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The *Official* Flow Arts Thread

Migrated topic.
I use music -lots of it. If I'm in motion, chances are I'm following a beat of some sort. My most recent experience I'd relate to a state of flow was on a new kind of elliptical machine that allows for great range of motion and freedom of movement.

Once tuned into the rhythm, you move the machine, and the machine moves you -quite the symbiosis. When I can do that for a while, staying with the music and keeping my mind as quiet as possible, I reach a point where the body seems to be moving on its own, while the mind is still and just watching.

The sensation is very pleasant, but it also borders on fainting (with white lights if my eyes are closed), so I can never completely abandon myself to it.
 
If you snug yourself right up to that line between rapture and unconsciousness, you can settle in and begin to push it slowly. Be really careful, because I'd bet you will pass out in spectacular fashion if you cross that line or let yourself go into it. I've got scars to show for it, personally.

Keep pushing that limit and it'll open up little by little. Take what you can, give nothin' back! :thumb_up:
 
Could it be that an absence of flow in someone's life is a direct and necessary consequence of that individual's inability to harmonize himself with the surroundings? No magic involved, just plain lack of skill..
 
tango said:
Could it be that an absence of flow in someone's life is a direct and necessary consequence of that individual's inability to harmonize himself with the surroundings? No magic involved, just plain lack of skill..
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As a musician, I've always found that to be the case :lol:

For real though. It's sort of like the antithesis of our predicament, or the epitome... Depending on the point of view.
 
Tattvamasi said:
Finding flow is probably one of the most important aspects to living in the moment/finding yourself that I know of. The act of putting oneself in this stream, imo, is what lifes all about. When there is no "you + the external experience"....there is just "experience", for your not separate from the act. The veil drops between subject and object. There's just one pattern, one flow. The DMT experience has told me this time and time again.
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Great explanation, Tat!

I love spinning fire poi and getting into my "flow". I also have been flipping since I was younger, doing combinations (i.e. back handsprings to full back combos)... which also puts me in that "place" where you are in a state of complete oneness with you and the act, whatever that may be.

Another sport that takes me to that place is snowboarding. I went to Austria over NYE and was completely in that "zone" you speak of. I have been snowboarding for over 10 years and being in that state is so healthy IMO. When you have no fear of what you are doing, you slip into an almost meditative state, where you aren't thinking anymore, just being.

Lots of love to ya, Nathanial.Dread. Great thread :thumb_up:
 
Hopefully this isn't already a pre existing thread, and if its in the wrong area please move it. I just want to see who here on the nexus has a love for any flow arts, whether its Poi, staff, hoop, juggling, fire, led, etc. etc...

Bonus: Who uses flow as a channel and balance for life's energies or something to that extent, or simply how does flow positively impact your life?
 

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One thing that specifically poi has done for me is always being a way to ground myself if my experience is getting a little over whelming. Its such a fluid, yet complex way of manipulating an object that I always tell myself if I can still do this then things certainly aren't as bad as they seem :p Also things like the slackline, I like to challenge myself and do high lines because your entire focus is directed to keeping balance, and if you let that focus slip for one second youll be in serious jepordy (of course im only 3ft of the ground in the pic so that's a bad example).

To me its like an open eyed interactive form of meditation. I just find my one spot to focus on on the other end and clear out anything else in my mind that will keep my unfocused. When you push your body like that you begin to enter the "fight or flight" response, and youll either be scared stiff and fall, or you summon your hidden abilities and your senses are brought into a state of hyper-awareness and you use every ounce of mental streghth to stay focused, balanced, and safely walk across the line. Add psychedelics to the mix and you enter a very very interesting mental space of clarity and focus.

Its very interesting to note that a line as high in the pic at that length is rather easy and not a stressor because your so close to the ground. I can even do a few things like hoop, poi, or juggle at that height :p . But raise that line up just 3-4 more feet and its a whole other realm of focus is required, and you have to tune out every single possible thing to even have a chance at making two steps.
 
It comes up ever now and then ;)


I'm a big poi-lover myself, been doing it for four years now, although I also do some juggling and am trying to get into contact staff work.

There's definitely something about flow states that compliments both psychedelics and more general meditative introspection.

Is there anything in particular that you're working on? I just got to the point where I feel comfortable with my mills mess and am still working on turning with flowers.

Blessings
~ND
 
*Palm hits face* I remember that post now

I've been doing poi now for almost 8 years in, and in the last year I feel I have really found my flow in conjunction with LSD is a magical combination. It feels like I'm able to very easily separate the left and right hand brain functions, and individually focus and control each arm movement with little effort. In combination with music I feel like I've almost transcended and become one with the music and flow. I was self taught mostly so I've never been a big one on names of tricks, I'm going to look into this mills mess because I've never heard of it :p but if anything I like to perfect my breaks and tosses lately. I just shortened my fire set after years of being lazy and just spinning with the chain wrapped around my hands, ohhh the blisters, so now I'm working with a whole new style. unfortunately I removed the hyper loop ability by shortening it... which is one of my favorite moves :cry:

Recently at a festival a staff fell into my life literally, I did not steal it, someone just dropped it and in two days of it sitting out never claimed it. I kind of took that as this person didn't really have a connection with their flow item if it wasn't at their side at all times, and it was destiny to save the staff and bring its sacred flow energy into my life and give it the love it deserves. Im about four months into it and I LOVE IT!!! Im working on jesus rolls and matrixes at the moment. I instantly felt the connection when I began to understand the concept of contact, and now im stoked to have a new flow item in my life to learn and focus on.

I've also gotten into hooping in the last year, which I love just as much now as the staff and poi. I even made the huge $450 investment on a future hoop pro, and lets just say its one of the greatest light show investment EVER! :shock: It has a remote that has more options on it than a TV remote, and thousands(plural) of settings so you never see the same stuff twice.
 
I ended up getting some led poi 2 months ago and I absolutely love it. I've been watching some of the vids at playpoi.com which have really helped with specific moves but mostly I just mess around. Compared to sober, it was surprising how much easier it was to do with the help of cannabis or tryptamines and some music. Going out in the woods in the fall at night with headphones and a joint was such a beautiful experience. I hadn't expected it to be so grounding and rejuvinating, even in the days afterwords, and I still feel like I'm just learning the basics.

Such an excellent way to enter into a state of flow.
 
I've been a long-time fan of the products offered here: flowtoys :: world's favorite LED props for flow arts, juggling, festivals, performance & play

Personally, I'm terrible at poi -- even after years of trying. Instead I fell into other fire arts which do not require so much coordination. However, instead of removing the mind in flow I am able to use my mind wiring these fire arts and it takes me to a similar state of being.

To me fire is magical and a wonderful outlet for creativity.
 
I'm a lover of flowtoys.com as well :) I am still rocking the old school flowlights that came out even before the pod poi or any of that other stuff on there. WOW! I thought was looking at some totally different brand because there's so much new stuff now, I'm dying to get a pair of the podpoi with LED handles and USB charge. Trying to change batteries while at a party or festival and in an altered state is not my favorite thing to do. Its hilarious how a little LSD can turn changing a battery into a hybrid of rocket science and quantum physics :p
 
Three cheers for flowtoys, the pod poi are beautiful things.

You won't find the Mill's Mess in a collection of poi tricks, it's a 3-ball juggling pattern, but it's an awfully pretty one. For poi, I'm a big fan of the various hybrids that the tech folks have come up with. I don't know if you know Drex, but his sticky-hybrid stuff is a lot of fun to play with.

Also, you look sort of familiar, are you in any of the online Facebook flow groups? Or hit up any spin-jams in the Northeast?

a1pha: I'm curious, what fire arts do you do? I do a little fire eating/breathing, mostly at parties and things, and that's a great time, although not anything you'd want to do in any state other than stone-cold sobriety.
 
Nathanial.Dread said:
a1pha: I'm curious, what fire arts do you do? I do a little fire eating/breathing, mostly at parties and things, and that's a great time, although not anything you'd want to do in any state other than stone-cold sobriety.
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Pyrotechnics mostly. Like I said, my hand/eye coordination is terrible. I'm much better wiring!
 
Bdevall158 said:
Nathaniel:
im on unity of the hoopers and a contact staff page although I don't interact often, and never been northeast :oops:
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Ah well. If you ever find yourself with an itch to visit New England, Wildfire (which happens 3x a year) is a damn good time. The Weslyean winter fire arts festival is really good, as is Vassar's annual Circus convention.

We'd probably never get introduced to each other as Nexians, but it'd still be cool.

Blessings
~ND
 
A long overdue bump!

Pharmer said:
For me poi has opened up the magic in movement, tracer's of fire show the flow of the poi's movements and help to align my balance in many planes. Poi spinning is practicality of Tai-Chi theory and a good summery quote by Nick W "They are guides. They are teachers. They are like Yoda, only smaller and on strings."

With some help from our digital tools Poi can be made into wonderful art. Here is my favorite, trippy poi picture of me
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LOL, I love Nick's quote. I've been following his tutorials and learning so much. He's such a kind and skilled teacher.

Fantastic image btw pharmer 8)

If anyone hasn't tried poi yet I highly recommend some cannabis and having a go at it with some good music. It's been beyond words how it feels and I've only been at it a few months.

I think once science gets around to studying poi (and other flow arts) they are going to find physical/psychological/neural benefits like that of yoga and meditation.

Nick's website is incredibly helpful if you want to give it a whirl. You can even just throw a tennis ball or ball of rice in a long soc to start.
 
Been a poi spinner for about five years now, been doing fire for three. I'm definitely in the 'spin every day' category, and have done a few paid gigs here and there at garden parties and ren faires. Being a fire-eater/breather also helps draw a crowd ;)

If we're going to be talking about favorite subtypes of poi, contact/pendulum poi are where it's at. There's something about the elegance of the sphere on a string that's better even than LED or fire.

What are some things people are working on? I've been spending a lot of time with hybrids lately (I love that sticky look). Snakes are also fun.

Blessings
~ND

Also: we should have a dedicated flow arts thread, this topic keeps coming up
 
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