Finding “Flow” or Nim Tao is in the very least, elusive. Its like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the holy grail of movement, and yet it is a journey rather than a destination. Its an observation of being in an experience rather than achieving an end experience .
To give it description, is to just dip our toe into the vast pond of the experience that is awaiting.
Finding Flow
I find the path to flow is not unlike a sign wave or a musical note out of tune. We may become so focussed on awareness that we actually sail straight past the sweet spot. A bit like tuning an old radio set by dial and not being able to get the frequency quiet right. We dial it back and forth between focus and relaxation or like trying to grab a slippery fish, the harder we try the more elusive it is, we need just the right amount of relaxation, determination and focus.
Another analogy is that its like trying to stand atop a triangle, if you lean too far to one side you start to fall that way and then other, you cant quiet stay dead centre, balanced , relaxed and fully aware.
This is where I think visualisation is key. If we are visualising how difficult it is, then it will be difficult. If we are visualising how easy it is, then it will be easy. It will all depends on how convinced we are, if you believe in your on imagination during visualisation .
For instance, I can conceptualise the sweet spot and how easy it is to be distracted one way or another. This will create fear and doubt or I can just be at the sweet spot with no other possible consequences. Im just there in the experience. This is the paradigm shift.
My Conclusion
I think the path takes us to the first experience of fearing this mindful stillness, not getting it right so many times over and having that feeling that it is elusive to us, and almost impossible to find. But with training and continually being brave enough to push the limits of your imagination by “playing” with it , experimenting with visualisation, searching and exploring your feelings, you will slowly improve.
After a while we get to experience just milliseconds of the right feeling , and you’ll know it straight away without a doubt, and then its gone. Ive found just by observing that feeling, a bit like looking back at your footprints or looking at your shadow, we can remember the feeling ever so slightly. Each time we do this the feeling will become more and more memorable.
Then each time we wish to return, just remember the feeling. This a “state” of the human body, a “state of awareness” , it is a feeling. The feeling is of confidence, knowing, expansion, alertness, observation, neutral objective’s and awareness of body and surroundings…….the sweet spot.
– Keven Tate, Grade 5 Senior Student, Mindful Wing Chun – Hong Kong