Flow: The Zone

Nagare [流れ] The characters/ideograms mean, “Flow; current; stream.” The firs character means, “Flow; forfeit; current; a sink.” 

Flow, what is it and how does it help us achieve mastery in our discipline(s)?

Flow, as some call, “The zone,” is a state of present moment mindfulness that fosters an effortless mind of no mind state of immersion that is flow. “Flow is EI at its very best; it represent the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performance and learning. Flow is EI is positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand.”

It is that something where the mind is in the present moment without distractions or disturbances of the mind that flow out into the body as it performs along an inter-connectedness of mind and body with strong spirit. It becomes the reward for the effort and dedication one takes in any discipline. 

Flow is focus, a focus that is immutable and results in a focused awareness of a narrow range of perception related to the immediate task, the practitioner loses all perceptions of both time and space. It is not a result of adrenal stress flooding. 

Flow as in present moment awareness removes all worry and rumination. It is being absorbed by the discipline where encoded actions, etc. take control leaving the mind to simply be in that moment. It is that state that allows one to lose all distractions of the mind, and thus the body, removing obstacles such as being self-conscious or being pre-occupied. It is about achieving a state of egoless ego. 

True masters of any discipline achieve this flow, or the zone, allowing control to be a mastered control of what they are doing at any one moment, moment-to-moment. Once a master locks in to the effort of the discipline, it takes on a life of its own removing or providing relief from emotional disturbances thus making the actions effortless. 

It is a balance of the mind, both emotional and physical, where one is neither bored or suffering anxieties that tend to come with a lack of mindfulness. Once you achieve flow you enter into a state of pleasure, grace, rhythm, and effectiveness that are the direct opposite of things like mind chatter that results in “emotional hijacking,” i.e. the limbic surges that usually take control of your mind when you need mindfulness the most, the flow. 

To achieve flow you also have to have a mind or mindfulness that is highly focused while being positively relaxed. It is such flow that makes a master, a master, who is often perceived as performing at levels that seem “Easy, natural and ordinary while making the mind-state appear cool, calm and in the moment. It results in a quiet mind and a quiet mind is easily held in the moment. 

Flow, mastery, is achieving a state of action that is efficient, proficient, requires a minimal of mental energy while displaying well-practiced moves. 

Flow is about challenging oneself to develop, train and use their capacities to the fullest so that skills that increase tend to take on a higher challenge to get into the flow. A means to develop flow while developing the mind, body and spirit both inter-connected and building on one another to reach higher levels of expertise and mastery. It is a master of a discipline that is supported and development as created by the experience of the flow. It is a tool of motivation, a motivation to reach higher and higher. It is reaching beyond the moon and out into the stars themselves. 

The flow is about the creative of the discipline through a single-minded immersion in the discipline, it is that some call, “The Way.” Look at flow as a prerequisite for mastery of the discipline, such as karate - martial arts. Flow is a keystone of traditional mastery of the “Do (doah) or Way” that is martial arts. 

The flow results in those who train, practice and apply a discipline tend to study their art to do better. It is the unspoken principle underlying the Way of the Empty Hand. 

Bibliography:

Goleman, Daniel. “Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition [Kindle Edition].” Bantam. January 11, 2012.