The Search for Stillness: How Meditation and Breathwork Help Find Focus

Have you ever experienced the bliss of being in a state of flow? Flow state, also known as being "in the zone," is a mental state of complete absorption in an activity, characterized by intense focus, a sense of effortless action, and a feeling of intrinsic enjoyment. It's a state where a person is fully immersed in what they are doing, energized, and focused on the task at hand. Finding the opportunity to get into a flow state seems increasingly more difficult in our technology-rich culture.

However, last month, I participated in a 5-day silent meditation retreat in CA to help me drop into a state of flow. This was my first time participating in something like this, and I was nervous going into it. Not so much out of an anxious attachment to my phone - I could throw that thing away and be fine - but more so because I found out that reading, writing, and listening to music were forbidden, in addition to the silence and lack of technology…. Wow, what did I sign up for? How was I going to occupy myself for 5 days of literal nothingness?

Approximately 100 people attended the retreat, and each was assigned chores for the duration of the event. Even during meals and doing your chores, everything was supposed to be done mindfully, with complete focus and concentration on exactly what you were doing. If intrusive thoughts came in, you could acknowledge them and then return to your breath and the task at hand. We spent roughly 15-16 hours each day in some form of sitting, walking, guided, or eating meditation. The only time we weren’t in mediation was when we were sleeping.

What I found during the first 24 hours was that I was extremely judgmental and annoyed with the people around me, which was odd because I wouldn’t typically categorize myself as a judgmental person. I found that my inner voice wasn’t just super judgmental outwardly, but that a lot of my outward judgment reflected my internal self-judgments. The answer to help resolve this, according to the retreat facilitators, was to offer yourself and others compassion, which was coincidentally a central theme from my last podcast with Hugh Vail. As I began to meet the judgments of my inner voice with compassion, the judgments began to fall away. After about 48 hours, I entered a state of complete flow, which I assume was deep theta wave meditation, and it sustained through the last couple of hours of the retreat.

Beyond being great for relaxation and a technology detox, I also found the heightened sense of focus and awareness I cultivated during the retreat to be incredibly profound. It’s hard to put into words, but it was truly special. It got me thinking about how critical it is to access flow states and focus in any context, whether it's military, first responder, business, personal relationships, or athletic competition. 50% of the time, we are not thinking about what we are doing…. That’s kind of crazy, but very believable in our distracted society.  Breathing is such a critical and necessary component to access flow. Dysfunctional breathing, characterized by shallow, rapid, or full chest breathing, can send signals to the brain that the body is stressed, leading to increased brain excitability, or, in layman’s terms, racing thoughts. Upwards of 80% of people have some form of dysfunctional breathing.  A significant part of the work Tenable Vibrations will be doing will involve helping to cultivate appropriate breathing mechanics through corporate workshops, retreats, and events. Next month, I will be hosting a webinar that combines theory with breathing exercises to help enhance focus and reduce stress. There are two dates and times available free of charge. You will have the option to donate, and if you choose to do so, 20% of all proceeds will be donated to support Big Brothers Big Sisters. Click Here to Register.

The benefits from the retreat were short-lived. I quickly dropped out of a flow state while multitasking and carelessly spilled a bit of water from my drink onto the person sitting next to me as the flight attendant passed it across the aisle, ha ha. Rather than beating myself up about the mistake, it became my first opportunity to offer myself compassion after the retreat 🙂

For the next episode of my podcast, I will be sitting down with Shawn Flot. Shawn is a physical therapist and master instructor of the Oxygen Advantage program. We will discuss functional breathing and the importance of breath training in helping individuals perform effectively at altitude.  The episode will air on Wednesday, September 3rd. For more content like this and to stay up to date with the latest podcasts and events, subscribe to my monthly newsletter -The Vibe!