Yoga Inspirations from Paris 2024 Olympics

Non-Duality

I am so grateful to have spent a week in Paris in July 2024 and attended various events at the Paris 2024 Olympics. What an incredible honor and experience to be present at, and part of, such a world famous event.

I attended Rugby Sevens, Field Hockey, Canoe Slalom, Volleyball, Triathlon and Athletics. I saw GB (Great Britain) triathlete Alex Yee win the Triathlon Individual race. I watched all the Women's 100m Heats 13 rows from the front. I saw the women's semi-final and final in the Canoe Slalom and the medal ceremony. And more...

I witnessed amazing strength, focus, dedication, support and celebration amongst human beings.

Being surrounded by supporters from all over the world, waving their national flag, wearing their country branded t-shirts and hats, singing their national anthem and being proud to support their nation's athletes, was heart-warming and gave me a sense of true universal connection.

Individuals from all around the world came together with such sportsmanship and celebration. Although supporters were mostly cheering for their own country and team, there was an honoring of each other and truly a sense of collective camaraderie, celebratating not only the wins, but also the athleticism, dedication, physical and mental strength of these professional athletes. If a supporter's country was not involved in a specific event, they would support a different country or individual. It was so inspiring being part of this universal connection, support and unity amongst all 206 countires involved in the games.

I took a moment to contemplate how we, as humans navigating this life on this planet Earth, may draw on this energy of connection, unity and celebration and integrate these themes into our daily lives, as well as the interactions between countries, outside of the Olympic Games.

Having grown up in the UK and lived in Scotland and England for 25+ years, then lived in the USA for 20+ years, cultural divide is often something I contemplate. I feel like a foreigner in the USA, whilst I feel somewhat like a foreigner in my home country of Scotland.

Where am I really from? Can we perhaps all be from the planet Earth and all be connected in some way? How would this change our interactions with others if we were not so attached to the identity of where we are from?

In yoga there is a teaching called non-duality which means we are not separate from each other. We are all one. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, I felt this energy of non-duality and oneness as we were all there to support and celebrate each other and the amazing athletes. After all, the Olympic interlaced rings symbolizes the union of the 5 continents and the meeting of the athletes at the games. It is a symbol of union.

Did you know that the meaning of the word Yoga is Union? What a beautiful connection between the Olympic Games and Yoga!

Dharana

I am honored to have also witnessed first-hand the focus, commitment, dedication, physical and mental strength of the Olympic athletes.

It was such a great reminder that applying these practices and states to everything in life can help us to grow and reach our full potential, physically, mentally, spiritually. Whether it's an Olympic Gold medal or a state of inner peace and pure unconditional love we are attempting to achieve, we need focus, commitment, dedication and we must practice.

In yoga, the practice of Dharana translates to "a single point focus". We practice this by bringing our mind to a single point of focus, such as the breath, a mantra, a virtue such as love or peace, a spiritual being or object etc. When we do this, we relax the analytical mind and we cultivate such a deep sense of focus that no other thoughts come into our mind. This provides a sense of calm and clarity and from this place of quiet in our analytical mind, we access our inner intuition and wisdom and may have a deep experience of oneness or a knowing or truth may come into our consciousness.

The Olympic athletes also practice this single point focus, usually subconsiously, by focusing their mind in such a positive way on what they need to do in order to win. Their mental focus is so strong that no other thoughts interfere. They have no doubt and no fear. This mental focus is a huge contributor to what makes them so successful in their sport.

Dhyana

Our Body Flows motto "move, breathe, balance, flow" was also in full force in Paris, with these Olympic athletes practicing them all perfectly, and being completely in the flow state during their sport or race.

GB's Dina Asher-Smith was asked after the 100m, "what were you thinking during the race". She looked confused and answered "I had no thoughts. I just run". What a beautiful answer! She was so focused on the goal of running fast and winning the race that there were no thoughts in her mind. Athletes are well practiced at the single point focus of Dharana.

Taking Dharana to the next level, in yoga the state of Dhyana occurs naturally when there is a continuous focus, Dharana, or flow of energy towards an object with no other thoughts. This is referred to as the meditation state. This appears to be very similar to the state that Dina was in during her run, which is often referred to as the "flow state" or "in the zone".

The flow state is a term that was created by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a leader in the positive psychology movement. His book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" describes the flow state as a mental state in which a person is completely focused on a single task or activity. They could even be so immersed that they are not aware of the time passing or their surroundings. He says "People in a state of flow have higher levels of dopamine, which could explain why they might not notice that they are hungry or tired."

You can read more about the flow state in this interesting article.

How do you access this flow state, or Dhyana, of no thoughts? How do you feel and what can you achieve when you access this flow state?

Until I learned about yoga, meditation, and the flow state, I didn't realize that this flow state was uncommon. I feel very familiar with this state when I run, practice yoga and meditate. I was totally in the zone when I spent all day computer programming in my previous career. I find myself in this state when I'm learning something new, during creative or inspiring projects, and even when driving. I lose track of time. I forget to eat or just don't feel hungry all day. I'm completely absorbed and feel a sense of space or stillness in my mind. I have moments of deep knowings and inspirations that appear to come from beyond my mind. There is presence and peace. Everything feels effortless and whole. The Yoga Sutras have taught me to be able to describe this state in words, and to help me teach others how to practice and access this state.

If this is a state you are unfamiliar with, please don't worry or judge yourself. I invite you to practice Dharana, either during your meditation practice, a creative task, during a run if you are a runner, or any other task or activity where you feel completely absorbed and fully present.

As you practice and become more focused, you may find yourself in a beautiful and peaceful space.

If you'd like to learn more about these teachings of yoga we've discussed in this article, I recommend reading The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Yoga Sutras is both a theoretical and practical guide to practicing the teachings of yoga in daily life. I hope this will help you to move closer to the beautiful state of Dhyana.

Sending you much love on this magical journey as you continue to practice Non-Duality, Dharana and Dhyana towards your Olympic Gold medal, which could be inner peace or the flow state!

As you practice, remember not to be attached to the goal. Enjoy the journey. Apply mindfulness to your practice...and Go with the Flow!

---

If you have any questions or feedback on this article, feel free to contact us. We'd love to hear from you!

Author: Sally Mitchell, founder of Body Flows Yoga Retreats and E-RYT200 Yoga Teacher leads yoga retreats in stunning global locations. Based in beautiful Sonoma wine country, California, after 15 years in NYC and San Francisco, her approach as a leader and teacher is holistic, balanced and grounded. She enjoys studying and practicing Yoga and Buddhism, hiking and trail running in nature, traveling, writing and inspiring others to live a more spiritual and meaningful life.

Read more about Sally here.