Flow is “the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity”, as it is described by the pioneer in positive psychology Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. I think this is one of the most interesting psychological constructs that Western Psychology has offered in the last few decades. In (Tibetan) Buddhist practice this is often called Lungta, ‘Windhorse”. Which basically means that you fully immerse into the present moment and ride it’s energy. Whilst this being one of the most whortwhile states of being for a human being, it is also one of the most difficult states to “accomplish”, because it involves letting go of our ego’s. It is often seen in professional athletes, who are so deeply trained into their discipline, that they can actually let go of their selfconsciousness and become fully one with what they’re doing. The fact that they had to train for years to actually be able to do so, says something about how hard it is to experience this in daily life. We are so often obstructed by our own minds and concepts, that we miss out on being fully present and thereby limiting our potential. Letting go is like standing at the edge of the cliff and someone says “Jump”; it goes against the grain of our habitual patterns. Because we are having a constant fight with life, others and ourselves, we are missing out on the continuous current that flows through our lives. But luckily we can train this state of letting go, which like professional athletes requires repetition and discipline. In this way, life itself becomes an art.
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