June 11, 2021

The Knowledge Project #103 – Loch Kelly: Effortless Mindfulness

Consciousness is understanding that you are “you are not your thoughts”.
Two different types of flow systems:
- Absorbed Flow State: Being so interested in a task, you lose all concept of time and surroundings.
- Panoramic Flow State: Optimal functioning of complex tasks without thinking while being extremely connected
The Ego’s function is to manage your own internal operating system. It is built on thoughts, feelings, sensations, and views to form perspective
While effortless mindfulness is learnable and teachable, the concepts still remain inexplicable. The best we can do is to look inward and create perspective around interconnectivity.
- Retraining your brain to think without a specific subject-object mindset is hard.
Mindset shifts can happen because of how you identify, what you know, or what you perceive
Big ‘H’ happiness which arises from unconditional love is more sustainable than small ‘h’ happiness which arises from finding pleasure or satisfaction.

Loch Kelly (@LochKelly1) is a Psychotherapist, Author, Meditation Teacher and founder of the Open-Hearted Awareness Institute
Host: Shane Parrish (@ShaneAParrish)

Effortless Mindfulness is closely related to flow consciousness or being in the zone.
Loch’s first experience derived from hearing a Hockey announcer say a player had “eyes in the back of their head”.
- He tested this theory on the rink, expanding and recognizing his peripheral vision, he was able to expand his consciousness to enter the zone, feeling much more capable and a greater sense of enjoyment in the task.
Early career book referral: Zen and the Art of Archery
- You and the target are connected, this is where he found this niche audience looking for expanded knowledge of the human experience.

What is Consciousness?
- Different types of awareness: attention vs mindfulness, understanding that “you are not your thoughts”.
Absorbed Flow State: Being so interested in a task, you lose all concept of time and surroundings.
Panoramic Flow State: Optimal functioning of complex tasks without thinking while being extremely connected with your surroundings, in a euphoric state.
Can anyone enter a flow state?
- Yes, it can be achieved with a proper relationship with our own operating system and ego.
- Unhooking: Technique used to enter flow and effortless mindfulness. Step back to a “different center” and be aware of thoughts coming and going. Realign your “center” to your “heart-center” to be aware of the space and be aware of the space. Different techniques, or “doors”, are used to continue according to different learning styles.

The whole idea of any awakening or enlightenment is to relieve suffering.
What is Ego?
- A function of managing your own internal operating system. It is built on thoughts, feelings, sensations, and views to form perspective
- It should not be killed, but rather, optimized.
- Small egos limit happiness as you will always be contrasting against your life. Inversely, large egos limit the awareness of perspective.

Do not focus on the symptom but rather who or what it is rising towards.
Identify the source of the anxiety whether it be internal or external and fight it with intelligence.
- “Effortful brain debugging” -Shane Perrish
- Be a mindful witness to your own situation, don’t detach your feelings from the cause.

Shift in Identity: shift from small-self, to no self, to true nature operating system.
Shift in Knowing: shift from thought-based knowing to not-knowing, to not-knowing and knowing you don’t know.
Shift in perception: shifting from attention to perception.

Thinker: The everyday, ego-centered, small-self mind.
Mindful Witness: Subtle mind, dropping out of everyday mind into body-based operation (e.g., yoga, chanting, exercise, etc.). This is where most people get to and it is the hardest hurdle to jump.
Awake Awareness: Very subtle mind, nature-centric mind. Does not deny thought but is flow consciousness. Contentless and timeless.
Simultaneous mind: There is no such thing as an independent existence, everything is connected. E.g., a flower relies upon on the sun and rain to live interconnectedly.
Open-Hearted Awareness: Ture nature, your flow becomes your center. Non-reactive. There is something bigger in the world that inspires empathy and beauty.

Small ‘h’ Happiness: Attempt to find pleasure or satisfaction, can be good but addicting. Not sustainable on its own.
Love is unconditional, it is not something that can be ‘gotten’. Relative to the large ‘H’ happiness that are consistent modes of love and happiness.

[Notes By Drew Waterstreet]

mindfulness
Notes By Mr. Podcast Notes