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MINDFULNESS – AN ACTIVITY LEADING TO THE EXPERIENCE OF FLOW

L. Lackova, T. Kimplova, C. P. Duenas

Abstract

The experience of flow has been known for a long time across all cultures of the world. It was not a privilege of rich elites from industrial countries. Similar terms have been used by old Korean women, adults from Thailand, teenagers from Tokyo, members of the Navajo tribe, farmers from the Italian Alps, and workers from Chicago. Happiness is not a result of coincidence; it is not something you can buy or achieve when you are in power. It does not depend on outside conditions. Happiness is a state for which one has to be prepared; it has to be cultivated. This essay focuses on mindfulness as a method and process leading to the experience of flow. The experience of flow improves quality of life. It is a sign of positive energy, bringing good results during activities that one performs. It is a guarantee of the experience of happiness and of better performance in various areas of life. Mindfulness is a pragmatic approach: it is not an esoteric tendency. Mindfulness can be practiced in many different contexts, in extraordinary situations as well as during regular, everyday activities. Failure to be mindful is often caused by a feeling of dissatisfaction with what one sees and feels at the given moment. The purpose of mindfulness is to accept each moment as it comes; pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad, and then to work with it, as it is, in the present moment.

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