Mountain Bikers: Masters of Flow and… Meditation?
Ask most riders what “meditation” means and they might describe long-haired, cross-legged, humming hippies, sitting in a circle or floating on clouds. Maybe they’ll imagine lots of silence and stillness, but nothing that reflects their gnarly, adrenaline-fuelled lives. But here’s the truth, all mountain bikers are secretly master meditators. Take you, for example. Ever been on your bike and experienced that elusive phenomenon that we all call “flow”? If you have, then I put it to you that you are already a master of meditation. Not convinced? Let me prove it to you.
Let’s start with the “flow state”. Some people describe it as a border between consciousness and subconsciousness. Basically, you’re in a state of mind where things happen automatically. You’re locked into a singular focus, a hyperawareness, where the peripheral environment seems to disappear. Does that sound familiar? Perhaps you can relate to these 8 characteristics of flow state, as outlined by researcher and co-founder of the Positive Psychology School of Thought, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi:
Deep concentration on a task
Clear goals and immediate feedback
Balance between skills and challenge
The feeling of control
The experience is intrinsically rewarding
Effortlessness
An altered perception of time
Actions and awareness merge
I’m betting that you recognise these qualities from being on your bike. Perhaps when you’re ripping along dusty singletrack, shredding down a steep mountainside, or even cranking up a techy climb in granny gear. You’ve been there haven’t you, in the flow? But did you go home and think to your sweaty and satisfied self, “ahh, what a great meditation session”? I’m betting probably not.
Look at it this way, mindfulness is the quality of being present and fully engaged with whatever you are doing in the moment. It’s about being free from distraction or judgement and aware of your thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. Meditation is about training your mind to be more present. It’s doing things that actively create conditions that help us when we’re distracted and bring our attention back to the thing we’re focusing on. You can see where I’m going with this. A flow state combines these two concepts. So, flow state on your bike is just a very active, moving meditation.
But don’t just take my word for it - it’s backed up by science. Let me ask you this, have you ever wondered why all your problems seem answered after a long ride? That’s because you enter what’s known as “theta state”. Here, your brain is at its peak for creativity and intuition. Put simply, you figure stuff out.
We’re heading into the weeds a bit, but let’s unpack it a bit more. Scientists believe that different states of our consciousness respond with brain waves at certain frequencies. These waves include alpha, beta, theta, delta and gamma. I won’t confuse things with the ins and outs of each one - instead, let’s cut straight to the good stuff: Theta Baby! Theta waves most often occur when we’re sleeping. They are our gateway to learning, memory and intuition and, when we’re in this state, our senses are withdrawn from the outside world and we focus on signals from within. For this reason, theta waves are also dominant during meditation.
Still with me? Ok, let’s close the circle…
When you ride your bike your brain starts in beta state, it moves through alpha and eventually reaches theta. This can in part be due to connectivity with your breath. We’re not usually aware that we’re breathing in and out. Riding is an opportunity to connect with our breath (or wrestle with it as you blow up that climb!) and consciously controlling or slowing the breath helps you to move between alpha-beta-theta. When riding, you’re also more susceptible to the sort of hypnosis that is sometimes associated with meditation. You might be repetitively spinning your pedals, or your body is locked into a particular position. If you’re not locked into a physical attitude I can guarantee you’re probably locked into a mental one. In all of this, you’re on your bike and your senses are essentially withdrawn. You are completely in the now and at one with your bike. You reach that beautifully blissful theta state and your mind is in that particular groove that’s the reason you ride in the first place. That groove is what we call flow. That groove is what “they” call meditation.
So, go forth and ride your bike, Zen warrior.
Words: Rachel Clayton
