Living in Flow State
September 2024
Awaken the Rivers Within You
Picture yourself standing on the edge of a river, the cool breeze brushing against your skin. You can hear the steady rush of water as it tumbles over rocks, its powerful, untamed energy coursing through you, almost like a heartbeat.
In yogic wisdom, rivers symbolise profound aspects of our inner journey. Just as every biochemical reaction in our body relies on water, the rivers of life represent the way intelligence flows through us. Each neuron firing, every thought, emotion, and sensation is carried by the flow of water within.
This page aims to take you on a journey to experience the wisdom and wonder of your own inner rivers:
- Yogic wisdom on the great rivers within
- The Dru Flow State quiz to help you strengthen your Ida & Pingala nadis to achieve the delight of "flow state"
- Questions and thoughts for your classes, clients or friends
- A beautiful Meditation on Water to guide you into the flow of your life
You, Yogic Wisdom, and the Great Rivers within You
On a pranic level, the flow of a river is not just a physical phenomenon but a spiritual conductor, carrying away parts of our consciousness that no longer serve us, leaving us purified and clear.
Many spiritual practices involve casting away unhelpful thoughts into a river, often through the symbolic offering of flower petals, seeds, or even water itself.
A powerful practice is to stand by a river, lift some water into your palm, infuse it with love and the intention to release something, and then offer it back to the river. This simple act can be deeply transformative.
Rivers also offer a profound metaphor for our flowing journey toward higher consciousness.
In yogic philosophy, this flow is represented by the nadis—the channels through which prana, or life force, flows. The three greatest nadis are Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna.
Ida rises along the ‘left’ side of the spine, representing our introspective, nurturing, and feminine qualities—our inner creation and parasympathetic nervous system. Ida is symbolised by the sacred river Ganga, with her unstoppable flow of consciousness and her purifying, nourishing essence.
Pingala, on the other hand, flows up the ‘right’ side of the spine, embodying our expressive, joyful, and active qualities—the part of us that brings love and light into the world. This nadi is associated with the Yamuna river, which symbolises the flow of love (prem) that connects us with the world around us.
Encountering the Ganga or Yamuna in India is not just a physical experience; it is an encounter with forces that are intensely purifying and offer a pathway to transcendence.
When Ida and Pingala, these two great rivers of awareness, come into perfect resonance within us, the conditions are set for Saraswati—the river of wisdom—to be induced upward from our base consciousness to the divine.
This is why in meditation, when relaxation is balanced with activation, transcendence arises. We begin to resonate with a part of ourselves that is complete, fulfilled, and blazing with the light of a thousand suns.
Dru Flow State Quiz
Would you like to bring more balance and flow into your life?
Take this short flow state quiz to explore your Ida and Pingala nadis—the two vital energy channels that govern your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
By understanding these powerful forces within you, you can learn how to harmonise your energies, improve your focus, and cultivate a sense of calm and clarity. Dive in now and discover how you can unlock a more balanced, flowing state of being.
Water Meditation
We hope you enjoy this beautiful meditation from the Dru Meditation DVD, designed to guide you into an effortless flow in your life, and eventually merge into ocean... of stillness.
Questions and Reflections for teachers and students
Here are a few thought starters and reflection questions on the significance of rivers and flow.
- Reflect on your inner rivers: How do you feel the flow of Ida and Pingala energies in your body during practice? Notice which poses or breathing techniques help you connect with the nurturing, introspective qualities of Ida versus the expressive, active qualities of Pingala. How can you use this awareness to create more balance in your daily life?
- Observing the ritual of rivers: Consider the symbolic act of releasing unhelpful thoughts or emotions into a river. How could you create a personal ritual or practice that mirrors this release in your own life? What would you choose to let go of, and how might this act of release support your journey toward greater clarity and peace?
- Observing the natural flow: Think about a time when you have felt 'in flow'—a state where action felt effortless, and you were completely aligned with the moment. What were the conditions that allowed this state to arise? How can you cultivate similar conditions in your daily life to experience more moments of effortless alignment?
Be like a rock in the middle of the river, let all of the water flow around and past you.
Zen proverb.
Thank you for sharing. Very very interesting.
This has made me think. It struck me as odd because I have never thought of myself as something as static as a rock. My metaphor for many years has been that I am of the river – a temporary eddy /pattern f energy that is part of the greater flow/pattern.