Frictionless Flow
If there is only one seamless field of awareness experiencing itself in myriad forms, flow cannot be a mere psychological phenomenon. Flow reveals itself as the very nature of this unified reality in motion. Flow is the inherent dynamism of awareness expressing itself through its countless modalities, the perceptions that constitute our experience.
The ingrained sense of separation that often underlies our experience of the world, the “I” that acts and the “other” upon which it acts, are revealed as temporary configurations within the singular field of Being. Just as the ocean, in its fundamental nature, is singular and continuous, yet produces as an endless array of waves, so too is reality. Awareness, the very substance of our experience, is like the ocean, and our individual perceptions—sights, sounds, thoughts, emotions—are like waves. The waves are not entities separate from the ocean; waves are temporary expressions, dynamic modifications of the ocean's inherent fluidity. Similarly, the perception and the awareness of that perception are inseparable facets of the same unified event. There is no isolated perceiver standing apart from the perceived. There is only awareness recognizing its own ever-changing forms.
When we experience flow, we are, in essence, aligning with this inherent dynamism of reality, allowing awareness to move through us and as us without resistance.
The obstacles to flow from a nondual standpoint often arise from the persistent belief in a separate self. This perceived “I” attempts to control, to manipulate, to resist the natural unfolding of experience. The separate self creates friction, a sense of striving and effort, because it believes itself to be distinct from the very reality it is trying to navigate. This is akin to a particular eddy in the ocean trying to dictate the movement of the entire current, an inherently futile endeavor.
Conversely, when the sense of separation diminishes, when we recognize ourselves as integral expressions of the unified field, the need for forceful control subsides. We begin to move in harmony with the inherent intelligence and dynamism of Being. Our actions are not driven by a separate will struggling against the world, but rather by the natural unfolding of the unified field expressing itself through our particular body-mind. The musician becomes the music, the athlete becomes the movement, the writer becomes the words. The perceived boundary between actor and action dissolves into a seamless whole.
The joy and satisfaction derived from flow states are not merely personal achievements; they are the inherent delight of Being recognizing its own vibrant and interconnected nature.
Therefore, the pursuit of flow becomes less about mastering techniques and more about cultivating a deeper understanding of our true nature. It involves dismantling the illusion of separation through the awareness of our shared being, and allowing the inherent stillness, spaciousness and fullness of awareness to reveal itself, moment by moment.
As we naturally align with this effortless dynamism, flow becomes not a sought-after state, but the spontaneous expression of our unified reality in motion.