Flow state is what happens when you become fully immersed and absorbed in whatever you are doing.
It’s the true definition of trusting the process. Whether that process is creating art, music, writing, being an athlete, surfer, dancer, chef, parent, or simply living your life in general.
The author Shaun McNiff, an artist who wrote “Trust the Process: An Artist’s Guide to Letting Go” says —
“Whether in painting, poetry, performance, music, dance, or life, there is an intelligence working in every situation. This force is the primary carrier of creation.”
If we trust it and follow its natural movement, it will astound us with its ability to find a way through problems — and even make creative use of our mistakes and failures.
There is a magic to this process that cannot be controlled by the ego. Somehow it always finds the way to the place where you need to be, and a destination you never could have known in advance
When everything seems hopeless and going nowhere… trust the process.
This mirrors what positive positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura say about flow state. In a Ted Talk in 2004, Csikszentmihalyi said —
“There’s this focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: You know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback,”
Part of the research he did to reach his conclusions was to interview high-achieving, high-performing people such as surgeons, ballerinas, mountain climbers, and chess players.
I believe that magic lies inside this flow state for all of us.
I know from experience that when I trust the process of writing, I am guided to create things from some part of myself that is largely unconscious.
When I procrastinate I have scattered energy and despite my best efforts, I cannot get anything finished. Achieving flow state is part of success, and I believe it can lead you to great things.
I believe being in a flow state can help you manifest your dreams.
Why? Because being in a flow state means you have pure focus.
Your brain’s usual chatter fades away.
You are concentrating on the task at hand and no other feelings, distractions or negative emotions can obstruct that focus.
The more you are able to access a flow state in your work or creative pursuits, the more you train your mind to experience that pure focus.
That’s exactly the state of mind that’s needed for creative visualization and manifestation.
The ego falls away, you lose your sense of time and place, and you become fully absorbed in what you are doing and where your attention is placed.
If you can apply flow state to visualizations and conscious manifesting – you will see great improvements in your life.
Practice achieving flow state in your daily life.
- Happiness — A lasting sense of happiness and wellbeing of being in the moment.
- Clarity — An unconscious wisdom about what needs to be done in the moment.
- Increased Concentration — A higher output of good work from knowing how to focus without distraction.
- More creativity — Inspires deeper creativity and new ideas.
- Lack of obstacles — Stress, anxiety and concerns fade away when we are focused in flow state.
- Increased engagement — You feel fully involved in the task at hand.
Neuroscience supports the state of flow. Research has shown changes in brain activity when people are immersed in flow states. Other findings suggest an increase in the brain chemical dopamine when people are inflow.
Clear Goals / Engagement and Concentration
Csikszentmihalyi explains that flow is most likely to be achieved when we are faced with a task that has clear goals and is challenging and engaging to us. It’s not about being relaxed, and passive but rather when we are stretching our minds or bodies and fully engaged in something that takes our interest and attention.
Enjoyable Task
It will prove to be a lot easier to get into a flow state if you enjoy what you are doing and are excited about the process. If you are also good at what you are doing, it helps as you will feel increased motivation.
Eliminate Distractions
Make sure you are not easily distracted when you are focusing on the task. Try to reduce anything that may pull your attention away. Turn off your phone or silence any messages popping up for example.
A Challenge
You can reach flow when you are intent on overcoming a certain challenge or finding a solution within your task. If you are a writer, this could be finding a new way to tell your story or express your point of view. If you are a dancer, this might be perfecting a move. If you’re playing chess, it would be the next strategy to overcome your opponent.
Flow happens when you are fully engaged in achieving something, as well as letting yourself be guided naturally in the absorption of the task.
Regular Meditation
Meditation and mindfulness train the mind to be more present, calmer, clearer and happier. A mind that is at ease in this way is far more likely to be able to experience the flow state.
Meditation helps us to be focused, undistracted and in the moment – all things that benefit us when achieving flow state.
I believe that flow can be achieved when we synchronize our hearts, minds, and souls with the task before us.
I think you will find that once you start creating flow in your life in other ways, you may find it easier to access the same flow state when you apply your attention to your dreams and goals.
Manifesting should not be a big effort to try and make something happen.
Just as being in flow is what helps you create masterful work or win that tournament.
Being in flow when you set your intentions or visualize can harness the same magic.
When you achieve a flow state regularly in your life, you will boost your confidence in your ability to be productive and your overall energy and happiness levels will increase.
You will feel a sense of fulfillment, ecstasy, and motivation.
All these things greatly enhance your ability to create the life you desire.
This magical state of creation and trusting the process has a high vibrational frequency that is up there in alignment with all the things you dream of.
Access flow and you will take charge of your dreams and find the confidence, motivation, and unwavering self-belief to manifest whatever you want.
