What Is Flow?
Definition
Flow is an optimal state of consciousness in which we feel and perform at our best. We can begin to break flow down into “Six Characteristics” and “Four Stages”.
Characteristics Of Flow: Csikszentmihalyi’s Big Six”
Complete Concentration
Flow follows focus. In this case, deep focus. More specifically, complete concentration on a limited field of information. Engagement, enjoyment and total absorption in right here, right now. Attention locked on the task at hand.
The Merger Of Action And Awareness
This is the front edge of that “oceanic boundlessness,” that sense of oneness with everything. It means that sense of duality, that sense of being both an outside observer and an active participant in your life, melts away. Reward prediction errors approach zero.
This is what Taoist philosophers describe as “harmony”… of being swept away by the river of ultimate performance. Less poetically, it’s a heavy-duty task-specific focus with/ deadly-accurate, high-speed problem-solving.
The Vanishing Of Self
Sometimes experienced as a melding with the universe. Self-consciousness disappears along with self-judgement. The inner critic is silenced. The voice of doubt disappears—wholeness, completeness, oneness.
An Altered Sense Of Time
What researchers call “time dilation.” Either time slows down, giving us that bullet-time experience, or time speeds up, and five hours pass in what seems like five minutes. Past and future vanish, and we are plunged into an eternal present, which Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo, nicknamed “the deep now.”
Paradox Of Control
We have a powerful sense of control over the situation - often in a situation that is typically not (reasonably so) controllable. In this moment, we are captains of our own ship, masters of our destiny.
An Autotelic Experience
“Flow is what people feel when they enjoy what they are doing, when they don’t want to be doing anything else. What makes flow so intrinsically motivating? The evidence suggests a simple answer: in flow, the human organism is functioning at its fullest capacity. When this happens, the experience is its own reward.”
- Mihalyi Czikszentmihalyi, Godfather of Flow research
The Four Stages Of The Flow Cycle
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The introduction to Flow doesn’t “feel flowy”. It’s grindy, frustrating and full of effort.
This is the phase where things feel harder than they “should.” The brain is gathering information, testing different movement patterns, and trying to solve the task, which creates friction. It’s why learning a new lift often feels clunky at first — the reps are inconsistent, you’re thinking too much, and nothing feels automatic. That discomfort isn’t a sign something’s wrong; it’s simply the nervous system loading all the pieces it needs to improve.
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This is the stillness before the storm, the exhale before dropping in, or the big inhale before a max attempt.
After the system hits its limit in Struggle, performance won’t improve by pushing harder. Release is the shift where you let go of excess tension — physical and mental — so the brain can reorganise what it’s been trying to figure out. It’s the moment you step back from the bar, breathe, simplify your cues, and approach again with less pressure. That small reset changes the brain state, often making the very next attempt noticeably smoother.
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Enjoy the ride: be here now!
Flow is the payoff: the state where your attention narrows, the task feels clear, and your body and brain work together with far less effort. You’re still working, but the struggle disappears. It’s that set where timing, breath, and bar path suddenly line up and you move without overthinking — you’re fully in the task, and performance feels clean and efficient. Flow isn’t magic; it’s the brain finally getting to use what Struggle and Release prepared.
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Savour the moment. Enjoy the post-flow afterglow.
Once the high-output state passes, the nervous system needs a downshift to lock in what it just learned. Active Recovery is low-intensity, purposeful rest — not collapsing on the couch, but doing something gentle that tells the system it’s safe to integrate. After training, this might look like a few minutes of easy mobility, breathing work, or a short walk. You’re letting your brain stabilise the gains so the next cycle starts at a higher baseline. Take time to recover before heading back into the struggle phase.
Why this matters
When you can recognise where you are in the Flow Cycle, you stop fighting the natural ups and downs of performance. Struggle feels less frustrating, Release becomes a skill, Flow becomes more repeatable, and recovery becomes part of progress rather than an afterthought.
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Flow is more than an optimal state of consciousness—one where we feel our best and perform our best—it also appears to be the only practical answer to the question: What is the meaning of life? Flow is what makes life worth living".
— Steven Kotler, Author and Founder of Flow Research Collective