| Once we have experienced the zone we want to | | | | time stops for a moment and you're in a place where |
| return. What does it take to be in the zone? It takes | | | | there is no beginning and no end. It's probably one of |
| discipline. loving what you do and the ability to let go. | | | | the truest forms of living in the moment that we have |
| Being is the zone is a gift but it also has to be earned. | | | | on this earthly plane -- before we go." |
| When you see someone doing something that looks | | | | Yoga is about union and balance. Many yoga poses |
| effortless, it is the result of hard work, focus and | | | | are difficult and take practice and skill to accomplish. |
| dedication. Being in the zone is the reward for all these | | | | But even a basic pose can be challenging when you |
| efforts. | | | | focus on it completely and use your breath to go |
| The observer can feel and easily see when someone | | | | deeply into the pose. We can experience being in the |
| else is in the zone. There is a sense of peace, a touch | | | | zone in yoga when your body and mind work together |
| of euphoria, a feeling of being relaxed and the | | | | to find balance and equanimity. No ego is involved. No |
| appearance of being connected with something | | | | matter what pose you are doing, it feels open and |
| beyond that individual. It is inspiring and exciting to | | | | free. Meditation can bring us the feeling of being in the |
| witness. | | | | zone. Sitting with a quiet mind is one of life's biggest |
| Many athletes experience being in the zone from time | | | | challenges. |
| to time. Surfers must have a keen sensitivity to the | | | | We can't predict or control when we will arrive "in the |
| power of the ocean. They need to connect with that | | | | zone". Once we become aware of it, it's gone. When |
| power to ride the wave. The smoothest rides happen | | | | we are in the zone we can lose our egos without |
| after years of practice building the proper muscles, | | | | feeling lost. But we find ourselves in a place where our |
| learning how to catch the swell and having a calm | | | | inner and outer worlds come together in seamless |
| mind. As Laird Hamilton, one of the surfing legends | | | | harmony. |
| describes it, "It's almost like the twilight zone where | | | | |