

Central Florida “flowmies” gathered around to spread the love at Orlando Flows’ most recent meet up. Congregating at Wadeview Park, Orlando EDM lovers spent the day spinning flowstars, attending workshops, and picnicking in the park to a backdrop of beats from local DJs.
Flowmies, a mixture of the words “flow” and “homies”, are practitioners of flow arts, a movement based art form that induces meditative “flow state”. Flow arts are most commonly performed with props like flowstars, poi, fans, and hula hoops. Encouraged by fostering community, enjoying electronic music, and spreading PLUR (peace, love, unity, and respect), flowmies are strongly present in rave culture and the EDM community. Orlando Flows meetups provide a unique space for flow artists, as they are able to socialize in a mellow setting and connect with nature in the process.


At February’s Valentines themed event, two workshops were held. The first that took place was Bean’s Somatic Movement Workshop, an introduction to mind-body practice, where attendees were encouraged to look internally in order to move intuitively. Following this workshop was Jasmin and Anisa’s Flowstar & Hoop Workshops, where intermediate flowstar tricks and beginner hoop basics were taught. Workshops help connect flowmies to their practice, creating both a closer connection between them and their community, as well as a better sense of mindfulness.
Orlando Life spoke with Manny Mags, co-founder and manager of Orlando Flows, to learn more about the organization and its events.

Manny Mags, co-founder & manager of Orlando Flows | Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life
MANNY: We are a group who promotes flow arts, creativity, and community here in Florida. We do that through hosting events, workshops, and creative expression however we can do it.
MANNY: We actually work with a group called Spin Flowstar, and they have a lot of communities out in the states. We were encouraged to start one here in Orlando because there’s a big flow community here. So we formed one, the owner came down and invited a lot of people, and the Orlando community got to know us. We’re also an extension of the festival community here in Orlando, so a lot of people that enjoy EDM and that culture in general love to come to our meetups. We build a lot of community through that.
MANNY: I love how welcoming everyone is. I think we all have this common desire to want to learn how to flow in any form, basically. So, we see cool flow props and think “oh, that looks interesting, I want to learn how to do that”, and it’s very rewarding to be able to. It’s good to have this to look forward to every month; a lot of people have desk jobs where they’re sitting around all the time, and this is probably the one time a month that they get to come out and be in the park with friends and the community.
MANNY: I’m actually from the Philippines. I have a background in Filipino martial arts and that’s what really got me into the flow arts. It’s cool because right now I’m starting a workshop program here and we’re empowering teachers to share and teach their art.
MANNY: I like to use a flowstar. It’s a really easy prop to start off with because it’s an easier barrier of entry, and also easy to carry around. A lot of big props, like hoops, or ropes; you can carry them but it looks kind of weird. [Flowstars], I can just hook onto my backpack and play around anywhere. They’re definitely my favorite prop, but then flow-wise, I also practice Filipino martial arts, which was something I adopted into this and started practicing some of those moves.
MANNY: We have meet-ups every last Sunday of the month. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @orlandoflows, and I hope to see you guys at one of our meet-ups!
Seeing such a unique and diverse community united through their practice of flow arts is truly inspiring. It’s clear that Orlando flowmies hold a deep appreciation and gratitude for each other and the community they’ve fostered, with PLUR powering every move they make. The freedom that events like Orlando Flows meetups encourage, gives passionate flow artists the opportunity to exist authentically in a safe space.
If you’re a fellow flowmie, or perhaps flowmie-curious, make sure to keep up with Orlando Flows on social media and check out their monthly events!

Somatic Movement Workshop | Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life






Tali (left) and Fuego (right) | Photo by Leah Lascano, Orlando Life




