Why did we name our parkour gym 'The Flow Space'? At first glance, it’s not obvious—but the concept of flow is at the heart of everything we do here.
The Power of the Flow State: Unleashing Peak Performance
"The Flow State" often called "being in the zone" is a mental state of complete focus on the task at hand. Where the body and mind function in unison, effortlessly performing the activity without conscious control. A state of full immersion without the constant sound of their brain. This phenomenon has been studied by psychologists to understand how it can unlock human potential, enhancing both creativity and productivity.
Medical News Today defines key attributes that make entering The Flow State easier:
"Tasks that tend to encourage a state of flow often share similar characteristics. These tasks may be:
challenging, but not so much that they are impossible
rewarding, meaning that a person gets a sense of pleasure or purpose from doing it
in-depth, involving an investment of some time or energy to make progress
Some signs that a person is in a state of flow include:
Focus: It is not easy to distract people in flow from their task. They may not be thinking about anything else. If a person or event interrupts someone in flow, they may feel annoyed.
Lack of self-consciousness: Flow is associated with a decrease in “self-referential thinking,” which means that a person in this state is unlikely to be thinking about themselves, their performance, or how others might see them.
Enjoyment: People may enjoy the task, encouraging them to immerse themselves in it.
Persistence: Some evidence suggests that being in flow can offset the frustration of a difficult task, allowing people to keep going." (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/flow-state#characteristics)
The Transformative Power of Parkour: Finding Flow and Self-Worth
Our team has been coaching Parkour for a combined 20 years, and over this time we have seen Parkour be specifically special in creating a space for participants to enter Flow. Sport is often identified as a key place for people to find flow, however, we believe Parkour is unique in ways that allow total focus in the moment.
Parkour is an individual sport. You don't have to pull yourself out of the zone of focus to see the other people participating. It is just you and the challenge.
Parkour is a challenging sport that demands full attention from mind and body while simultaneously promoting problem solving skills.
When an athlete completes a challenge or sticks a jump, the feeling of self worth becomes tangible.
Often times in pursuit of a challenge the athlete will attempt it dozens of times without noticing how much effort they are putting in because it merely feels like playing.
We named our gym "The Flow Space" as a acknowledgment that we exist to provide a space for people to enter the Flow through the movement disciplines we offer. Everybody finds their flow in a different way. Some like the mental and physical challenge of performing large powerful movements showing power in control. While others prefer to show the artistic side of parkour, focussing on smooth movements and connections like an interactive dance with obstacles. This second style of Parkour is often described as "flow."
Embracing Flow: The Essence of Parkour Movement
Our name also makes an intentional nod to Flow as a style of Parkour. We encourage our students to design their movement in a way that allows them to "follow the flow" and keep momentum and rotation flowing as a stream gently winds through its environment. Interacting with spaces in a way that introduces new life to the mundane.
Every November our Head Coach, Coach Mike, runs a challenge specifically designed to train this style of Parkour. He calls it "Flowvember" the goal of this challenge is to create a flow style parkour line everyday for the month of November. This year we have made it into a contest. For Flowvember, we challenge you to post a new flow-style parkour line every day in November. With each post, you earn a dollar toward the Flowvember shirt—and if you complete all 30 days, the shirt is yours for free! If you want more information about this challenge watch this video here: Flowvember Challenge.
Join us in experiencing the joy of flow as we take on Flowvember together!
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