Prologue
In case you missed it, the Shift Starter Program Program begins here.
Starter Shift 2 (found below) has an introduction right here.
In today’s Shift, you’ll assess the current state of your Mind Garden before shifting into a focused state of mind called ‘flow.’
Mind Garden is your inner world, imagined as a living garden.
Flow is a state that people report when they are fully involved in an activity to the point of forgetting time and their surroundings except the activity itself.
Flow can correspond to a state of presence, but it also entails a sense of being focused and absorbed in your current activity — often for optimal performance.
I often Shift Into Flow to channel energy wherever I want to focus next during the day.
Hello, friend.
Let’s take an extra-long deep breath together and prepare to explore our Mind Gardens — in our inner worlds — and then shift into a ‘flow’ state.
Because this is a Starter Shift, we’ll move through each step slowly, in detail.
In future Shifts, you can shift into flow more quickly if you choose.
—
Let’s first assess your current ‘flow’ state by answering the following three questions.
Your answers should be provided on a scale from 1-10 where 1 is the worst score and 10 is the best.
Let’s do this together.
I suggest that you close your eyes and listen as I ask you the three questions.
Closing your eyes can enable access to brain power that would otherwise be used for processing sight.
It can help you more precisely sense how you feel at any moment.
So let’s close our eyes and listen to our inner worlds.
—
Take another long deep breath.
—
Focus 100% of your attention into the present moment.
—
Good.
Ready for question #1?
If feeling mentally scattered is a 1 and feeling completely clear-headed is a 10, how do you feel right now?
—
Your answer doesn’t need to be exact.
We’re just generally assessing the current state of your Mind Garden right now.
—
Got your answer?
Good.
Let’s keep going.
Question 2 —
On a scale of 1-10, how at peace versus stressed do you feel right now?
—
Take your time.
—
Got your answer?
OK.
One more question.
Question 3 —
On a scale of 1-10, how engaged versus disconnected do you feel right now?
—
Got it?
Okay, if you add up the three numbers from your three answers, what’s the total?
It should be somewhere between 3 and 30.
—
Got it?
Good.
Keep track of that number until you’re done shifting today.
Great start by the way!
Next, let’s shift into deep peace to prepare your shift into flow.
Notice how much your state changes as you shift into peace over the next two minutes.
—
Keep breathing deeply.
—
Get yourself as comfortable as you can.
—
Settle in.
Get even more comfortable.
—
Feel gravity settling your into your space.
—
Feel your weight against whatever you’re sitting on.
Relax.
—
Notice presence starting to emerge from your mind noise.
—
I’ll guide you through the 3 steps of a Presence Shift now — to prepare you to shift into a flow state by first shifting into peace and presence.
A Presence Shift is a great way to start any Shift.
In The Presence Shift Step 1, we set our intention to shift into a peaceful state of mind over the coming minutes.
So embody your intention to shift into an even more peaceful state.
—
Truly feel your intention inside you.
—
Good.
Step 2 — We listen to life and relax our bodies more.
Listen to life flowing out of silence with 100% of your attention.
—
Hear all those sounds you otherwise wouldn’t hear.
—
Listen.
—
Feel the sounds of life.
—
Feel silence flowing through the world and into you.
—
Feel life.
—
What do you hear and feel?
—
—
I hear gratitude welling up inside.
Gratitude bubbling up from reconnecting to the knowledge that I can find peace anytime I choose — and so can you.
—
Take another deep breath.
—
Nice.
Since we set our intention to drop into a flow state today, let’s keep going.
Step 3 of The Presence Shift is checking in on how present you feel right now.
Shift your attention from only listening to life, to also noticing what you hear and feel occurring inside you — in your inner world.
Notice how you feel as you listen to your body.
—
Allow any thoughts to slow down.
Release them.
Feel for the peace bubbling within you.
—
Sink into your peacefully relaxed body.
—
Feel the peace inside you.
—
Feel it?
—
Perfect.
All of us seek peace, and all of us can find it.
It’s what we just did.
We're sitting in a place of peace together, right now.
Now that we’ve shifted into peace with The Presence Shift, let’s keep going.
Remember that the living world inside your brain and body that you just shifted into peace is your Mind Garden.
So with your eyes closed, visualize your Mind Garden by seeing your inner world as a flowing garden.
—
You might envision a brand new garden that you’ve never seen before.
Or maybe you’ll see a beautiful garden that you’re familiar with.
—
If you’re not a visual person, just focus on feeling your Mind Garden.
This Shift Into Flow will still work for you.
—
See and feel the colors and textures and movements of your Mind Garden.
—
See a soft wind blowing.
Flowers opening and flowing.
—
Your garden is alive.
It’s spectacular.
You can almost smell it — your perfectly peaceful Mind Garden.
—
Let go of any remaining distractions.
—
Only peace is flowing through your Mind Garden right now.
Complete harmony.
Do you see it?
—
Do you feel it?
—
Perfect.
You’ve assessed your current state of flow, shifted into peace and observed your Mind Garden.
Once you’re at peace in your Mind Garden, you can shift your state wherever you choose.
So with your eyes still closed, let’s shift into flow.
—
Imagine yourself sitting in the very middle of your Mind Garden now.
Find a patch of grass, or place to place your favorite comfortable seat, at the exact center of your garden and settle into it.
Sit down there on the grass, or on your seat.
This seat at the center of your Mind Garden is your Shifting Seat.
—
Relax completely into the space of your inner world.
—
Can you see yourself sitting at peace in your Mind Garden?
—
Nice.
Say these words with me silently as you see yourself sitting in your Mind Garden—
Over the next few minutes, I’m going to shift from a peaceful state of mind into a peacefully focused state of mind.
—
Feel the intention to focus your mind settling inside of you.
—
Say it one more time…
Over the next few minutes, I’m going to shift from a peaceful state of mind into a peacefully focused state of mind.
—
Feel it.
—
Truly feel for that intention setting in your body.
—
Know that you are intending to shift your state into flow.
—
Know that it’s beginning to happen.
—
(Closed your eyes now if they’re open.)
Nice.
Now that we’ve set the intention to shift into flow, let’s see ourselves in flow inside our Mind Gardens.
Remember, a flow state can correspond to a state of presence, but entails a sense of being mentally focused too.
—
So stay relaxed, seated in your peaceful Mind Garden.
Intending to shift into flow.
—
What do you want (or need) to be engaged with for the next hour of your life?
It doesn’t matter if you’re working, or with your family, or getting ready for bed.
The question is, how do you want to spend the next hour of your life?
—
What will you dive into next today?
—
Got it?
—
What does being in flow with that experience look like?
Are you standing, or sitting, or lying down?
See it occurring inside your Mind Garden.
—
Picture yourself inside your Mind Garden fully absorbed in the next experience you want to engage with today.
Maybe you’re sitting alone.
Maybe you’re talking to someone.
Maybe you’re writing, or reading, or working out.
Whatever it is, see it in happening now in your Mind Garden.
—
Spend 10 more seconds observing yourself at the center of your Mind Garden, now fully engaging with that task you choose to be at flow with for the next hour.
—
Good.
Let’s amplify your immersion in flow by connecting to why coming into flow is so important to you right now.
—
Why do you want to be in flow today?
—
Do you want to feel and share your best?
Do you want to live your purpose?
Do you want to feel connected to your purpose?
(Maybe you just want to feel your best.)
—
Imagine being in flow with your vision, completely connected to your purpose for the next hour now.
—
Be fully present with this moment — with your intention to shift into flow.
—
Keep seeing yourself being fully involved in the flow of your chosen activity.
—
See yourself so immersed in the flow that you lose track of time and forget your surroundings.
—
You’re focused on nothing but the activity itself.
—
Feel flow happening inside you.
—
Can you notice how your Mind Garden is changing as you shift into flow?
—
See your entire Mind Garden in a state of flow now.
—
Perfect.
Strategically connecting to your intention, vision and motivation for being in flow cultivates your flow state.
Great job!
Your Mind Gardening has been shifting you into flow.
Let’s assess your flow state once more.
Rate the three flow state questions on a scale of 1-10. I’ll read each question in order again.
Close your eyes and answer each question with a number.
On a scale of 1-10, how scattered or clear are you?
—
On a scale of 1-10, how at peace or stressed are you?
—
On a scale of 1-10, how engaged or disconnected are you?
—
What’s your total Mind Garden flow score?
—
If your total went up, congratulations! Great work!
Your total can go up, but it also may stay the same, or even go down. When that happens, just complete the Shift again, or start another Shift from the beginning.
Being persistent is how you’ll improve your ability to shift your mind, and is especially important in the early days of your Shift Starter Program.
You can do this.
Great Mind Garden Shift Into Flow today!
Return to your intention to remain present and focused now — to flow for the rest of your day.
—
Do you feel it?
Are you ready to begin the next hour of your life in flow?
—
Have a great one.
I’ll talk to you soon.
Sean
Shift Recap
Nice Mind Garden Shift Into Flow today!
If your Mind Garden total went up, you shifted toward a flow state as intended.
Flow is a state that people report when they are fully involved in an activity to the point of forgetting time and their surroundings except the activity itself.
Flow can correspond to a state of presence, but it also entails a sense of being focused and absorbed in your current activity — often for optimal performance.
Brain science tells us that a variety of things likely shifted inside your brain and body as your state shifted…
Your physiology changed because of increased neural coherence.
Your connection to a sense of purpose increased.
Your thoughts became clearer and more organized.
Your fear was silenced.
Your mind became more focused.
The depth of your felt connection to the present moment increased.
Your flow state emerged.
Review Your Starter Program Progress
Your Starter Program intention is to learn to strategically shift your state of mind whenever you want.
Shifting into presence with The Presence Shift was the first step to learning how to shift your mind strategically.
When your intention is to shift into presence to feel at peace, stop there.
When your intention is to shift into a state of mind for some other purpose — like ‘flow’ — continue shifting after shifting into presence.
Assessing your Mind Garden and shifting into a ‘flow’ state was your second step to mastering strategically shifting your mind.
You can shift into flow to channel your creative energy anywhere, anytime you choose.
Congratulations! You’ve completed Starter Program Shift 2 of 4.
The Introduction to Starter Shift 3 is here.
You can Shift on iPhone or Android anytime.
