A PATH TO REDISCOVERING PASSION, NATURE & BALANCE

In his transformative new book TaoTuning, Australian author Adrian Emery invites readers on a journey back to their roots, blending the ancient wisdom of Taoism with modern-day insights. Through a compelling mix of personal anecdotes, practical advice, and timeless philosophy, Emery challenges us to break free from the noise of everyday life, reconnect with nature, and rediscover our true passions. This excerpt from TaoTuning offers a glimpse into a guide that promises to inspire change, nurture the soul, and remind us of the power of living in harmony with the world around us.

The ‘flow’ has become the buzzword for the new approach to life. From elite sports to cutting-edge management consulting to personal life trainers, it is all about getting into the flow. But what is the flow and what does it mean to be in the flow? As with so many fads and cliches, it is easy to espouse the wisdom with a knowing nod of the head without really understanding what it all means. 

Moreover, if the flow is such an enhanced state of being and preferable place to be, how exactly do we get there and experience it more often, not just in rare moments of peak performance? 

I believe that flow is the natural state of our existence. It is not something rare and modern but is as old as humanity itself and is our natural birthright. It is, in essence, the ‘right’ or optimal way to live our lives. It is our original and correct state of being, which we have unfortunately lost as we evolved into modern-day 21st-century beings. 

Although the state of flow is a natural state of being human, it was only labelled and popularised as such by Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his seminal work entitled ‘Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience’ in 1990. In this work, Csikszentmihalyi described this state as one in which people experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. 

Csikszentmihalyi also explores the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance and teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness, unlock our potential, and greatly improve the quality of our lives. 

The key ingredients of flow are: doing something that you love or are truly passionate about; that necessitates acute awareness facilitated by a focused attention and serious concentration; presents a challenge in that we need to strive for and reach beyond our current personal standard; is attainable and not beyond our reach but requires concerted effort and leads to personal growth and expansion of consciousness. 

Csikszentmihalyi examined the relationship between life, consciousness, fulfillment and happiness. What is important to realise is that this text is based upon countless interviews and studies of many people in diverse countries and situations to determine if there was any correlation between the way we lived our lives and happiness. 

Coincidently, at the same time in my life, I was also experimenting with this state of flow exploring deeper states of consciousness in order to optimise my personal experience and overcome the limitations of the ego self. For me this state of flow is being on your path. Your path is the wave that carries you along. Experiencing flow is riding that wave just as any surfer rides the waves of the ocean. It is the Tao of your life. I call this the personal Tao. 

I discovered there is a unity or triad between destiny, fate and daily existence. There is an underlying fate that lends power to your life and if you successfully align outer human life and inner spiritual destiny, you ride the wave of your personal Tao. This is the essence of TaoTuning. It is being on your path, fulfilling your destiny and reaping the good fortune that accompanies a positive fate. It is a process of spiritual attunement, much like tuning a musical instrument or tuning a radio or television for clear reception. 

In numerous interviews in the book, people express this oneness with life, where they become one with the activity and the resident feeling of separation dissolves. The self merges with the other whether that other is the activity itself, the moment or a larger group of people. Quite often, it is all three. Participants of flow feel an expansion of their being beyond the imprisoned self of the ego. All concerns for the self, all worries, anxieties, fears and limitations disappear. The normal passage of time also disappears. 

Moreover, this optimal experience of oneness and joy can transcend the isolation of the self when this flow is experienced with others as in a choir, orchestra, team activity and so on. The self becomes transcendent, and one merges into a larger aspect of consciousness where the normal limited egoic self is no longer dominant. 

Over the years, this body of work has continued through many countries, universities, studies and so forth, validating this hypothesis of optimal experience whilst in flow. To be clear, this is not a religious or mystical experience but a fundamental and natural aspect of human consciousness. However, there are techniques and practices required to enter this state of flow. It requires focus, discipline and concentration. One must exclude all interfering distractions, doubts and linear thoughts to enter flow. One must also maintain vigilance whilst in the flow, lest one loses it. 

I call this falling off the wave. TaoTuning is an analysis of this state in detail. It is my contention that to be riding the wave of and aligned with your Tao, is a necessary prerequisite to entering what I call the zone of flow which is the space where you are more likely to experience flow, more readily and more often. 

In other words, TaoTuning is the work necessary to optimise your life. The state of flow is not just something we experience occasionally in extreme situations such as mountain climbing or elite sports. It is a space available to all of us and is the natural way to live our lives. We need to be spending the majority of our time in that zone rather than believing it is restricted to special and rare circumstances.

TaoTuning is published by Wisdom Press and is available on Amazon for $10.48