Let it Flow, Let it Flow, Let it Flow

On February 6th, 2010, I competed against myself in a 12 hour spinning class. Yes, twelve hours of continuous biking. The event was a fundraiser at a local fitness center for the American Cancer Society. In exchange for $10, anyone could participate in a one hour spin class, 12 classes were offered back to back starting at 7am and ending at 7pm. I used the event as way to push my limits and observe the state of “flow” or peak experience in the context of physical activity.

Spinning is a group exercise on stationary bikes, an instructor leads the class with music and choreography that mimics varying terrain, with hills, sprints, and overall interval training. It is an excellent workout, and certainly is one of those things that what you put into it, is what you get out of it. I have enjoyed and been challenged by spinning classes regularly over the past 3 years. I frequently feel a state of flow in these classes as well as in other activities, like playing soccer. It starts with body activity, but then the activity becomes something that is not about the body at all. It is a different state of mind.

Flow is something that most athletes have experienced, without really knowing what it is or the mechanics of it. More than a heightened sense of focus or concentration, flow is described as a state of experience, separate from states of waking or dreaming. It can be a spiritual experience that takes athletes to a “divine” place, beyond the body, beyond the sport. They feel great satisfaction and report happiness.

“Flow” is a concept written about by many authors, including Mihalyi Czikszentmihalyi.
In the context of sport or physical activity, many people describe flow as an experience in which they lose track of time, they feel one with others or their teammates, everything “clicks,” and they perform well almost without effort. There is little distraction, little sense of self, and complete immersion in the activity. Full attention is on the process of the current performance, not on analysis of technique or errors. Some athletes even report being able to see things happen before they actually do.

To bring flow states, it is suggested that athletes practice being in the moment, focusing attention on the present as much as possible. Mindfulness and meditation training outside of sport are very helpful. Being relaxed and alert, moderately challenged (not bored or totally outmatched), and prepared are elements of bringing flow. Athletes must perceive that they are good enough to meet the demands of the challenge, thinking positively. It is suggested that wanting to win, showing off, comparing self to others, or being angry toward opponents takes one out of flow.

A month prior to the “spin-a-thon,” I began to prepare physically and mentally. Imagery and goal setting are two powerful tools in psychological skills training for sport. I kept “leaning into” the images of what it might feel like to move constantly for 12 hours. I considered physical pain and fatigue. I kept focused on my goal: staying on the bike for the duration of the 12 hours. No bathroom breaks. As a way to create a spiritual purpose for the event, I dedicated my efforts to all those who need healing, cancer or otherwise. My efforts took on a much larger context than my own limits. I reminded myself of that often and told myself that whatever pain lie ahead, it could not compare to having cancer, and I could bear it. I focused on positive self talk, another powerful sport psych skill. All of these things prepared me to be receptive to the flow state.

The morning of, I awoke with great excitement and readiness. When I arrived at the fitness center, I set up my bike as usual. The sun did not rise yet, and we were in the dark morning. I went to the bathroom, one last time, and decided I’d have to be very sparing with water if I was going to make it the full 12 hours. I mounted my bike, tightened my footstraps and was off! I felt gratitude and happiness as I started out and got warmed up. Definitely in the flow. I was aware of a great sense of gratitude and satisfaction. I noticed my thoughts, they easily remained in the moment, enjoying the beginnings of the experience.

As the event progressed, I noticed my perceptions of time shifted more frequently and varied often. Sometimes 5 minutes felt very long, sometimes an hour felt very short. I was in flow when I noticed time felt short or when I wasn’t aware of time at all. I kept reminding myself to focus on the process, the immediate moment, rather than what I might be doing later, how it might feel to get off the bike, sitting on the couch, drinking a big glass of water, etc. The more I was able to settle into the present moment, the more I felt back in the flow. I joked around with friends on nearby bikes, I focused on the feelings of my body. I focused on the music, I was one with the music and the people in the classes (my “team”).

Comparing oneself to others usually breaks flow, and I did notice that when my mind wandered to the performance of those next to me I felt irritated. When I began to analyze the instructor, or didn’t like the music, I experienced irritations and breaks in flow. I constantly and gently kept bringing my attention back to my body, my process, my goal. Just this minute, stay on the bike, keep spinning. Just keep spinning.

Hour 10 was by far the most difficult, I felt a bit nauseous, and closed my eyes for longer stints of time. I used cue words to keep myself focused. I said, “fighter” to myself, and things like “I’m strong and healthy,” and “I can do this.” As I juggled these words and other thoughts that competed for my attention, I remembered that focusing just on my body might be more effective at this stage. So I did, and it seemed to help, back to flow, if fleeting. I became more and more present to the current experience, painful as it was.

With my preparedness, positive attitude, and my knowledge of the mechanics of controlling flow, I was able to direct it and maintain it for periods of time during the 12 hours. At the same time, it wasn’t something that was constant, it wasn’t “easy,” and it wasn’t something I really controlled. Rather, I allowed for it’s presence. All of my knowledge and preparation was a means of creating space for the possibility of flow. When it was present, paradoxically I wasn’t really thinking about it.

I did complete the 12 hours of spinning, no breaks, no getting off the bike, no stopping. I did experience flow a lot. I don’t know how many minutes, but I’d say at least half of the time. Maybe that’s an overestimate. Mostly, I felt very grateful for the experience and quite happy during the whole thing, despite the physical suffering. Flow seemed more consistently present at the beginning and at the end of the event. When I finally stepped off the bike, I felt a great sense of relief and accomplishment. I also felt like I was walking on water and my legs were made of jello. The physical effects went away shortly, but my feelings of confidence, satisfaction, and happiness with the accomplishment lasted for days. I felt more of everything. My experience became sharper and deeper. I enjoyed the process of the event immensely. I certainly enjoyed the aftereffects. It is possible that my contact with more sustained flow states over those 12 hours contributed to this heightened sense of well being

Sport and physical activity are gateways to flow states. A body activity leads to something that is not really about the body. Sport is a gateway to spiritual experiences that are beyond the language that we usually use when discussing sport.

Pushing limits and experiencing flow states is commonplace in sport and physical activity. I used a fundraising event, dedicated to healing, as a way to tap into a limit-pushing, flow-inducing experience. It had great effects. Flow is something I experience on a smaller scale everyday in usual fitness and sport activity. Exercisers and athletes generally recognize the power of their activity/sport experience in enhancing their fitness and well being. When they are knowledgeable about flow states and how to open more consistently to them, we can spin sport into the divine experience that it really is.


Resources

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. NY: Harper and Row.
Jackson, S. A., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in sports: The keys to optimal experiences and performances. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Sport Psychology on the Colbert Report!

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/263088/february-01-2010/sport-report---nicole-detling-miller---jessica-smith


Check out this link! Sport psychology is in the news, it's even on the Colbert Report! A brief interview with a sport psychology consultant to Olympic athletes describes the role very basically as a mental coach.