Mindful Yoga, Meditation and the “Beginner’s Mind”
How often have you thought to yourself, “that’s too easy” or “I already know how to do that” or “that’s not for me” and quickly dismissed something just because of a preconceived notion that you believed to be absolutely true?
We all do it, and that’s unfortunate because in the process we miss out on a lot of opportunities to learn and grow.
Years ago when I was obsessed with going to the gym at least four times a week and doing hard cardio workouts, none of my gym buddies, nor I, would have dreamed of attending a yoga class because we had decided (without ever attending a single class) that it was “too slow” and definitely for people who weren’t as fit as we were. It simply wasn’t worth our time.
When I think about that now I cringe. What an idiot I was! It is likely, based on the evidence, that I would have improved my performance at the gym and later on when I started running. But back then I didn’t think it was the best use of my time.
In our society we believe that faster is “better”. We don’t know how to move slowly any more. And we make judgements in the blink of an eye, without truly looking at the evidence.
One of the first things I learned when I began studying yoga and meditation was the importance of the “Beginner’s Mind”. This is a concept that can be used in any situation, but you will often find reference to it when talking about mindful practices.
Here’s one definition of Beginner’s Mind from meditation teacher, Jon Kabat-Zinn:
“In the mind of the expert there are very few possibilities, but in the Beginner’s Mind there are infinite possibilities because we come to it fresh. So it is a kind of a discipline to try to bring Beginner’s Mind to every aspect of life and not be so stuck in our ideas and opinions.”
Mindful slow practices have their place in any exercise/wellness routine that you currently engage in. There is solid evidence that mindfulness practices, including yoga and meditation, when done with intention, have benefits for the nervous system and brain, improves mental wellbeing and can help maintain physical strength, mobility and balance.
Wow - that’s a lot of impact!
There’s an opportunity to incorporate mindfulness and the Beginner’s Mind in absolutely every activity that you do.
Here is one way you can challenge yourself to step away from the role of “expert” and instead develop a “Beginner’s Mind”:
Challenge: Think of something you do well and without much thought. Examples include gardening, cooking, swimming, etc. Now, next time you do that activity, pretend you’ve never done it before. If you were an absolute beginner, what would you notice? What would you do first? Notice your body as you go through the motions. What are your thoughts?
Did you notice anything different when you approached this task with a Beginner’s Mind? I encourage you to get out your journal and write about your experience.
To further challenge you, here is a Grounding Breath practice. I encourage you to try it with a Beginner’s Mind. Turn off your phone and computer (yes, you can!) and find a quiet space where you can be uninterrupted for a few minutes.
Grounding Breath Practice
1. Sit in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Feel your feet on the ground beneath you. Move your toes – see if you can pick up each toe one at a time and put it back down. Don’t let them curl up in a tensed position.
2. Close your eyes or lower your gaze.
3. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Feel the cool air coming in your nose and filling up your chest.
4. Exhale out through your nose, seeing if you can make your exhale a little bit longer than your inhale. Notice your body as you do this.
5. Do the inhale and exhale sequence three times. Follow your breath in and out.
6. Focus your mind on the place you feel the breath the most. Is it your nostrils, your belly, or your chest?
7. Keep your awareness on your breath as you open your eyes and move on with your day.
If you would like more mindfulness practices to help build your resilience, here is a link to download a FREE 10-page booklet that includes meditation, slow yoga and journal prompts.
And please join our Facebook group for more weekly practices and inspiration: Join Here!
