For the Love of the Map

Quick Hit Sunday: Embracing the Flow State Magic

For the Love of the Map

Have you ever found yourself so engrossed in an activity that the world just melts away? 

Join our conversation as we reflect on how flow state can emerge in the most unexpected places, from the mundane to the momentous. We'll unravel the transformative effects of being 'in the zone' and how it's not merely about losing track of time, but about gaining insight and momentum in whatever we do. It's a journey through our personal experiences and a celebration of that elusive yet exhilarating state where focus sharpens and ideas flourish. Discover with us how to recognize flow, invite it into our daily endeavors, and fully embrace the magic it brings to our lives.

We would love to hear from you!

Speaker 1:

Hey Marla.

Speaker 2:

Hi Julia, it's Quick Hit Sunday.

Speaker 1:

Happy Quick Hit Sunday.

Speaker 2:

Happy Quick Hit Sunday. So today we're going to talk about flow, state Flow state. Sounds so crazy, doesn't it? Flow state what is flow state, flow state? Flow state is when you get in the zone, ooh so flow state is when you get in the zone. When you become fully immersed and the world around you disappears. Time stands still. Yeah, it sounds so scientific, right?

Speaker 1:

It sounds like something from like science fiction.

Speaker 2:

Well, it does, and I had never heard of this before. Supernatural People started talking about flow state and I had to sit down and be like do I do flow state? So when, when someone's asked what flow state is, before I give the answer of it's like you're driving in your car, you get in, you completely zone out and then you arrive at your destination like you're driving in your car, you get in, you completely zone out, and then you arrive at your destination and you're like how did I get here?

Speaker 2:

I mean you know you drove your car, but you're you freak out because you're like did I run every stoplight? Did I follow all the traffic rules? Did I? You have no clue what you did. Like you are supposed to be driving, operating a vehicle, and you have no idea how you got where you're supposed to be. That is flow state. So that's the only way that I can understand what flow state is for me, so I cannot relate to your car analogy.

Speaker 1:

I have never I've heard other people talk about that but. I have never gotten in the car and driven in a flow state, apparently, where it's like whoa, what's? Happening. Maybe I go, I maybe I have gotten into a flow state before supernatural oh, interesting, I haven't heard this before Several times.

Speaker 2:

Tell, tell, tell.

Speaker 1:

Several times. There are several activities that I do that allow me to get into a flow state where I lose all time. I'm so hyper-focused, I don't know what's going on around me in the world. I'm just me and whatever it is I'm doing. And like I'm just me and whatever it is I'm doing, and, um, like I'm not really even thinking, but I'm making so much progress or I come to new ideas. This is what I love about supernatural Cause this happens to me when I'm flowing all the time, I get the most creative thoughts in the headset just by not even really thinking about them, but I'm thinking about them. It's the coolest thing, and I know this. I do this to you. I leave you voice messages from the headset. I do this to lots of other friends, or my creative friends. Where we're putting on events in Supernatural. I'll have ideas like this is what we should do for this event, or blah, blah, blah, blah. And that's headset ideas, because I'm in a flow state, my brain just gets in this creative place and I just lose all time.

Speaker 1:

That happens to me when I paint, when I watercolor paint not always but a lot of times it's happened to me where I've sat down and it's been like nine o'clock in the morning and then all of a sudden I look at the clock again and it's four and I'm like what just happened?

Speaker 2:

Where did the time go? Where did?

Speaker 1:

it go. And it's because I'm in such a focused state, yeah, that all this magical stuff happens. I happen to do things, and flow state is a really awesome place to happen upon you know, and once you that that happens once for you. You're just kind of like searching for it all the time.

Speaker 2:

You know, it's kind of. I don't oftentimes go into flow state when I'm doing flow interesting um I, and I really think it's all your fault. I think it's because we're always looking and watching and dissecting what we're seeing in there, and I'll take responsibility. Well, we started doing that together in our workouts and obviously in a party workout.

Speaker 2:

You're not, I wouldn't say you're going to go in. I guess some people could go into a flow state. I mean then you would be completely ignoring your party, but I'm sure it happens. But I'm very focused when I'm in a party with the party people and sometimes I really am just hitting targets and stuff and have no idea, like I'm not even thinking about the target hitting, I'm thinking about the people and the conversation, and so I don't know, is that a flow? Is that some type of a flow state? Interesting, yeah, but I, when I'm by myself, I unless it's a workout that I've done over and over and over and I just know the choreography and I'm just in there for the feel-good time and or if I have something that I'm truly thinking about, that just whisks me away. I mean, sometimes you just don't have deep things that you're thinking about. My thoughts are always going and sometimes it'll just whisk me away somewhere, but I find I go into flow state more in boxing than flow which is really crazy yeah.

Speaker 1:

Do you think it is because you aren't analyzing the boxing choreography as much as you do? Flow?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, because really boxing is limited to the type of choreography that can be added. Boxing is limited to the type of choreography that can be added. I mean there's only so much the choreographer can do to bring to her target.

Speaker 1:

With jab jab uppercut. Yeah, exactly, yeah, I hear you. Yeah, I hear you.

Speaker 2:

I really think that's why it's not as complex, and so I'm not really. I have gotten out of a boxing song when it ended and was kind of like, okay, well, I hit all the targets, but I don't know, how did it get here? Just going through the motions almost is how I can explain it. And I don't really remember, I mean, unless I'm just really into the song, I don't know. It's just it's not constant for me, it's not always the same variable and I just know that this is going to happen.

Speaker 2:

It just sometimes will happen and sometimes it won't, and I told you of a time more recently where I kept myself from going into a flow state because, I wanted to focus on the choreography and what. I was doing because I was trying to get 100% and I did on that song, but I got mad at myself because my mind was wanting to drift into this different place. I was like, no, no, stay here, stay with the targets. And so sometimes maybe I don't go into flow state because I don't like myself.

Speaker 1:

I don't know. I think maybe you do. It's very interesting, I don't know. For me it's an unconscious decision to go into a flow state. If my brain is not relaxed and at peace with itself. It's much harder for me to go into a flow state Like I won't allow myself, like you wouldn't allow yourself that one day. I think part of it is you have to kind of just be at peace and go in there and allow yourself to go into a flow state, you have to kind of let go.

Speaker 1:

Yeah for sure. But I know a lot of athletes talk about going into a flow state while they're training state, while they're training runners, um soccer players I've heard say go into a flow state, which blows my mind because like, don't you have so much to focus on and quick decisions to make? But I guess once you go into a flow state, you're making subconscious decisions, which is what you want to do because they're faster.

Speaker 1:

So I don't know the benefits of flow. I've read a few papers on and just for me personally, the benefits is that's where I find like the magic starts to happen, like I'll be in a creative block and if I can get myself into a flow state I'm progressing.

Speaker 2:

Everything opens up.

Speaker 1:

Yes, everything opens up, so it would be interesting to hear how many other people are able to get into a flow state. And can you only do it with supernatural? Do you do it out of the headset? What's the deal? Are you driving from a to b like julia and have no idea how you got there?

Speaker 2:

where I was like here's're a psycho and I'm never riding in the car with you.

Speaker 1:

I'm never riding with you Like I'm worried now.

Speaker 2:

If you were in there, we would be blabbing, so I would not be going into flow state, but it's when I'm by myself and you, just I get into my thoughts so, and I can understand that, yeah, how that happens. And I think if, if you not you, but if our audience is doing Supernatural or Beat Saber, anything's I've heard you can get into it in the rhythm games. Right, if you're not achieving flow state, it could be that you just need to move up to that next intensity level, because the harder it is.

Speaker 2:

You know, you just aren't challenging your mind in the right. I don't know it's a very fascinating topic that I do think would would be great to open up discussion into our group about, into our our facebook community coach doc give us a lot of insight on this topic.

Speaker 1:

I feel like he would have a lot of knowledge and experience trying to achieve flow state or getting into flow state, because I believe meditation and flow state are very similar, so it'd be cool to talk to him about it.

Speaker 2:

Maybe one day I should meditate more.

Speaker 1:

I think you should meditate more. I definitely think you should meditate more. We should all meditate and make it a priority. I go through phases with it and always regret when I skip out on the practice of meditating.

Speaker 2:

Well, because it's there for us. It's there for us to take and use, and I do know that he writes those meditations every single one himself, and and that's there. So I do think that we should be utilizing it. I just need to get into that habit. It is a habit.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the workouts meditate, that's right.

Speaker 2:

Oh wow. Well, we, like I said, I definitely want to open this conversation up to our community and I think it would be very interesting to see who gets in a flow state, who doesn't. What makes you? Do you get into a driving flow state like me? Are you like Marla and you're just watching everything on the road and being a very good driver? I mean, it does sound terrible to be like hi, um, are you gonna take my license?

Speaker 2:

I do question they'll ask you at the dmv do you get in a flow state while you're driving? We're taking it away that's funny.

Speaker 1:

That is funny. Yeah, tell us your experience. What activities do you do that you find yourself in a flow state, in Supernatural or not?

Speaker 2:

we'd love to know. Anyway, well, thank you guys for listening in to us today. We appreciate you all and we hope that you guys have a great day. Bye, bye.