Have you every had that feeling of being in ‘the zone’ or going ‘with the flow?”
Author of 'The rise of Superman' Steven Kotler describes flow as ‘Action and awareness merge. Time flies. Self vanishes. Performance goes through the roof. It almost sounds like nonsense, but fifty years of serious research says otherwise. Flow states are now known to optimize performance, enhance creativity, drive innovation, accelerate learning, amplify memory and underpin happiness itself.’
These brain patterns are extremely powerful for human performance and health, and you can expect to hear a lot more about them in the coming years. Flow states are defined as peak experiences. In these perfect moments we are operating at peak efficiency subconsciously. It’s the feeling of a runners high, surfing and reacting to the waves, or allowing yourself to be utterly consumed with the task at hand. Or in our fitness world, it’s simply subconscious movement and reaction to an external stimuli. When we get out of our own heads, that’s when magic happens.
These days no one wants to come to the gym and focus on a single muscle, we want to move and escape our days, and not have to think. I know I do! Gone are the days of thinking about turning on a muscle, or actively bracing your core to lift an object etc. We all know movements are better, when you are not over thinking it. Flow is the reason that the fitness games and subconscious movement we employ are so enjoyable and powerful in enhancing your vitality. When you are reacting to a force or another person, loading movement, playing a warding drill or catching a Sandbell as it’s thrown at you, you are no longer thinking, you are reacting. You are in flow
Check out this picture above, do you think I was thinking about where my hands and feet were in space, and how to switch on my pelvic floor? Nope I was in FLOW! Excuse the fuzziness of the picture, flow is so illusive, its hard to catch on camera ;)
Flow is effortless, fluid and high speed and it takes you to a powerful pattern of brain waves where we both feel and perform at our best. Kotler says “Flow might be the most desirable state on earth; it’s also the most elusive.’
If you want to learn more about flow check out Steven Kotler’ book ‘The rise of Superman’ or look at the Flow Genome Project www.flowgenomeproject.co/