In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.

—Zen master Shunryu Suzuki

Do you ever feel like your practice has become routine? Are you convinced you have figured out exactly how you like to practice (fast/slow, alignment instructions/no instructions, music/no music)? Are you now taking poses for granted that you couldn’t do a year or two ago? Do you keep obsessing over the same limitations? Do the same frustrations keep arising in your practice (tight hamstrings, poor balance, weak core, anyone)?

Do you ever ask yourself any of the above questions? Should you?

Not necessarily, as I am not a big fan of “should”. However, in order to obtain more profound benefits from your practice it is tremendously useful to apply the concept of beginner’s mind from time to time. When something has become routine, we tend to be less conscious in our practice of it. We feel safe in the knowledge that we “know what to do”. And when we think we “know what to do”, we stop listening. We also stop learning, stop growing, stop becoming more present in the here and now.

Cultivate Beginner’s Mind to start listening again

The focus of this week’s classes is the cultivation of beginner’s mind. It’s a zen concept that refers to nurturing an attitude of openness and earnestness, a lack of preconceptions towards your practice. The idea is to approach your practice with a sense of curiosity and openness. You do this to discover new aspects that enrich your experience and deepen your presence in the moment. After all, if you turn on the autopilot because you know where you are going, there is no need to be present in what you are doing. Or put another way, if you think you know the answers, there is no longer a point in asking any questions. However, the practice of mindfulness is about asking meaningful questions much more than it is about finding perfect answers. The journey is the destination.

To help you rediscover beginner’s mind in your yoga practice, we will be doing some unusual variations and poses this week. We will also practice very common poses and sequences, to practice accessing beginner’s mind not just in the unfamiliar, but also the utterly familiar.