What Comes After Awakening? Loch Kelly on Flow States

Evelyn Reed · 2026-09-15

### Beyond the First Glimpse Have you ever felt a moment of pure clarity—where the noise in your head just stops? Maybe it lasted a second, maybe a minute. That's often called "waking up." But what happens next? That's the question host Michael Taft explores with meditation teacher Loch Kelly in a conversation that goes far beyond beginner basics. ### Waking Up vs. Waking With Loch Kelly draws a clear line between two experiences. "Waking up" is that initial recognition of openness, stillness, and the absence of a separate self. It's like stepping out of a cramped room into fresh air. But then there's "waking with"—where everything you see, hear, and feel is inseparable from that awake awareness. He calls it "one taste." Imagine tasting your morning coffee and realizing the taste, the cup, and you are all part of the same seamless moment. That's the shift. ### Flow States: The Everyday Gateway Flow states aren't just for athletes or artists. They're moments when you're so absorbed in what you're doing that self-consciousness fades. Loch and Michael discuss how these states can be a doorway to something deeper. You don't need to sit on a cushion for hours. A conversation, a walk, even washing dishes can become a practice. - **Effortless attention:** When you're in flow, you're not forcing focus—it just happens. - **Loss of self-reference:** You stop narrating your experience and simply experience. - **Timelessness:** Hours feel like minutes because you're fully present. ### Why This Matters for Your Daily Life Understanding the difference between waking up and waking with can change how you move through your day. Instead of chasing peak experiences, you start to notice the ordinary moments—the warmth of sunlight on your skin, the sound of a friend's laugh—as expressions of the same awareness. It's not about adding something new. It's about recognizing what's already here. > "The goal isn't to escape the world. It's to see the world as not separate from awareness itself." — Loch Kelly ### How to Practice Without Trying Too Hard You don't need a special app or a silent retreat. Try this: next time you're in a flow state—maybe while cooking or running—pause for a second. Notice the space around your thoughts. That's it. That's the practice. Loch emphasizes that these glimpses are not milestones to collect. They're invitations to live from a different place. So, what comes after the first glimpse? According to Loch Kelly, it's a lifelong dance of waking up and waking with—one taste at a time.