106 • FLOWTherefore it is not unreasonable to regard Yoga as one of the
oldest and most systematic methods of producing the flow experience.
The details of how the experience is produced are unique to Yoga, as
they are unique to every other flow activity, from fly-fishing to racing a
Formula One car. As the product of cultural forces that occurred only
once in history, the way of Yoga bears the stamp of the time and place
in which it was created. Whether Yoga is a “better” way to foster optimal
experience than others cannot be decided on its own merits alone—one
must consider the opportunity costs involved in the practice, and com
pare them with alternative options. Is the control that Yoga makes
possible worth the investment of psychic energy that learning its disci
pline requires?
Another set of Eastern disciplines that have become popular re
cently in the West are the so-called “martial arts.” There are many
variations of these, and each year a new one seems to arrive. They
include judo, jujitsu, kung fu, karate, tae kwon do, aikido, T’ai Chi
ch’uan—all forms of unarmed combat that originated in China—and
kendo (fencing), kyudo (archery), and ninjutsu, which are more closely
associated with Japan.
These martial arts were influenced by Taoism and by Zen Bud
dhism, and thus they also emphasize consciousness-controlling skills.
Instead of focusing exclusively on physical performance, as Western
martial arts do, the Eastern variety is directed toward improving the
mental and spiritual state of the practitioner. The warrior strives to
reach the point where he can act with lightning speed against oppo
nents, without having to think or reason about the best defensive or
offensive moves to make. Those who can perform it well claim that
fighting becomes a joyous artistic performance, during which the every
day experience of duality between mind and body is transformed into
a harmonious one-pointedness of mind. Here again, it seems appropri
ate to think of the martial arts as a specific form of flow.
Flow through the Senses: The Joys of Seeing
It is easy to accept the fact that sports, sex, and even Yoga can be
enjoyable. But few people step beyond these physical activities to explore
the almost unlimited capacities of the other organs of the body, even
though any information that the nervous system can recognize lends
itself to rich and varied flow experiences.
Seeing, for instance, is most often used simply as a distant sensing