Flow on your mat, flow through your life.

In positive psychology, flow refers to the feeling of being totally in the zone. It’s when you are so deeply involved in an activity of enjoyment and creativity that you lose track of time. Our #BeintheFlow blog series explores how real and inspiring people overcome adversity to find their flow. This week, Wanderlust yogi and athlete Chelsey Korusshares her journey. Read her story below.

I’m Chelsey Korus, a yogi, an acrobat and a dog mama to Lozen. I’ve been teaching yoga since I was 15, but it took me many years to truly find my state of flow. Something I had to overcome to get to where I am today is recognizing that a good portion of my life was spent very numb and asleep. I was living off these tiny little crumbs — morsels of life — that had fallen off other people’s table. I hadn’t tasted it for myself. I was living on secondhand accounts from preachers and teachers and books. It wasn’t until I had a thirst and hunger to go out and see things for myself, to ask myself, “What do you want? What do you love? What is calling to you? Where do you go next?”

I call that the Journey to Becoming Awake. That has been my battle cry ever since. I am not interested in spending another minute of my life asleep. I want to have eyes to see exactly where I am right now; to source from within.

I have been seeking “flow” for over half my life. In relationships, that means having people in my life with whom I have a good rhythm — I can truly be myself, speak authentically, don’t have to edit who I am.

I seek flow in my body with movement practices where one thing turns into the next thing and the next thing and the next — where I don’t know what’s coming next, yet somehow I do.

I even seek flow within myself — being able to play with my skill and challenge levels so in any particular situation where I’m out of my skill level and I feel anxiety, I don’t judge myself. Instead, I understand that’s what happens when the challenge is high and my skill is low. I can play with it. I can bring it back into my wheelhouse or I can recognize that this certain task is a little out of my league and give myself grace. Finding flow has been a life journey and it will continue to be. It’s how I look at the world.

Being in the flow means that I’m completely immersed in the now. I’m not thinking about what’s coming next. I’m not worried about what just happened. I’m here; I have eyes to see exactly where I am. There’s a sharpness to this state, a curiosity, a non-attachment to any particular outcome.

Most of all, being in the flow feels like me. It feels like my true, authentic self. This is why being in the flow state is so important. If I can be immersed in my moment, remove distractions, drop attachments to any particular outcome, and have gratitude for what’s happening in my life right now, then I will have eyes to see what it is my heart really wants — not what I think people want me to do or what I “should” do. If I can declare what I want for myself, then happiness is mine to have. I’m not waiting for someone else to come fill up my cup. I get to find happiness within my own self and celebrate my happiness with the people in my life.

Feeling inspired to find your flow? Sign up now for Chelsey’s 10-dayFlow With Intention challenge, which combines yoga, journaling, and meditation to help you access your most present self and to set intentions within this powerful state. The best part? Access is FREE from March 28 – April 6.