Loaded 22/03/10

Edited  22/03/10

The Learning And Thinking Process Is Enhanced When Both Side Of The Brain Participate In A Balanced Manner.
This Means Strengthening Your Less Dominate Hemisphere Of The Brain.

Brain's Hemisphere

 Modified Brain
Hemisphere Test

The term "flow" is used alot in sports as well as bowling. When athletes are in flow, their left and right brain hemispheres know their roles and control of performance switches smoothly between the two hemispheres as the competitive situation demands. The left brain helps to correct errors and develop strategy and the right brain executes those well learned skills automatically, and sometimes in new are creative ways.
A major problem in achieving "flow" is the left and right hemispheres compete rather than cooperate for control. Athletes may analyze when they should just be playing, and far less times athletes "just play" when they should be analyzing their performance.
One reason for this is society puts so much emphasis on the development of logic and reasoning causing the the left brain to become strong while the right brain weakens. Parents and coaches reward young athletes for being logical and analytical, not for daydreaming or playing creatively. By the time a young athlete finishes school the left brain is much stronger the the right brain and when there is a struggle for control of performance the left brain usually wins out and "flow" is destroyed.
What is even more unfortunate is when athletes are stressed, the left brain is even more domineering. When athletes enter competiton and want the right brain to control performance, the stress of the competiton increases the likelihood the the left brain will take command. The left brain, being the self-critical , judgmental self that it is, only causes the athlete to experinnce more stress, which further interferes with "flow"and performance by making it more difficult for the right brain to gain control.
Only by learning to control stress and by developing a stronger right brain through imagery is it likely that performance and "flow" can be improved.