The Zone

Many basketball players like to talk about being in the zone -- a place where everything falls into place, and the players are able to play effortlessly.

The zone does not only exist on the basketball court.  It can happen during all kinds of activities, including Aikido.

At the dojo New Year party, Aikido students shared their personal experiences of being "in the zone"  "When it happens, it feels so great.  It is as if you are in a trance . . ." a student exclaimed.

True.  It does feel great when it happens.  The problem for most people is, however, when you are not in the zone, you desperately want to be in the zone.  You actively seek the zone, but the damn zone is no where to be found.  And then when you are just practicing without paying much attention, suddenly, you realize everything is going so smoothly although you don't have to try very hard.  

"OMG!  Is this the zone?  Am I in the zone??  I am in the zone!"  Because of this momentary mental disconnect from your body and what you are doing, this amazing trance expires instantaneously.  All the good, enjoyable feelings that you yearn for vanish into thin air.

Pastor Stephen illustrates the point using the four stages of learning:

1/ unconscious incompetence,

2/ conscious incompetence,

3/ conscious competence, and

4/ unconscious competence

The zone is very much just a shorthand for the fourth stage of learning.

"So where is the zone?  How can I find the zone?  I want to be able to do things effortlessly."  a student said.

Believe it or not, you have always been in the zone.  It is just that you have not tuned out the noises that deafen you.  You are too wired up to know what to feel.  When you can weed out all these distractions, you will be able to see and hear properly.  Look no further: the zone has been right here in your heart all along.