THE FLOW

Sure, we’ve all heard the phrase, “go with the flow”, and we might have a general idea of what that means, but has anyone ever stopped and asked themselves, “Just exactly what flow is that? Is it the flow of time, events, what? Is there a river nearby? When you think of flow, you think of movement in a constant direction. If we really stop to analyze it, we might realize that everything is in constant motion, even things that appear to the eye to be still or stationary. On a molecular level, everything vibrates at various frequencies as their atomic components operate like macro-universes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, what we perceive as our world; the universe, space, galaxies - planets, stars, black holes, quasars, supernovas - all go through an endless dance of birth, death, transformation, consumption and travel. All of this ceaseless activity, and yet when we look into the sky at night, we are rarely able to detect any motion at all. Everything seems calm, still and quiet. We get a sense of awe, beauty, peace and wonder. Only through the development of super-high powered telescopes have we come to be aware of just how much is actually going on out there. So what does this all have to do with going with the flow? Well, I propose that it might be safe to conclude that the same principle would apply to our perception of the world around us and how we relate to it. Our lives are a non-stop ride from birth to death. Time, as we know it, is a constantly running stream, moving forward unceasingly towards a point as infinite as forever. Yet, during our ever so brief stay on the planet, we are in a constant race against the clock. We measure our existence in days, weeks, months, and years. We insist on breaking time apart and subdividing it into the smallest increments in order to make it more manageable to us and to be able to use it as a tool with which we can manage our daily lives. Many strive to go about their affairs as efficiently as possible; not wanting to waste a single second not accomplishing whatever goal is in front of them. There are those who fight tooth and nail against the affects of aging, wanting to preserve the appearance of youth at all costs. Then, there is the type of personality that is content to take each moment as it comes and accept whatever circumstances that might arise. These people usually have a lower stress level and may be generally happier, although at the expense of finishing tasks or being places “on time”. When we try to go against the flow of natural time, it requires much more exertion, like trying to swim upstream. It can wear you down so much more quickly than if you were to just turn around and let the current carry you; the trade-off being that you would have to be satisfied to see where it takes you, rather than go where you had intended. People with a great amount of faith and a strong sense of adventure will usually take this route, and experience many exciting, life enriching things as a result even if sometimes an element of danger is involved.

   The practice of meditation is used to bring our natural inner rhythms into focus and synchronize our mental, physical and spiritual elements, which in turn, makes us aware of our synchronicity with the natural rhythms that go on around us at all times.

   Feng Shui is a Chinese philosophy that has come to light and put into practice in the U.S. in recent years. Its basic concept is that the way things in and around one’s living environment are arranged can be more or less conducive to a harmonious flow of energy, which can affect the mood, disposition, and productivity of the inhabitants. 

   Just as it is in the cosmos, there is unseen activity going on around us at all times. Like an electrical current, there are energies of various types bouncing around and streaking through on many levels that can only be detected or understood by the more sensitive among us. Some know how to “plug in” and use an energy flow like a surfer that waits for the right wave, and then catches it and rides it in. It’s all about synchronizing yourself with the rhythm of that particular frequency and then moving along with it.

    Music is one of the types of energies that is most commonly tapped into, translated and understood. A person can hear music in their head that seems to just materialize out of nowhere, and if they are fortunate enough to be able to capture it and translate it into tangible form, a song is born for the rest of the world to enjoy. Where was this music before it came to be? Maybe Bob Marley said it best when he said,”There’s a natural mystic flowing through the air. If you listen carefully you will hear.”

    It is my belief that there is an unceasing symphony of rhythm going on around us all the time; a never-ending pulse that emanates from the universe itself and reverberates in the air and earth and resonates with our own heartbeat. The drum is the most primal instrument for interpreting and reflecting the rhythms of nature, and when we hear that sound, it reconnects us to that which we forgot in the rush of our busy lives. We are reminded of something so basic and prenatal. I think this is why we so instinctively respond to the sound of the beating of a drum, to rhythm. Because, if you think about it; the first sound we ever hear, before we’re even born, is the sound of our Mothers’ heart beating, her blood flowing through her veins into ours, nourishing us, giving us life, her breathing in and out, and the rhythmic contractions that bear us out into the world. Once we leave the womb, that pulse still remains. The regular intervals with which the sun rises and sets, the tides that come in and go out, the changing of the seasons, the constant cycle of birth and death is like an ancient drum that continuously counts out the steady progression that we all move to. When we quiet our minds and slow our breathing, we slowly begin to come back in step with the rhythm of all life. It is like a river flowing, a river that carves through the existence of all things. When we connect with that and plug into that natural rhythm, we feel more in tune and relaxed. We realize in that moment the simplest of concepts: that we are all connected- all part of ONE thing. So, why not go with the flow?

Carlos Jones - January 2007