That ability to focus can become the gateway to
even greater physical or athletic achievement highlighted by effortless,
graceful movement that is beautiful to watch or experience. Kinesiology, also known as human
kinetics, is the study of human movement, and it addresses
physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. The word comes from the Greek word kinesis
(movement). The graceful flow of the
human body can become a source of elation and joy for athletes and performers.
“You
are in an ecstatic state to such a point that you feel as though you almost
don’t exist,” says Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. Athletes can experience
these feelings when they perform at such a high level that they feel
invincible, when they seem to float through the competition, their bodies able
to do whatever they will them to do. It does not happen often, and when it
does, it is unforgettable. It tends to
accompany a state of mind characterized by a trance-like intense, yet seemingly
effortless and enjoyable, concentration of mental and physical effort. It can be accompanied by a feeling of joy. Csíkszentmihályi
calls it Flow. Others have described the
feeling as “being in the zone.”
from Threes,
Chapter 10, “Threes in Sports and Games”
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