Have you ever been so immersed in something that afterward you say to yourself “oh man, where did the time go?” and just like that a huge chunk of time has gone? Well, some experts believe that this is what renowned psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi referred to as a ‘state of flow’ - the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
“Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one...” (Csíkszentmihályi, 1990)
In his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990), he concluded that happiness is not a fixed state but can be developed as we learn to achieve flow in our lives. He also stated that the best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.
You can enter a state of flow in many different ways, through art, music, sports, yoga, and even meditation. Through all of these, you are becoming immersed in the activity to such a degree that you become ‘in the zone’ and you may find time will just 'pass you by’.
On Friday the 26th February 2021 there will be a special online event, hosted by Wild Wolf Movement and James Prosser, that will focus on the practice of yin and yoga Nidra accompanied by live music.
In this session, relaxation of body and mind will be the main focus. By immersing in the practice of yin and yoga Nidra, accompanied by a musical soundscape, we will hopefully access a calm state of mind through deep rest and meditation.
Soundscapes, the acoustic environment perceived by a human, can have such a profound effect on how you feel. They can be the accumulation of the natural world around you and tuning in to these can be a beautiful form of meditation. Creating soundscapes can be a delicate practice and are used in art installations, performances, and even film.
Taking influence from modern classical artists such as Ólafur Arnalds, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and Nils Frahm, the music will focus on a variety of elements that will follow the rhythm of the poses being practiced utilizing piano, guitar, percussion, synthesized ambient pads, and more.
The yin yoga element of the practice will concentrate on long-held poses to help relieve tension accumulated in the physical body while also helping us connect to ourselves mentally and emotionally on a deeper level.
Yoga nidra is a guided meditation practice that systematically relaxes your physical body and then your mind. One hour of yoga nidra is believed to be as restful as four hours of sleep! After this practice, you generally feel very mellow and relaxed, ready for bed. This will form the last third of the practice.
So if you need to unwind, relax and relieve some tension then why not come join us and hopefully find that state of flow.
The session will take place on Zoom and costs just £10 per device (we welcome shared viewing!).
Thanks and much love to all - J