Being in the state of flow

To maximise efficacy of spiritual practices, it is important to be fully focused, but mind being the monkey is the biggest derailer. In the Bhagwad Gita chapter on Dhyan Yog, Krishn too says that it is difficult to restrain the mind, but it can be controlled by practice and getting immersed in it.

Hungarian-American positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls it a state of 'flow', or being in 'zone', a state wherein an individual is fully focused, absorbed and engrossed in an activity like an artist who pursues his task relentlessly. In Vedantic terminology, it is known to be in the state of 'Anandmaya Kosh'.

Getting into the flow, however, can be challenging as it does not work like an on-off switch but follows a complex psychological four-step cycle of struggle, release, flow and recovery, which is brain rewiring and memory consolidation phase. It is even more challenging to stay in the flow because there has to be a continuous state of 'Dynamic Equilibrium' between the skill and challenge required for execution.


'Being in the flow' was experienced by spiritual masters in the Himalayas. Blessed by the divine grace, these sages were able to unravel the basic goal of human existence, which is considered to be the 'secret of secrets', as elaborated by Krishn in the Bhagwad Gita.