Two weeks ago after work, I went for a mountain bike ride.  While crossing some tree roots, one of the roots flicked the front wheel out to the left causing me to land heavily on my right side, hurting my arm and shoulder.

Why I write about this is because of what was going on in my head.  I was thinking about a colleague who is very accident prone.  He is in a perpetual state of worry.  I was thinking that due to his constant worry he was never in the zone.

Bang I was on the ground!

Instead of focusing on the trail ahead and noticing the wet slippery roots, my mind was elsewhere.

I was not in the zone!

I was not in the flow!

The zone was a concept I first heard about when watching a documentary about big wave surfers. They spoke about how they would get into this “zone” where the only thing that existed was surfing the giant wave. Nothing else mattered. Nothing!

Anything but being in the zone could have dire consequences.

The idea of being in the zone applies to all sports but especially extreme sports and motor racing. I have watched off-road motorcycle races and as the race progressed the amateur riders would tire but the professional riders would just be in the flow. They would get into a rhythm, skimming across all the bumps, letting the bike do all the work and conserving their energy.

The same day of my fall was the mediation class I regularly attend. We discussed being in the flow but from a spiritual point of view.

This is being in a state of mindfulness and allowing the flow of manifestation.

Have you ever been in this situation? You have lost your car keys.  You just cannot find them! The more you look, the more frustrated you get! You begin to worry about being late and start to get frustrated. There are other things you need to do so you focus upon the task on hand. As you focus your mind clears and out of the blue there are the keys!

Could this not be a practical example of being in the flow?

Mindfulness  = The Zone

Being in the zone should not only be while pushing limits. We should always try being in the zone.

Life is the flow. Live in the zone!

Mark- The Alchemist’s Journey