Sit Still, Please.
Awareness is one of the characteristics of flow. We talked about being fully aware of your surroundings when in flow. You are not a zombie but just the opposite. You are fully aware of what is going on and your environment.
How do you achieve this level of awareness? It can be difficult without practice, but it is fairly achievable over time. Many people in today’s environment walk around totally unawares in practically every conceivable way. The distractions of modern society seem to have made many people unaware of their surroundings. You see it in the way they drive and the way they talk and carry themselves in public places.
One tool that can be used to become more aware is meditation. Meditation teaches us to sit still. Mediation teaches us to sit still and empty our mind. It teaches us to concentrate on our breath or a mantra or a sound. Very few of us are capable of sitting still and doing nothing. We are easily bored. Meditation helps us with that.
A tacit awareness of our surroundings is one of the first steps towards achieving flow. However, it is not a prerequisite. It simply helps to be “still” before embarking on a project or work that requires your full attention.
If you are looking at starting a project and you are either procrastinating or are finding it difficult to start, sitting still, even if for a moment might help. Here are some quick steps to center yourself and become aware so that perhaps you can get into flow.
- Sit in a comfortable position. You can stand or lie down as well, but sitting seems to work best. Rest your hands in a comfortable position and take a deep breath. In through the nose and out through the mouth. You can do this several times if you feel you need it.
- Look at something on the wall or not too distant. A soft gaze, not a hard concentrated stare.
- Close your eyes, and breath again, this time concentrating on the breath as it goes in and comes out. Notice the cool air going in and the warmth of the breath as it leaves.
Do this over several breaths and you will have centered yourself, developed an awareness of your environment and give you some mental energy to undertake your task, this time with perhaps a little more level of concentration.
With a clear goal or objective, immediate feedback and your new found awareness you should be easing into a flow state and getting your project or task done in no time. Furthermore, you will enjoy doing it.
See you in flow!
This post was created with Typeshare
