06/09/2026
SUNDAY REFLECTION ✨ What do we mean by Flow?
Flow has become one of the most familiar words in modern yoga. Vinyasa Flow, Slow Flow, Dynamic Flow, Hot Flow… but what are we actually describing?
In contemporary yoga, Flow often describes a practice where the teacher has freedom to create a sequence of movements, usually connected through breath.
Sometimes the influence of Ashtanga Vinyasa is clear: sun salutations, familiar transitions and sequences that build progressively. But Flow has also moved beyond this. It can be slow and quiet, exploratory or somatic; strong and athletic, soft and spacious — sometimes even feeling almost like a dance.
Perhaps this freedom is part of why Flow has become such a popular way to practise yoga.
But freedom and creativity don’t mean abandoning tradition.
A teacher may create a modern sequence while still drawing upon practices and ideas that have long been part of yoga: breath, attention, concentration, awareness and prana. The choreography may change, while other aspects of practice remain.
At Sol Centre, we think about Flow in several ways:
the flow of movement
the flow of breath
the flow of attention
the flow of energy
And perhaps attention is especially important.
A sequence can develop strength, mobility and flexibility, but it can also ask us to remain present: to notice where the mind goes, return to the breath and experience movement rather than simply perform it.
There is something bittersweet about the popularity of Flow. As yoga timetables have changed, some more clearly defined or traditional styles have become less visible. There is great value in preserving and experiencing those practices too.
But yoga continues to evolve through different teachers, students, places and times.
Perhaps the interesting question isn’t whether Flow is one particular thing, but:
What are we choosing to bring into the flow?
Movement can flow. Breath can flow. Prana can flow. Attention can flow.
And within that freedom, a teacher can respond to the people practising in front of them — while keeping intention, attention and connection at the heart of the practice. ✨
