Yoga and The State of Flow for Mental Health
You might have heard a vinyasa yoga class referred to as a “flow class” but have you heard of the actual psychological state of flow? The state of flow occurs when we let go of our self-focused thoughts and become fully present with the activity we are performing. The state of flow can be achieved through many activities such as yoga, dance, sports, outdoor activities, music, writing and painting. The important thing for a state of flow is that the activity is intrinsically motivated, and requires an equal level of difficulty and skill that is higher than average in order to avoid boredom or anxiety. Research has shown that experiencing a state of flow contributes to an elevated mood, mental clarity and focus, increased self esteem and decreased anxiety, and reduced stress but how do you enter a state of flow on a regular basis?
The State of Flow
The state of flow is a theory proposed by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi which states that by completing an activity that challenges you to use a skill that you enjoy to its fullest potential you can enter a state of flow. Csikszentmihalyi described it as “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” In some of his research, his participants described the state of flow as a state where you are using your skills automatically without thought. This does not mean that you are unconscious of your actions, moreover you are so continuous of what you are doing in the moment that everything else fades away.
How to Enter a State of Flow
One of my favorite ways to enter a state of flow on a regular basis is through my yoga practice in vinyasa flow classes. In vinyasa yoga, you typically sync one breath to one movement, drawing your awareness away from your mental thoughts, and onto the actions performed in the present moment. Vinyasa classes also typically repeat movements throughout a class, allowing the body to move automatically without thought and enter a state of flow.
One example of this repeated movement is a vinyasa or chaturanga that is instructed in most vinyasa classes. This involves syncing one breath to one movement while going through a set sequence of poses. First, beginning in tadasana or mountain pose at the top of the mat, inhale to reach both arms up and over head, exhale to fold forward bringing the hands towards the floor. Inhale into a halfway lift, placing the hands on the shins and bringing the torso parallel to the floor, then exhale to plant the hands on the floor and step both feet to the back of the mat coming into plank either on your knees or with knees lifted. On your next inhale shift the shoulders past the wrists and keep the elbows hugged in towards the ribs as you exhale and slowly lower down onto your belly. Inhale and press the tops of your feet and hips down into the mat as you lift your hands and chest up off the mat. Exhale lower back down. Inhale lift up into all fours, then exhale, lift the knees and press the hips up and back to find downward facing dog. Take a few deep breaths here to reset before moving to a forward fold at the top of your mat to come back to tadasana.
