In our conversation with flow expert Steven Kotler we explored what flow is. (It’s the biological state in which we generate some incredible neurochemistry, lose our sense of self, experience the dilation of time, become completely absorbed in what we’re doing, and, ultimately, both feel and perform our very best). We talked a little bit about how to get into flow, but mainly focused on its place in schools and learning environments in general. It was an inspiring and thought-provoking back-and-forth and left us with the feeling that we know a lot more than we once did about peak performance, its role in mental health and the good life, and, most importantly, how we can start getting more of it in our lives and in our schools.

Bestselling author and award-winning speaker Steven Kotler is the Executive Director of The Flow Research Collective, a group dedicated to reverse-engineering the flow state and trying to boil it down to a set of heuristics that can help more individuals and organizations experience greater flow in their lives. Steven is a former journalist and has multiple NYT bestselling books to his name, including his most recent title, The Art of the Impossible, which has swept just about every bestseller list out there.