WHAT IS "FOCUS AND FLOW"?
Focus and Flow is a meditation-centered and culturally-adaptive stress management and well-being enhancement approach. The approach emerged as an effort to integrate what I have learned from my over 25 years of being a therapist, mentor, teacher, and scholar, as well as from my own life journey and its lessons. The primary goal of the approach is to move from being "stressed out" to "energized within".
Focus and Flow is a meditation-centered and culturally-adaptive stress management and well-being enhancement approach. The approach emerged as an effort to integrate what I have learned from my over 25 years of being a therapist, mentor, teacher, and scholar, as well as from my own life journey and its lessons. The primary goal of the approach is to move from being "stressed out" to "energized within".
The essence of “Focus and Flow” is captured by the saying
"Where your focus goes, your energy flows".
The core idea is also expressed beautifully in this quote on meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh:
“Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting.”
The "Focus and Flow" approach to enhancing well-being is about BOTH seeing (focus) and acting (flow). I have often shared the idea with my students that "seeing without acting is paralysis and acting without seeing is ignorant".
What is meant by “Focus”?
FOCUS is an active and engaged conscious awareness that involves both process and content. It is directed and open attention to "what is". It is an intentional, and integrated awareness of self, others, and situations that is grounded in wisdom and/or spiritual understanding.
What is meant by “Flow”?
FLOW is the culturally-syntonic engagement with life that emerges organically from the integrated consciousness associated with the practice of focusing.
FLOW is the culturally-syntonic engagement with life that emerges organically from the integrated consciousness associated with the practice of focusing.
The Bottom Line…
Focus and Flow can be thought of as a way of life that acknowledges and enhances the interconnectedness of our personal, relational, and collective well-being.
Focus and Flow is about learning to release and let go of the illusions, hype, and drama in order to see the truth of ourselves and our situation.
Focus and Flow is about increasing our conscious awareness by directing our attention in a purposeful way to both internal and external experience.
Focus and Flow strategies draw upon various meditative and contemplative strategies that reflect diverse cultural traditions of wisdom, spirituality, and healing.
Focus and Flow is about living a full and engaged life that turns our conscious awareness into action.
Focus and Flow is about utilizing the collective wisdom expressed through quotes, sacred passages, music, song lyrics, poetry, and proverbs to trigger the inner voice of our own wisdom and direct our attention and action.
Focus and Flow is multicultural, flexible, and individualized because the things we need to focus on and the path to finding our flow will vary from person to person and will always be related to our cultural and experiential diversity.
Focus and Flow is about living life in a way that is authentic, liberating, and empowering. Ultimately it is about achieving our highest individual and collective potential and optimizing the time we each are given on this earth.
Focus and Flow is multicultural, flexible, and individualized because the things we need to focus on and the path to finding our flow will vary from person to person and will always be related to our cultural and experiential diversity.
***Where is YOUR Focus?***
***How do YOU Flow?***
This website provides inspiration and general resources to support you in developing and maintaining a “Focus and Flow” way of life. You can learn more about our "FFIT" (Focus and Flow Interventions and Training) groups and the theory and research that informs them when we launch the FFIT Institute in 2014 (ffitinstitute.org).
I invite you to contact me if you are interested in individual or group consultations: drshellyharrell@focusandflow365.com.
I invite you to contact me if you are interested in individual or group consultations: drshellyharrell@focusandflow365.com.
