★☼ Experience the FLOW thread-blog

thread was created in 2011

• POST #1
• short animation to illustrate the concept of Flow Theory, and how to use it to design better experiences_ link which had gone missing…now replaced 8/5/15

will attempt to organize better soon… as always feel free to stop by & view as is(:

• • People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy. _{Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, 1990}

 

• It is as if evolution has built a safety device in our nervous system that allows us to experience full happiness only when we are living at 100%—when we are fully using the physical and mental equipment we have been given _{Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi}
• Thread about ideas …. Which Meld With Getting in The Flow….

• Flowing Energy Things just seem to flow forward naturally and with ease. We feel relaxed, confident and life seems easy. Tip #1: Move with the flow and enjoy. Life is sweet.Marlene Lockwood How to Manage Your Energy — or Living in the Flow
• Blocked Energy Nothing seems to go right. You feel like you are knocking your head against the same old brick wall. It may be your ego getting in the way, that you’ve planned too many things to do in one day, or that perhaps you aren’t headed in the right direction. Tip #2: When your energy feels blocked, step back, breathe deeply a few times and make some space for reflection. Connect with your core center, refocus on your purpose and check how aligned things are with your personal values. Give yourself time to get clear and to let new insights emerge.
• Expanding Energy This is living in the flow to the max! You are inspired and alive. Your mood and spirits are high. You are passionate about your work. You know you are making a difference. You are creative and insightful. Tip #3: Move forward with your senses wide open‚ you are creating something new.
• ** * Contracting Energy If your energy is contracting you may be doing something that is not serving you. You may be going against your values. Perhaps there is something in the environment that doesn’t honor or respect you. Your mood can grow darker by the day. You may even begin to feel small. Tip #4: Stop what you are doing. Look at the situation and ask yourself, “Is this where I belong?” “Does this work support my values?” “Do I need to make a request?” “Do I need to change directions sooner than later?” Don’t rush. Be patient and let go of any judgment of yourself or others. Just listen, and let your body‚ your deep sense of wisdom‚ inform you.
• Bouncing Energy You are doing more than one thing at a time. You are going here, going there and going everywhere, trying to do it all. Or the energy is internal, showing up as busy mind talk. Either way, you find yourself forgetting important things and nothing seems to be getting done as you would like it. You feel irritated with yourself! Tip * #5: Stop what you are doing. Find good Mother Earth, take your shoes off and connect with the ground beneath you. Now raise your arms to the sky, feeling the energy from the heavens flow through your body, out through your toes, deep down into the earth and then back again in reverse. This is a body practice taken from Qi Gong and Tai Chi. Next, take a few deep breaths, let out a few sighs, and take a moment to ask yourself what needs to be done first.
• Flat Energy It’s hard to even get out of bed. You have no motivation or drive. You feel like you do not have direction in your life. You may even feel a deep sadness or lethargy. Maybe you are in an in-between-space, where nothing new has revealed itself. Or perhaps you are inadvertently moving away from your passion. Tip #6: It is time to be patient and to focus on taking good care of yourself. Eat well, get enough rest and get outdoors where the power and energy of nature can gradually heal and empower you. Be open to what is new or trying to emerge. Give yourself time to gain clarity about what is next for you. You have the answers within. They will reveal themselves. Writing in your journal will help you get in touch with the wisdom you hold within.
• Summary Living is the flow is about taking life as it comes. Too often we see it as wrong when our energy is not what we think it “should” be. Overreacting this way only creates resistance that further blocks our progress. Fighting this way may bring us success, but eventually only drains us. If we use the river as a metaphor for life, we know we will have smooth waters, flowing waters and a few rapids here and there. There are obstacles in the river, rocks, tree roots, or other people making their own way. Life is about embracing the river and all its challenges. Sometimes life requires you to take your boat out of the water for a time. Living in the flow is learning to appreciate what is and not to up our energy resisting. When we acknowledge unwanted behavior we consult our own wisdom, so we can continue to be kind to ourselves while gently moving forward with our new insights. My experience is that when I listen to and work with my energy, I know exactly what I need to do … cut hay while the sun shines, take the opportunity to learn something new about myself, or maybe just bask in the Sunlight. What is your energy telling you? ###Reference: Goddard, G. (2006). Gulp. The 7 Day Crash Course to Master Fear and Break Through Any Challenge : New York, Bantam Dell, a division of Random House, Inc.Transition Coach Marlene Lockwood helps individuals and groups navigate through life change and transition with more ease, increased balance, enhanced inner peace and improved creativity
• __________________________
  Flow-TED Talk
  Positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is author of the book, “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience”. In his TED talk he describes the state of ecstasy known as the flow state, which is associated with very high creativity, and he explains how to enter it.

Csikszentmihalyi explains that the nervous system is incapable of processing more than 110 bits of information per second. If you’re listening to someone speak, you need to process about 60 bits of information per second in order to understand what they’re saying. This is why if there are two people talking to you at the same time, you can’t listen to both of them and understand what both are saying.

He then goes on to explain that when you’re completely involved in the process of creating something new you don’t have enough attention left over to monitor how your body feels–the fact that you’re hungry or tired, and so on–, or to think about the problems that you’re having at home, or the spat that you had with a colleague earlier that morning.

People who enter the flow state often report that when they enter this state it’s as if they don’t exist. This is due to the fact that they’re so engrossed in the creative endeavor, that they have no attention left over to think about themselves and feel that they exist.

• • __________________________

 

article How To Enter the State of Flow

• • __________________________

 

• ** _{Abraham Quote When you are really in the flow with your Inner Being, ideas come easily—they are implemented easily. It’s fun while you are in the process of them, and it doesn’t matter how they unfold; and nothing can go wrong, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t get it done, it’s just fun to do it. Your Inner Being feels no limit. So, anything that feels like limits is something that you have self-imposed.}

“As you are moving through
such a day, you will feel the
power and the momentum
of your intentions building;
you will find yourself feeling
gloriously invincible; you will
feel as if there is nothing
that you cannot be, do,
or have as you are seeing
yourself again and again in
creative control of your own
life experience.”
_{Esther & Jerry Hicks}

• • __________________________

 

flow theory
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Wikipedia Flow Psychology
Flow (psychology)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
cut and paste above link I could not link to it.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields.¹

According to Csíkszentmihályi, flow is completely focused motivation. It is a single-minded immersion and represents perhaps the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning. In flow, the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand. To be caught in the ennui of depression or the agitation of anxiety is to be barred from flow. The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task although flow is also described (below) as a deep focus on nothing but the activity – not even oneself or one’s emotions.

Colloquial terms for this or similar mental states include : to be on the ball, in the moment, present, in the zone, wired in, in the groove, or keeping your head in the game.
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Csikszentmihalyi and Flow Theory

Good Quick Summary -Flow Theory
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Classroom Type Understanding -Beyond Anxiety and Boredom…In The Flow

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CD entitled: Flow – The Psychology Of Optimal Experience by Mikhaly Csikszentmihalyi

There is quite a range of reviews for the CD and the book. I agree if you are looking for a how-to, this isn’t exactly the book/CD you would choose.

I have the audio…it wasn’t your traditional motivational audio. It describes experiences of others with flow experiences, and has you going…yes, that is what happened and the things which led up to the experience.

This is part of 1 review by By
Erika Borsos :
The primary focus of this book is to show us that “flow” states happen to people despite the challenges of the universe, it happens to people from all walks of life, from all cultures, throughout the world.

Flow is a state of consciousness which can be achieved on an individual path. It also has common elements which anyone who is experiencing the state can identify. The author examines the common experiences which people who are in a state of “flow” describe. It seems people who are in “flow” achieve a state of consciousness that is in harmony with their surroundings and feelings. They do not make distinctions between work and play … people in “flow” create an inner state of being that brings them peace and fulfillment that is separate from their external environment. They are focused, what they do is meaningful and has purpose, they are absorbed in their activities and they have a sense of connection to their inner self and and also with others. The state called “flow” pertains to enjoyment and satisfaction with one’s quality of life. The basis for the flow experience seems to be creating meaning and controlling consciousness where a state of unity exists which is consistent with a person’s life themes. Some people experience it for minutes, some for hours, some for days on end … evidently it can be sustained for long periods of time by some people. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the “psychology of being alive here and now.”

“Flow – A Theory of Optimal Experience:History and Critical Evaluation”:http://www.waltercarl.neu.edu/PDFs/flowpaper.pdf
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This one requires your reading glasses

A Literature Review for the Imagineering Academy, Breda, the Netherlands

By Michel Brokke, 2011

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow, the Psychology of Optimal Experience, New York: Harper

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audios on accelerated learning contribute to flow

• • ___________________[]
    affirmations which assist with flow:
    I notice each little improvement in my life. I acknowledge my progress and celebrate it daily. I easily progress from one undertaking to the next. I move forward without hesitation. I find something to celebrate every day. I always make choices that benefit my cause. I focus on my dream, and eagerly take the next step to bringing it into reality. It feels great to be putting my life in order. I can see light at the end of the tunnel now. No matter where I am, I am always looking forward. I encourage and praise myself even when things don’t turn out as I planned. I congratulate myself every day for the great progress I am making. I congratulate myself for all the good in my life because I know that I co-created it
  • ___________________[]
  • And It Is So Affirmations

 

 

• POST #2
  March 28, 2011-Newsletter from Brian Tracy

5 Ways to Develop A Sense of Urgency
By: Brian Tracy

Perhaps the most outwardly identifiable quality of a high performing man or woman is “action orientation.”

1. Take Time to Think and Plan
Highly productive people take the time to think, plan and set priorities. They then launch quickly and strongly toward their goals and objectives. They work steadily, smoothly and continuously and seem to go through enormous amounts of work in the same time period that the average person spends socializing, wasting time and working on low value activities.

2. Getting into “Flow”
When you work on high value tasks at a high and continuous level of activity, you can actually enter into an amazing mental state called “flow.” Almost everyone has experienced this at some time. Really successful people are those who get themselves into this state far more often than the average.

In the state of “flow,” which is the highest human state of performance and productivity, something almost miraculous happens to your mind and emotions. You feel elated and clear. Everything you do seems effortless and accurate. You feel happy and energetic. You experience a tremendous sense of calm and personal effectiveness.

3. Become More Alert and Aware
In the state of “flow,” identified and talked about over the centuries, you actually function on a higher plane of clarity, creativity and competence. You are more sensitive and aware. Your insight and intuition functions with incredible precision. You see the interconnectedness of people and circumstances around you. You often come up with brilliant ideas and insights that enable you to move ahead even more rapidly.

4. Develop a Sense of Urgency
One of the ways you can trigger this state of flow is by developing a “sense of urgency.” This is an inner drive and desire to get on with the job quickly and get it done fast. This inner drive is an impatience that motivates you to get going and to keep going. A sense of urgency feels very much like racing against yourself.

5. Create a “Bias for Action”
With this ingrained sense of urgency, you develop a “bias for action.” You take action rather than talking continually about what you are going to do. You focus on specific steps you can take immediately. By employing this technique you concentrate on the things you can do right now to get the results you want and achieve the goals you desire.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:

First, select one major task confronting you and launch into it immediately. Don’t hesitate. Move fast.

Second, start doing this every morning, first thing, until it becomes a habit.
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- Process Affirmations assist with my Getting in The flow..
- Running on a treadmill ..getting my endorphins going puts me into a “flow” – After at least 45-50 minutes ..I’m amazed at the clarity and motivation that exist.

– Love - genuineness Prayer and meditation and basic self care (exercise, eating well, passionate mindfulness for self care…follow-thru with challenging tasks) - MOTIVE AWARENESS is vital!

• ~ ~ ~

• ~ ~ ~
  Break Through Inner Barriers by….you guessed it….Guy Finley(:
  The next time you want to go ahead with any project — whether it’s designing a rocket ship, or finally getting around to repairing your favorite rocking chair — and you start to feel those old familiar doubts, dreads, or doldrums rising up to block your way, just walk right through them. You can do it if you use new wisdom to clear the way.
  One excellent way to break through these seemingly impassable inner states is to see them as being the fakes they are. This isn’t to say you won’t feel their punishing presence when you first dare to defy their threats. But each time you psychologically walk up to and past these inner disturbances, you’ll become increasingly aware that these task-resistant thoughts and feelings are just big fakes!

You must prove to yourself that these thoughts and feelings are fakes in order to know the powers that come with such a discovery. Following is a glimpse of what you’ll learn each time you take that step you’re sure you can’t.

Those negative states that try to stop you from taking the next step of any chosen journey are just psychological special effects. These obstacles of psychic flash-and-smoke are generated by the mind to keep you from disturbing its established levels of comfort. But special effects, regardless of the kind of “screen” upon which they’re projected, have no reality outside of your temporary belief in their appearance.

The truth is that these inner-barriers are without real substance, and so must vanish the moment you pass through them. Which brings us to a great spiritual truth: on the other side of the resistance is the flow. This means that each time you call on this exercise to walk through some pocket of inner resistance, you’ll find, on its other side, all the fresh energy and intelligence you’ll need to go through and complete your appointed task.

This article is excerpted from Design Your Destiny (pages 61-63).

• POST #3
  The Power of Flow
  About the book:
  Imagine feeling as though the world is working with you, not against you. Imagine a day in which you make every green light and slip effortlessly into a parking spot in the most crowded part of town. You make a To Do list, and the people on it call you first. You turn on the radio just in time to hear the exact information you need. These meaningful coincidences, called synchronicity, are sure signs you are “in the flow.”

Based on new, groundbreaking research, The Power of Flow goes beyond other books on synchronicity to provide you with sixteen easy-to-understand techniques that allow you to access this magical state of flow and create a richer, more satisfying life.

What is Flow?
by Charlene Belitz and Meg Lundstrom
soulful living

Commitment – Living by our deepest values
Honesty – Telling the truth to ourselves and others
Courage – Overcoming our fears
Passion—Engaging at deep levels with what we care about
Immediacy – Being in the moment
Openness -
Receptivity – Listening to inner and outer messages
Positivity – Finding the value in each situation
Trust – Having faith in ourselves and the Universe
We identified fourteen practical techniques to deepen those attributes in ourselves:

• Be aware
• Accept yourself and others
• Express who you really are
• Create silence
• Follow your intuition
• Practice mindfulness
• Do 100% of what you know to do – and trust
• Finish things and move on
• Take risks
• Break with your old reality
• Appreciate yourself
• Express gratitude
• Give of yourself
• Get a point of view from the Universe
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  Conditions of the Flow

all excerpts below from above link
…..“flow” – a state of consciousness where we experience a task so deeply that it truly becomes enjoyable and satisfying.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is the architect of Flow and after decades of researching the characteristics of the “optimal experience” (a fancy word for enjoyment) he wrote Flow: The Psychology of the Optimal Experience. A guide that shows us how to add more enjoyment in our lives by increasing the time we spend in Flow.
The Conditions of Flow Flow can be achieved by anyone with any task, as long as the conditions are right. I usually get into a state of Flow while writing. I listen to music through my headphones and after a few minutes I really get into my work I’m oblivious to my surroundings.Sometimes I can’t type fast enough. Other times I type so s-l-o-w-l-y and the words don’t come easily. But, either way, I’m in a state of Flow. According to Mihaly there are eight characteristics to an optimal experience :

• You’re challenged by the task at hand. This seems to be the ‘prime directive’ to achieving Flow and can actually prevent you from being in a state of Flow.

• The difficulty of your task has to be “just right”. * If the task is too easy, you’ll get bored and eventually stop. If the task is too difficult, you’ll get frustrated and eventually stop. Either way, you lose.
• The ability to concentrate is key. If there are to many interruptions or it’s noisy, you won’t be able to concentrate on your task. No concentration, no Flow.
• You have clear goals to achieve. Goals establish a mechanism to measure your progress and provide a sense of achievement. People in Flow achieve their goals.
• You receive immediate feedback. Either your ball landed in the cup or it didn’t. You know immediately if your goal was reached or not.
• Your worries and frustrations of everyday life recede into the background. This perhaps is one of the greatest benefit of Flow. You’re busy concentrating on your task and the rest of your world just “goes away” for a short while. Even though you’re challenged, you end up relaxed, satisfied and you achieved something meaningful (all this, and it’s legal too).
• Your sense of self disappears (only for a while). When it re-appears, you’re refreshed with an even stronger sense of self.
• You have a level of control over your actions while performing your task.
• You lose track of time and feel great when you’re done with your task.
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  Good Quick Summary-Flow Theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
cut and paste above link I could not link to it.
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[written 8/31/11 RRFS Off the Top Of My Head]

• Personal Affirmations For Creating Flow:

You are certain of your motives for each high priorityt ask/ project.

 You are passionate about forming detailed plans for your projects
You prioritize your detailed plans with ease

You call, do and see all necessary people, places and things related to your highest priorities.
You focus on life as a joyous fun time

All thoughts and outside noise, once thought of as distractions, as peaceful energy…which complement your productive momentum.
Your momentum speaks to your spirit.
Your spirit speaks to your momentum.
Your momentum feels like your favorite joyous music to your spirit.
All of your thoughts are right. You know what to do with these thoughts to create your greatest dreams into reality.
Your dreams are plastered on every part of you that is you. The way to attain your dreams is clear. The vision board of all you need and want is visible to your minds eye.
You are magnificent before and after your efforts.
You write literature, so many receive greatness. You prosper from your efforts to deliver good messages. You create good messages and you remember them in vivid detail to write and or record them.
Your memory is phenomenal for everything that is good for your success.
You are right where you’re supposed to be.
You are mindful of yourself with goodness results and intent.
You are mindful of the groups you deal with goodness results and intent.
You are mindful of the groups you deal with goodness results and intent.
You are a money magnet for all that you create, and all that you are…
Your body works like a well oiled machine .
Your body feels like a flawless machinery.
You are strong.
You are flexible.
Your core is a perfect 10
You make food choices based on sound information.
You love preparing healthy meals in advance.
You are a healthy gourmet chef to yourself and those you love.
You love to walk.
You love to run,
You love to sprint.
You love being organized for all you need.
You are organized for each task.

• ** * Defining Flow…and pros & cons of experience

Living In the Flow _{Dr Ilona Boniwell, PhD Senior Lecturer in Positive Psychology Programme Leader for the MSc in Applied Positive Psychology,University of East London Ilona Boniwell is a Principal Lecturer in Positive Psychology at the University of East London, UK.}

• ** * Have you ever spent half an hour searching the internet which, as you find out afterwards, lasted three hours? Or opened a book shortly after breakfast and a little while later noticed that the room was getting darker?

• ** * Think of a moment in your life when you were so involved in what you were doing that the rest of the world seemed to have disappeared. Your mind wasn’t wandering; you were totally focused and concentrated on that activity, to such an extent that you were not even aware of yourself. Time disappeared too. Only when you came out of the experience, did you realise how much time had actually passed (usually much more than you anticipated, although sometimes it could be less).

• ** * Most people can remember experiencing such a state. In fact, about 90% can easily recognize and associate it with one or more activities. Athletes call it ‘being in the zone’, others a ‘heightened state of consciousness’. Psychologists call these fully absorbing experiences flow states, which were discovered and named by a world-famous psychologist with the most unpronounceable surname I have ever encountered – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. His celebrated book Flow: The psychology of happiness is one of the best examples of a marriage between non-reductionist scientific and deep thinking, within the accessible self-help genre. It became an instant best-seller, making its way to the top self-help classics.

• ** * It is possible that if it wasn’t for the enormous popularity of Flow and for Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi meeting accidentally in Hawaii and becoming friends, the positive psychology movement might have never happened
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• ** * _{Making flow happen} The state of flow happens under very specific conditions – when we encounter a challenge that is testing for our skills, and yet our skills and capacities are such that it is just about possible to meet this challenge. So both the challenge and the skills are at high levels, stretching us almost to the limit.

• ** * If challenges exceed skills, one can become anxious. If skills exceed challenges, we usually become bored (like bright kids at school). Neither of these two cases result in flow.

• ** * Csikszentmihalyi investigated the phenomenon of flow by interviewing thousands of people from many different walks of life – chess players, mountain climbers, tennis players, ballet dancers, surgeons, etc. He came to the conclusion that flow is a universal experience, which has several important characteristics:

• ** * Clarity of goals and immediate feedback on the progress. For example, in a competition you know what you’ve got to achieve and you know exactly how well you are doing, i.e. whether you are winning or losing. Complete concentration on what one is doing at the present moment, with no room in one’s mind for any other information.
• ** * Actions and awareness are merged. A guitar player merges with the instrument and becomes the music that he plays. The activity becomes almost automatic, and the involvement seems almost effortless (though far from being so in reality)
• ** * Losing awareness of oneself or self-consciousness is also a common experience but, interestingly, after each flow experience the sense of self is strengthened and a person becomes more than he or she was before

• ** * Sense of control over what one is doing, with no worries about failure.
  Transformation of time. Usually, time passes much faster than expected. However, the reverse can also be true.
• ** * Activities are intrinsically rewarding. This means they have an end in themselves (you do something because you want to), with any other end goal often being just an excuse.
• ** * What is also interesting in flow is the almost total absence of emotions during the actual process. One seems to be almost beyond experiencing emotions, most likely because the awareness of self is not present.

• ** * One philosopher describes his own experience of flow: ‘A good discussion often brings a sense of flow. I am not aware of myself, the world around, or the passage of time. I get totally involved in the conversation. Everything goes smoothly. It is a challenging but not a rough ride. Yet, like with all truly fulfilling experiences, you know that you were in flow, not while you were there, but because of missing it after.’

• ** * Activities that lead to a flow experience are called autotelic (from Greek: auto=self, telos=goal), because they are intrinsically motivated and enjoyable and have an end in themselves, rather than in some other end product.

• ** * Many activities are conducive to flow: sports, dancing, involvement in creative arts and other hobbies, sex, socializing, studying, reading and, very often, working. In fact, most daily activities can lead to optimal experience (another name for flow), as long as the situation is sufficiently complex to activate the high challenge – high skill condition.

• ** * Activities in which flow is a rare occurrence include: housework, idling and resting. Also, in the vast majority of cultures, people don’t associate watching TV with optimal experience

• ** * Although optimal experience is described in the same way across countries, some of the flow-conducive activities vary, because of the cultural and circumstantial differences. Thus Roma (Gypsy) people very often find flow in raising children or grandchildren, which is not a common pattern elsewhere. Leisure activities, which are frequently associated with optimal experience, are not associated with it in Iran. People in traditional societies find flow in housework, even though it rarely happens in Europe. Whilst TV is generally counterproductive for flow, blind people quote media (including television ‘watching’) as their most flow-related activity. This is not surprising. TV is not designed for blind people, so ‘watching’ TV is for them associated with a challenge – having to build mental images of the characters in the absence of being able to see them. Nepalese people, too, associate the media with optimal experience. Not having a TV at home makes watching it a rather rare (and possibly challenging) opportunity. These research findings mean it is not possible to say for certain which activities are definitely flow-related and which are not. What for one person is a piece of cake can be a challenge for another. The opportunities for optimal experience rely, therefore, on our subjective perception.

• ** * Saying that, frequent choice of activities that are non-conducive to flow remains a problem for the vast majority of the Western population. Remember, it is not just the balance between challenge and skills that is required for flow, both have to be stretched. In television watching, for example, the low skill matches the low challenge, which usually results in apathy. At work, on the other hand, we have the high-skill, high-challenge situations more often than during leisure. Yet so often we would rather do something else than work. Given a choice between TV and work, why would we rather choose the former over the latter? Csikszentmihalyi explains this by distinguishing between enjoyment and pleasures. Flow may be a state of ultimate enjoyment, but it requires effort and work, at least to begin with. The pleasures do not, they are passive. It’s far too easy to switch the TV on, and it is the effortlessness that ‘sells’ this mildly pleasurable activity to us.

• ** * In addition to autotelic activities, Csikszentmihalyi talks of autotelic personality – a person who ‘generally does things for their own sake rather than in order to achieve some later external goal’. These people develop skills that help them get into the flow state frequently, skills like curiosity, interest in life, persistence and low self-centredness.
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• ** * _{Dangers of flow} ~With flow having become such a popular notion and a desirable state, few pause to ask whether it is always good. In fact, the activities in which flow is found can be morally good or bad. Gambling, for example, especially games like bridge or poker, has all the conditions necessary for flow – they are challenging and require a high level of skill to stand any chance of winning.

• ** * Even activities that are morally good or neutral, like mountain climbing, chess or Playstation, can become addictive, so much so that life without them can feel static, boring and meaningless. A simple non-gambling game on your computer, like solitaire, which many people use to ‘switch off’ for a few minutes, can take over your life. This happens when, instead of being a choice, a flow-inducing activity becomes a necessity.
• ** * Csikszentmihalyi himself is very much aware of the dangers of flow. He writes: ‘…enjoyable activities that produce flow have a potentially negative effect: while they are capable of improving the quality of existence by creating order in the mind, they can become addictive, at which point the self becomes captive of a certain kind of order, and is then unwilling to cope with the ambiguities of life’.

• ** * Addiction to flow can also lead to losing a larger perspective. A workaholic manager may lose himself in flow at work until 10 or 11 at night, forgetting dinner, his family or saying goodnight to the children.

• ** * Csikszentmihalyi also adds: ‘The flow experience, like everything else, is not “good” in an absolute sense. It is good only in that it has the potential to make life more rich, intense, and meaningful; it is good because it increases the strengths and complexity of the self. But whether the consequence of any particular instance of flow is good in a larger sense needs to be discussed and evaluated in terms of more inclusive social criteria’. The question regarding flow is not only how we can make it happen, but also how we can manage it: using it to enhance life, yet being able to let go when necessary.
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• ** * _{Other optimal experiences} Flow is not the only optimal experience that we know of. A humanistic psychologist, Abraham Maslow, (1908-1970) coined the term peak experience to describe intensely joyous and exciting moments in the lives of every individual. In these moments, we feel more whole, integrated, aware of ourselves and deeply happy. We have a sense of transcendence, awe, unity and meaningfulness in life. Often these experiences have a spiritual quality about them. The peak moments are often inspired by intense occurrences – moments of love, exposure to great art or music, the overwhelming beauty of nature or even tragic events. Maslow, like Csikszentmihalyi with regard to flow, believed that all individuals are capable of peak experiences, but those who achieved self-actualisation are more likely to have them. Although many characteristics are shared (e.g. absorption, spontaneity, loss of time), peak experience differs from flow in the presence (rather than loss) of the sense of self, the rarity of its occurrence and having almost a mystical quality about it. Whilst flow experiences are encouraged, Maslow cautioned against seeking peak experiences for their own sake.

• ** * We have a long way to go in learning about the optimal states of human existence. Little is known about microflow activities (such as doodling), shared, rather than individualised, flow, in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (like in a musical jam session) or a plateau experience (which is a continuous peak experience). Positive psychology might be potentially a vehicle for exploring the complexity of these and other positive human experiences.

More about the author of the article:
_{She is a Programme Leader for the first Masters Degree in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) in Europe. She also instructs on the Executive Certificate in Positive Leadership at l’Ecole Centrale Paris and carries out research in collaboration with the Higher School of Economics, Moscow. Her main teaching expertise lies in the area of positive psychology, which she teaches to undergraduates, MAPP and other postgraduate students. Her research interests include: subjective time use, time perspective, eudaimonic well-being and applications of positive psychology to business, one-to-one work and education. She was the Vice-Chair of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) and is currently the member of its Executive Board. Ilona founded and was the first Chair of the European Network of Positive Psychology (ENPP), and was subsequently the member of its Steering Committee for many years. She organised the first European Congress of Positive Psychology in June 2002 (Winchester), starting the tradition of bi-annual events. Ilona is the author of Positive Psychology in a Nutshell (2006/8, PWBC), co-author of The Happiness Equation (2008, Adams Media), Positive Psychology: Theory, Research and Applications (2011, Open University Press), Well-Being Lessons for Secondary Schools (2012, Open University Press) and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Happiness (in press, Oxford University Press). She acted as the main consultant for and appeared in the BBC2 series The Happiness Formula (2006). Her other media work included Guardian, Times, Psychologies, Top Sante and Cosmopolitan articles and interviews, as well as radio and TV interviews for BBC 24, BBC London and other channels. She frequently addresses psychology and professional audiences at national and international conference}

_{Ilona Boniwell is a Principal Lecturer in Positive Psychology at the University of East London, UK. She is a Programme Leader for the first Masters Degree in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) in Europe. She also instructs on the Executive Certificate in Positive Leadership at l’Ecole Centrale Paris and carries out research in collaboration with the Higher School of Economics, Moscow. Her main teaching expertise lies in the area of positive psychology, which she teaches to undergraduates, MAPP and other postgraduate students. Her research interests include: subjective time use, time perspective, eudaimonic well-being and applications of positive psychology to business, one-to-one work and education. She was the Vice-Chair of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) and is currently the member of its Executive Board. Ilona founded and was the first Chair of the European Network of Positive Psychology (ENPP), and was subsequently the member of its Steering Committee for many years. She organised the first European Congress of Positive Psychology in June 2002 (Winchester), starting the tradition of bi-annual events. Ilona is the author of Positive Psychology in a Nutshell (2006/8, PWBC), co-author of The Happiness Equation (2008, Adams Media), Positive Psychology: Theory, Research and Applications (2011, Open University Press), Well-Being Lessons for Secondary Schools (2012, Open University Press) and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Happiness (in press, Oxford University Press). She acted as the main consultant for and appeared in the BBC2 series The Happiness Formula (2006). Her other media work included Guardian, Times, Psychologies, Top Sante and Cosmopolitan articles and interviews, as well as radio and TV interviews for BBC 24, BBC London and other channels. She frequently addresses psychology and professional audiences at national and international conference
In addition to her academic work, Ilona is also interested in practical applications of positive psychology to business, education and one-to-one helping-by-talking practices. Dr Boniwell consults businesses and educational institutions around the globe as a Director of Positran, a boutique consultancy specialising in the applications of evidence-based methodologies to achieve lasting positive transformation. She has developed a comprehensive well-being curriculum for the Haberdasher’s Federation of Schools and has been funded by Newham PCT to develop and evaluate a resilience programme for secondary schools in the borough. Her other clients included Mars, Alpro Soya, MindGym and local and national governments. Currently, she is helping the Government of Bhutan to develop a framework for happiness-based public policy, at the request of the UN.}

Experience the Flow -Top of Thread

Till now,the only way I am familiar with stimulateing or circulateing the flow,intrinsic energy,prana,chi,life force ect.as there,s many names for it.Is to physically activate the circulation or flow of vital energy.Through subtle arm and leg movements,kind of like slow motion dancing.It,s a form of tai chi,and tai chi can best be describe as movement of the body,with a resistance like you were doing the movement under water.Even though it,s only air that is the resistance,by simulating the resistance as though you were in water,you in effect are creating prana,or chi energy simalarly when jogging or lifting weights your creating muscles, which is a different kind of stored energy.Without all the sweating and huffing and puffing.
In other words cardio exercise builds strength using real weight as resistance,and the pay off is you feel good, hopefully if you don,t over do it.Flow motion exercise or chi resistance, where you use resistance created by the mind,and body, also increases strengh and vitality.Also this latter form of exercise can adjust the individuals weight closer to what it should be.For example someone who,s overweight will gradually lose any excess weight,conversly someone who perhaps is underweight will without effort gain weight and gradually move towards there ideal weight in proportion with there height.Of course all this though true, is just food for thought,and of course there,s no one size fits all way to exercise.

In response to serenity lake’s post:
Thanks for sharing your experience with flow serenitylake(: Not only is this very nice how this exercise-type is currently assisting you…your explanation served as good visualization for this movement of the body. Thanks for the this self care lesson & mental reminder. Discussing & experiencing flow of energy …is fascinating. continued blessings, selfcare

YEARS AGO I TAPE PBS WHERE THIS WOMAN WAS TEACHING TAI CHI 20 DIFFERENT EXERCISES,VERY EASY AND COMPREHENSIBLE,WHICH IS WHAT PEAKED MY ENTHUSIASM, THE SIMPLE PART.ANYWAY I LEARNT ALL 20 IN A FEW WEEKS.FOR WHATEVER REASON I HAVEN,T MADE THIS PART OF MY DAILY LIFE.IF I HAD APPLIED 10-20 MINUTES A DAY FROM THEN (1994 OR SO)TILL NOW,WORDS CAN,T DESCRIBE THE PERFECT HEALTH I WOULD BE EXPERIENCING TODAY…BUT I DIDN,T,MAYBE CAUSE OF STUPIDITY OR FEAR OF SUCCESS (OPTIMUM PHYSICAL HEALTH)…KIND OF LIKE WHEN I TRIED TO SUGGEST SOMETHING TO A FAMILY MEMBER,HOW TO QUIT SMOKING FOR INSTANCE,WELL IN THIS CASE I WAS THE PROVERBIAL HORSE THAT COULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS WATER BUT DECLINED TO DRINK…I CAN STILL START NOW IF I CHOOSE TO,I THINK I WILL,I KNOW THE RESULTS WILL BE WORTH IT.

In response to SelfcareEnthusiast’s post:

Love this thread. So insightful and purposeful.
Exactly what I needed to read – as always Self-Care, you and I are right on the same page.
My new direction in life begins on Monday which will create what could be seen as an overwhelming amount to cram in one day….however its all about getting into the flow of it with purpose and direction.
The affirmations are so helpful here on this and I shall be using them to kickstart this new phase of life. I love the simple fact that in planning and visualising the outcome and building that momentum I can create a sense of urgency that will get the jobs done with minimal or no time wasting. Everything is acheiveable when you get prepared to enter that state of flow.

I feel I must be acheiving some sense of preparation for the ‘new flow’ as I would not have stumbled across this thread and read these inspirational posts on productivity and self care. So so soooo what I needed! Thank you and blessings as always to you.

In response to serenity lake’s post:
And if I may Serenity lake, I will take that line with me:
I CAN STILL START NOW IF I CHOOSE TO,I THINK I WILL,I KNOW THE RESULTS WILL BE WORTH IT.

Thanks mara that idea is within the realm of possibilities.
All I can say is that anything that was ever created started with the seed of thought…Wait a second that quote originated from me,maybe I,ll start with a book of quotes.

People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy. _{Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, 1990}

It is as if evolution has built a safety device in our nervous system that allows us to experience full happiness only when we are living at 100%—when we are fully using the physical and mental equipment we have been given _{Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi}

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will eventually attempt to spread info out to be more reader friendly