Doing without doing, flow, & being in the zone

In psychology, being in the zone and flow are terms that are interchangeable and used everywhere from your favorite yoga class to motivational posts on social media. Some of us may be familiar with their close spiritual cousin, the Eastern concept ofWu Wei or doing without doing. Being in the zone or flow are defined as, completely focused motivation where all your emotions are channeled, positive, and aligned with the task in front of you.

When a person is deeply in the flow or in the zone, all attention is focused and without making a conscious decision all distractions are forgotten. Being highly focused makes you more skilled and (bonus points!) brings you a greater feeling of happiness.

Now back to our Eastern cousin, doing without doing. When we are in harmony and behave in a completely natural authentic way, in a way that does not involve excessive effort or struggle we are able to transform work into a meaningful joyful experience. This is doing without doing. This isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free-card in life where you don't have to put in hard work, it is working without anxiety or complication, going with the grain of things.

To practice doing without doing spend 5-10 minutes each day considering an intention or desire, where (or what) you want to be. Focus on what you really desire, feeling this positive emotion throughout your body and visualizing the steps towards getting or being there. You know you are ready to make this a reality when you feel no effort, or strain in taking the steps to make this desire happen. This is the essence of doing without doing.

If you are feeling foggy, stressed, or overwhelmed it is difficult to keep your focus and hold your intention. Finding time for a Reiki session can help to release the stress that is holding back your flow. Reiki can assist the effortless creativity and clear thinking that allows you to do without doing.