31 Oct The Flow cycle (Yoga in Heston & Hounslow)
The experience of Flow exists as a part of a cycle rather than being like a switch which can be turned on and off.
The flow cycle consists of the following stages:
Stage One : Struggle
We experience this stage in meditation all the time. Few of us can just start meditating the second we sit in our chosen posture. First we struggle with our mind which resists our efforts to meditate. We suddenly start itching or remember that there is something really important we must do right now. Our mind and body won’t remain still for long without putting up a fight.
Stage Two : Release
If we persevere through the struggle stage while staying calm and relaxed through our breathing, we then enter the release stage. The struggling stops, the body flushes out the stress hormone cortisol, our breathing is slow and relaxed and we sink deeper and deeper until we enter the Flow state.
Stage Three : Flow
Now we enter the Flow stage. Many experienced meditation practitioners describe this experience as “coming home”. I only understood what they meant after I had been meditating for 6 months or so. In this stage it feels blissful and peaceful. We are both very relaxed and yet alert at the same time. It is at this stage that if we don’t sit in an alert posture we can can easily fall asleep!
Stage Four : Recovery
Flow doesn’t last for ever. When we come out of Flow it is important to let our minds and bodies rest and recover. The best way to do this is to make sure we get enough high quality sleep.
The above is a very brief description of the Flow cycle and it leaves out descriptions of all the brain states we experience while passing through the cycle. It also doesn’t cover all the hormones involved in the Flow cycle. I will touch on this a bit more in a future post on Flow and motivation.
I want to thank Steve Kottler and Jamie Wheal for making this knowledge public. Much of this was completely shrouded in mystery to me. Their organisation which brings together a varied field of scientists and performance experts has shed much light on all aspects of Flow for me.
No Comments