An Athlete Finds Flow by Going Beyond the Physical

Jared*, a 26 year old elite athlete, knew he needed to strengthen his ability to block out distractions and connect with flow in order to achieve the level of success he wanted.  I thought, who better than the 4-leggeds to help him practice getting into flow.  Upon entering the arena, Jared was immediately drawn to the large female donkey and before long the two were easily moving in sync.  However, as soon as Jared labeled where he was going as “winning a medal,” the donkey stopped moving and firmly planted her feet. Jared was confused. When I asked him what he was aware of thinking and feeling, Jared stated that he felt “confident” and that nothing had changed in his thoughts or energy. Yet, the donkey was clearly saying “Nope, you are not in flow and there is no way I’m walking with you!”

The biggest challenge for Jared was beginning to notice the subtle thoughts and shifts that were keeping him from achieving true flow and maximizing his performance.  In spite of his high level of skill, Jared was struggling with a subtle level of self-doubt.  As an athlete, he was used to hard work and he fully committed himself to breaking through the frustration of dealing with a “stubborn” donkey in order to connect with Flow.  As I helped Jared tune in more deeply to his physical and mental experience, he began to recognize the suppressed self-criticism that undermined his abilities. Every time there was the tiniest shift out of flow the donkey would halt. By the next session, Jared was increasingly able to stay in the present moment and move from Goal to Goal without losing his flow.

When I upped the ante by adding obstacles and distractions, Jared once again found himself struggling to move forward.  Then, just as he and his donkey seemed to be getting into a rhythm, a big horse came and blocked his way. As we explored the meaning of the horse, Jared became tearful. For the first time, I heard about his brother who had become paralyzed after a terrible accident. As we processed his emotions, Jared broke through an underlying layer of survivor’s guilt that had been holding him back. Magically, the horse came and touched his shoulder with his muzzle.  Just as Jared let out a deep breath and got ready to move forward again, the horse went around behind the donkey and energetically “jumpstarted” them into flow.

After couple more sessions, Jared in his donkey easily flowed together around the arena regardless of obstacles and distractions.  At the same time, Jared found he was able to connect with and stay in flow as he prepped for his races.  As described by Steven Kotler, “Flow is an optimal state of consciousness, when you feel and perform your best. It’s the moment of total absorption. Time speeds up or slows down like a freeze-frame effect. Mental and physical ability go through roof, and the brain takes in more information per second, processing it more deeply.” This is what Jared* was finally able to achieve once he was able to identify and release the blocks that had been holding him back.

*All names & identifying information have been changed