What is Beginners Mind?
Beginner's mind, also known as "Shoshin" in Zen Buddhism, is a mindfulness attitude that involves approaching every situation or experience with an open mind and a willingness to learn. It means setting aside our preconceived notions and judgments and coming to each moment with a sense of curiosity and wonder.
There are many benefits to cultivating a beginner's mind. It can help us to:
Be more present: When we are in the moment, we are less likely to get caught up in worries about the past or anxieties about the future.
Be more creative: When we are open to new possibilities, we are more likely to come up with new ideas.
Be more compassionate: When we see things from other people's perspectives, we are more likely to understand and empathize with them.
Be more accepting: When we accept things as they are, we are less likely to suffer from stress and anxiety.
There are many ways to cultivate a beginner's mind. Here are a few tips:
Pay attention to your senses: Take some time each day to focus on the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures around you.
Be curious: Ask questions, explore new things, and try to see the world through a child's eyes.
Be open to new experiences: Step outside of your comfort zone and try new things.
In Meditation: If you have one go-to meditation practice that you do regularly – be open to discovering something new about it each time you practice. Let go of any pre-conceptions or ideas of how you think it might go. Be open to what you can learn from each unique experience.
Be patient: It takes time to cultivate a beginner's mind. Be patient with yourself and don't get discouraged if you find it difficult at first.
Cultivating a beginner's mind is a lifelong journey. It is a practice that can help us to live more fully and happily in the present moment.
Falling Down
From ‘108 Metaphors for Mindfulness’ by Arnie Kozak
Recall the last time you saw a young toddler making her first steps. Recall the joy, the fascination, and the persistence she expressed as she sought to master walking. There is often delight in the fall and boundless desire to get up and start all over again. This, almost literally, is an embodiment of the beginner’s mind. So how can we bring freshness to our adult versions of falling down – failing, making mistakes, being less than perfect?
There is an old Zen saying, “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” Through mindfulness practice, we learn, when we fall, to pick ourselves up again without the extensive tirade, without deprivation mind making a drama out of it, without beating ourselves up for having fallen in the first place. Examine what happens the next time you stumble and fall – the next time you don’t live up to your own or another’s expectations. Can you be compassionate with yourself, as you would be if a person walking beside you fell to the ground? Can you pick yourself up off the ground, brush yourself off, and continue walking? Can you treat yourself as kindly as you would a toddler learning to walk?
This process of picking yourself up off the ground is what you do when you practice mindfulness. You fall down when you get engrossed in thoughts and stories and when you recognise this, you pick yourself up and begin again. This new beginning does not involve beating yourself up for having fallen down, for having gotten distracted.
See if you can embrace the enthusiasm of a young child. Fall and laugh. Get up with determination and ready to fall again. Don’t make falling a problem. Don’t make getting up a production.
And, of course, don’t assume you won’t fall again
You can cultivate beginners mind through regular mindfulness meditation practice. You can learn how to practice mindfulness meditation with me on a 121 basis or at our group classes in Warrington or St Helens. See the class schedule here.