After quarantine I was eager to fill my days learning something completely new, so over the summer I started horseback riding. On the very first day, I experienced the flow state, a state of complete focus in an activity. Each time I was there, I was fully immersed in caring for my horse and learning how to ride that I would find myself calm and clear headed. Throughout my time there, I cultivated a foundation of relationships with other riders and among the horses. The barn will always be a safe place for me to return to if I ever need to ground myself and be reminded of the importance of exploring outside what I already know.
The flow state is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. Whenever I am at the barn horseback riding, I am so taken by how clear minded I become when in this state.
