong, check out my latest short video here.

Being able to achieve a state of flow is vital to your success in all areas of your life!

If this article sparked inspiration and questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you on your journey. 


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