Flow by Diana Cox

According to Turner’s book, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, they explain the concept of flow and what it is in reference to religious studies. Flow is defined in the book as the holistic sensation when we act in total involvement. It is a state where actions happen based on an internal logic, not on our conscious thoughts. There is no need for conscious involvement on our part, it just happens. It is where the matter of focus centers on all of the attention of a certain field. For some, flow means to give not just one hundred percent, but one hundred and ten percent. Examples of flow would be an athlete or a performer doing what they are trained to do without even thinking about. Their bodies are trained and react with what most people would call muscle memory. Being a viola player for several years, I have a greater understanding of this concept of flow. I have had experiences of playing and while reading the sheet music my fingers have automatically moved into place, without me thinking about. For musicians thinking too much about the placement of their hands will slow the process of creating music and will completely end the process of flow. Flow is part of everyday life, you probably do not even notice but everyone does some sort action that could be considered as flow.