Being Present, Mindfulness, or Going with the "Flow"

What separates yoga practice from another other form of Group X classes? Yoga is the only Group X offering that deliberately sets "mindfulness" as an outcome of its activity. Yoga is good for balance, building muscle mass, stretching and elongating muscles, and general health--all these are wonderful outcomes; nevertheless, yoga gives practitioners an additional goal--to focus intently on the present moment. Much of the relaxation and rejuvenation that are felt at the end of savasana are because of the mental energy spent while in a "flow" state.

The classic "flow" study researcher, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ("just call me Mike"), actually charted under what conditions we experience what he calls flow; what we might call "having fun." Being caught up in the moment's activity, being completely present in the moment, being mindful and completely absorbed in an activity,  or being lost in time itself--that's what is meant by flow. There is a delicate balance between finding an activity too challenging or too boring. In the middle of the continuum is flow. Here's a visual example of how flow can be expressed.

As you can see, the visual (or flowchart, sorry I just couldn't resist!) says absolutely nothing about the type of activity that generates a flow state. Flow is experienced and available during any activity. Flow states can happen potential with any form of physical or mental exercise. How do we know we have achieved a flow state? Here are the essential descriptors for flow and how yoga deliberately addresses them so that students can have an optimal flow experience.

We are up to the activity. If we are tired or cranky, injured or hurting, we just plain don't feel like playing or working. We must have the physical ability to perform the task. This is essential for any form of exercise, and why, specially in yoga, you are encouraged to sink back into child's pose or final relaxation if you feel overwhelmed by an asana's intensity.

We are able to concentrate on the activity. Distracting stimulations such as ringing cell phones, extraneous conversations, flashing lights, wailing sirens, crying babies can really break into our ability to focus on an activity. In your yoga practice at 24 Hour Fitness, we dim the lights to keep visual distractions minimal, and ask every one in the room to refrain from cell phone use.

The activity has clear goals. Some activities' goals are very specific. The pitcher on the mound at a baseball game knows the goal--to throw a strike (and even what kind of strike)--to get the batter out. Writers have incremental goals, to finish a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter, eventually a book. At the start of our practice, we set an "intention" or personal goals for the day. We preview the types of asanas that will be performed (focus, breathing, warm-up, sun salutations, standing work, balance, mat work, final relaxation). We have a general idea of the hour's journey from the outset of our practice.

The activity has direct feedback. It is very difficult to enjoy anything if you don't experience progress or gains. In a yoga class, the instructor gives verbal and non-verbal feedback, cues on alignment and suggestions for modifications. The mirrors along the room give instant feedback. Some students have such a good sense of their own alignment that they adjust their poses automatically.

We feel that we control the activity. Being forced into doing anything doesn't make for optimal flow conditions. All Group X classes are voluntary, and that's good. If you don't want to do yoga, you can do something else on the cardio floor or in the weight room. If you are doing yoga, you can choose the level of the asana that works best for you that day. You search for the level that gives you the balance between too challenging (frustrating) and too easy (boring). There is no pressure to go faster, to reach farther, to push yourself beyond your abilities.

Our worries and concerns disappear. The flow state is achieved when you forget the problems that were niggling away at your concentration. During exercise, flow is possible because we expend our attention and concentration to the task at hand. Yoga deliberately and intentionally asks you to focus on your practice for an hour and to postpone your immediate concerns during the hour's practice. The emphasis and focus of yoga is what makes it such a popular form of exercise, particularly for those whose lives are stress-filled. Yoga gives us permission to let our worries be in the background.

Our subjective experience of time is altered. Remember that old saying, "Time flies when you're having fun"? It's absolutely true. While in a flow state, you don't look at the clock; your awareness of time is completely absent. While experiencing flow, you lose track of time. For those of us teaching in the Group X room, that big clock is a mixed blessing. We need a reminder to help us stay on track, but frequently, we get so caught up in the experience we lose track of the time as well. I am fortunate to have a class slot that ends the Group X schedule for the morning and we can end our class without the distractions of the next class's students vying for floor space.

Have you experienced flow lately? It's a wonderful place to be, an inspiring state of consciousness. Watch small children play and you can see flow in action. If you have a cat or a dog, you can observe that most of the time, they are in a flow state (but they do seem to have an awareness of time when it comes time to be fed!). Hope that you have some flow time during our practice together as well; that's where the bliss of yoga originates.

Until next week, namaste,
Nancy