Hard work and finding "flow state"

“You do all the work, and then you’re just there. You’re just in and it just happens. And it’s magic.” --Actor Daniel Kaluuya on Mark Marron’s WTF Podcast

They say that beautiful dancers, those we love to watch move, make it look effortless. In a certain sense, is that because it becomes effortless? Of course, challenging choreography is challenging choreography -- even when dancers have rehearsed it to the point of performance-readiness. Yet does all of that hard work and time in rehearsal make it a different kind of difficult? Is there even a sort of transcendence that happens?

In that sense of transcendence, all of that work sort of melts away in the moment of performance; the body just knows what to do (broadly speaking, most dancers aren’t thinking “pique turn leap reach”, or whatever the choreography is, under stagelights). Psychologists call this “flow state,” when one is at the point of competence and comfort with a certain task that the mind can let go and just enjoy the ease at hand.

This state is a certain kind of magic -- a magic that results from getting to the place where mental chatter drops and the body and mind just knows. The dancer is just “in it and it just happens,” as Daniel Kaluuya simply yet elegantly puts it (describing his craft of acting, but which also applies to dance). And there’s no replacement for it. There’s no replacement for the work that gets one to that place. There’s no other way to gain the technical competence at which that mental chatter drops away, and all that’s present is the magic of reaching one’s potential.

Yoga philosophy calls this sort of dedicated, consistent work tapas. It’s a prerequisite for being able to do postures, breathwork, and meditation that lead to a state of bliss, a bliss resulting from leaving behind all of the mess and muck that blocks us from our truest, highest self. This is samadhi. One might call it flow state (as described), but there’s an even deeper aspect to it. It’s something people might rarely, or never, experience, in their entire lives.

In the modern context, one can find it by being so fully engrossed in a challenging yoga flow -- or sport, art form, or other hobby -- that the grocery list or issue at work they’re dealing with just melts away. What’s left without those ebbs and flows of the mind is the best of who you are and what you can do. We need to think, plan, strategize, and organize details at certain points in our lives. Yet accessing what is there without all of that is a magic that we deserve to experience from time to time.

So, that’s a lot -- what does it mean for you as a dancer? How can you put it into action to enhance your artistry? When you need some motivation to go to class, do that ballet barre in your room, do conditioning, or run through choreography, remember that it all leads to those magical moments when you can drop away all of the work and just enjoy being “in it.”

Yet, in another sense, can you find those moments of magic -- when you can drop away all of mental noise -- in the work itself, in class or rehearsal or even just doing that barre in your room? Through that, can the work become enough? What does that feel like, when you can access it? What happens in terms of your technique and artistry? And when you find that, can you just be in that blissful place and fully enjoy it?

Remember also that rest is an essential ingredient. We can’t access the best of us when we’re out of balance, and lack of rest can do that surprisingly quickly (I can say from personal experience). Additionally, with practice and intentionality, rest can be another place where the ebbs and flows of our minds can fade away -- to reveal the true and amazing people we really are.

As always, I share all of this with non-judgement and loving-kindness. I’d love to hear your thoughts -- comment below, DM me on social media (find the Mindful Movers handles on the website’s “Contact” page), or email mindfulmovers5678@gmail.com. Thank you and all my best!