Flow States: With Duncan Horst
Please note this Session will be Hosted by Steve Smith, with special guest Duncan Horst discussing "Flow."
You have probably heard of flow states, moments of peak performance where everything 'clicks' and you are 'in the zone.' It boosts performance in virtually every field, relationship, and connection. How does one enter a flow state, maintain it, and translate it into success in a given field? What does it feel like to enter into the flow state, and what are the steps to abiding there? How does the flow enter into your life, and how might more of it be deliberately cultivated?
The flow state is a state of absorption in one's chosen focus, resulting in higher performance, capacity, and connection to the present moment. It shares characteristics with deep states of meditative immersion, top athletes and musicians, and the intuitive leaps which give birth to new insights, movements, and creations. It is an incredibly valuable and desirable state of being, and can be deliberately cultivated and amplified between people for greater performance, enjoyment, and connection with life.
Flow is a moving target. It is bounded by the balance between difficulty of task and capacity of the practitioner - if you're too skilled for the challenge, you'll be bored. If the challenge is too strong for you, you'll be discouraged. And flow can also hack your brain - look at any casino, video game, or youtube algorithm - the state of flow can easily be addictive, so it's important to flow in the right direction towards the right goals.
During this talk, I will explain more about flow states, but it's better to 'flow, not tell.' There will be a brief practicum and a demonstration of freestyled poetry designed to induce a group state of flow. We will walk others through flow states and how they appear in their lives, and troubleshooting how to amplify flow to enhance the reality of everyone in the room. If you were present for my talks on alchemy, I will briefly discuss how flow is a natural evolution of these topics walked in the world. This is a hands-on member Monday intended to bring members closer to the topic at hand.
Reading and immersion:
This Wikipedia information is quite comprehensive and gives a good overview. I recommend reading all or most of it before the talk.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
A couple great examples of flow in action:
Improvisatory musicians Marc Rebillet and Harry Mack in some world-class flow state jamming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7dgAtJXALU
Roger Federer vs. Nadal, in an epic volley to show flow states in action, literally;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixFR_pONigk
One of rapper Black Thought's best freestyles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmQgSpV3fA
If you enjoy my rendering of the topic, I'm hosting a talk with Flow Consciousness Institute's Justing Faerman on the Stoa on August 3rd at 4pm EST.
https://www.flowconsciousnessinstitute.com/
See you there, and looking forward to flowing with you soon!
— Duncan Horst.