Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Ron Colman's avatar

Love this conversation. I have experienced this (rarely) both playing basketball and writing to someone close. It’s like a thoughtless state, when the mind, body and your *talent* (something above a physical capability) blend seamlessly and effortlessly. I’d call it a reverse ASMR, where you’re exuding the flow rather than absorbing it. Coolest feeling ever.

Expand full comment
Jennifer's avatar

I work in physical therapy and there are some days when the puzzle that the patient presents to me just seems to have all of the pieces line up perfectly and I know exactly what to do and exactly what to say and I feel like I’m just watching it happen because I would normally have to think about it more and kind of stumble a bit before I figured it out. It usually lasts all day and then the next day I’m disappointed to find that it isn’t there anymore. My therapist thinks it’s when my higher self is in control, meaning the part of you that is actually you -- not your anxiety not your depression not your whatever, but you--the actual driver of your body and your brain.

I really enjoy the feeling and I wish I knew how to make it happen. I know that if I work on my breathing and focus on the patient more than myself, it’s more likely to happen. The only other time it happens, sometimes, is when I’m writing. I’m 50, but when I was in the 12th grade, I had a poem due for a competition in English class. I was in typing class and I had not even started it. I just put a piece of paper into the typewriter and knocked it out in about 10 minutes, and I got first place in my state and second place in the country for my age group for this poem that I really didn’t think I put any deep effort into. It just kind of came out. I think that was flow.

If you ever figure out how to make it happen, please let me know!

Expand full comment
25 more comments...

No posts