Cultivating FLOW

High-performance coach CRAIG CAROLAN shares the Tao of Mike and positive psychology to help you reach maximum gratification on the trail.

- CRAIG CAROLAN

We summited the narrow, steep single track, legs burning, chests heaving, summoning up the last ounce of our energy to push us over the top. And then, as if by magic, a stunning vista unfolded before us.

A sight so beautiful that all the pain and effort we had experienced when climbing evaporated into thin air. The heady mix of gratitude and awe we experienced in that moment was tangible as time stood still, and we soaked in the majesty of our view.

Unfortunately, these stunning vistas are, for most of us, not available daily. The good news, however, is that the psychological equivalent is. We have all encountered those moments where we truly feel as if we are one with the trail. The colours around us come into sharp focus, yet at the very same time, we feel almost detached from any negative physical experience. We are bathed in a feeling of euphoria, being in the moment, whilst all our worries evaporate.

Looking back afterwards, we are left with a sense of yearning to return to that state, yet we can't exactly pinpoint what it was that draws us back there, let alone the moment we entered into the blissful state.

The good news is that this feeling is one we can achieve more often if we know the keys to unlocking this gift.

The Zen

For over 50 years, Mihalyi Cziksentmihalyi (his friends call him Mike...) has been exploring this phenomenon. Although he coined the term, Flow. Others may recognise it as being in the zone or the ideal performance state. It's that Zen-like state where we feel we are at our best, and which allows us to perform to our optimum.