Hello dear soul,
Welcome to today's session on flow state and on its impact on performance and creativity.
My name is Kiona and I will be your host for today's session on releasing creative flow for a productive workday.
Before we start I want to give you some insights on what the impact of flow state can be on performance and creativity.
It all started with the scientist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
He discovered that a state of mind where we are fully immersed in an activity,
Feeling energized and focused and where we feel in control is where the sweet spot lies.
Where you see it most prevalently is with athletes.
It's a sensation of I am here to run a sprint race for example or I am here to run a marathon.
That full immersion in the activity itself,
That's where flow state comes in.
They lose track of time,
Feel a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment from the activity that they are engaged in and you can physically see it happening.
Now for us,
When we go into work or when we start our workday at home for example,
If you're working from home or remotely,
We often just start the day with a cup of coffee and then we just check our emails and we get on with the tasks at hand and maybe have some internal and external meetings scheduled or maybe you're just taking the first few hours out of the day and you know maybe you already have sort of a routine.
You start your day with checking your emails and then you focus on okay what can I do to support my clients.
Then maybe you have a coffee with a colleague or whatever it may be and what we often see is that we just let ourselves be guided so much by okay well this is what my calendar looks like today,
This is what my schedule looks like today,
That we don't really focus on how can I make sure that the environment around me is set up fully and completely to support me in finishing this task that I have in front of me.
That's where flow state comes in.
So what we're gonna do today is focus your mind,
We're gonna focus your environment because that's also a huge factor of flow state and then I'm gonna take you through the guided meditation today that is gonna help you get into a mindset of flow that is gonna support you in finalizing today's tasks at hand.
Now feel free to just use this meditation every time you start a new task because I imagine that when you've had your lunch break it's very easy to get out of that state and not remember that it's gonna support you into finalizing your tasks more easily and more quickly.
So just do it again after a lunch break or every time you start a new task and then that should support you throughout the whole day.
Alright so get settled,
Find a comfortable place to sit,
Make sure that the environment that you've set or the environment that you're in supports you in feeling happy,
Feeling comfortable.
If you want,
Light some candles,
Maybe put some crystals down,
Maybe change the lighting a little bit,
Just depending on how you feel and what you feel that you need for today.
You will be the best judge of that so see what fits you best.
Then I want you to make sure that you already have the task that you are looking to complete at hand,
Already set it up,
Make sure that your chair is in the right position,
Make sure that your desk is at the right position as well and you have everything set up on your laptop or if you're not using your laptop you have everything set up to just hit the ground running.
And I want you to sit down quietly and get in a comfortable position and make sure that your feet are placed firmly on the ground as well.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through the mouth.
Start by closing your eyes and take another deep breath in.
One more deep breath in.
Feel your feet connecting with you to the floor and the earth and bring your attention to your third eye.
Keep focusing on your breath and let your mind settle down,
Settle in.
Now imagine that you find yourself in a wide open space in nature and this wide open space is surrounded by trees and you can see a hilltop far away and as you stand there you notice that there is a path that leads into the forest.
You hear birds chirping away as you walk onto the path into the forest.
You hear the rustling of leaves of the trees,
Beautiful trees that are taller than the eye can see and as you keep walking onto this path you see that there is a river.
This river flows gently and effortlessly and you see some leaves floating on this river that have fallen from those tall trees.
This river represents the flow state.
Now just visualize yourself stepping into the river.
You feel the water by your ankles,
Your knees,
Your thighs,
Your hips and as you step further into the river the water still at thigh height.
You feel yourself letting go of any resistance or tension in your body.
Allow yourself to be carried by the flow of the river trusting that it will take you where you need to go.
As you continue to flow feel a sense of ease and effortlessness in your body and mind.
Quiet your mind,
Find your focus,
Immerse yourself into this feeling in this optimal state of performance.
Letting the river guide you,
Trusting that it will lead you exactly where you need to go,
Knowing that you are supported by the universe.
Smile and as you let this river take you further you imagine yourself starting the task at hand,
Starting the activity that you've planned and you notice how focused you are,
How immersed you are in this feeling,
In this activity.
And as you see this picture in front of you,
You breathe in satisfaction and breathe out resistance.
Take it all in for a moment,
Keep smiling,
Breathe in peace and breathe out tension.
Feel that sense of accomplishment,
Breathe in joy and breathe out doubt.
Keep holding on to the feeling and the energy as you become present and aware,
As you become one with this visualization of you and you in the here and now.
And you become more present and aware of the current moment and you feel how the creative energy of the river flows through you.
Know that you always have access to this creative energy,
Guiding you through the day.
This is your state of flow.
Breathe in and breathe out and whenever you're ready open your eyes,
Bring your awareness back into the room and start your activity now.
