Cultivating a Beginner's Mind
Begin again...and again...and again.
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“If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.”
Rachel Carson
This is the sixth issue of Root&Rise!
We’ve been working together for over a month, experimenting with classes and developing consistency.
Last week, we created a mental picture of our personal yoga toolboxes and began filling them up.
You’re getting the hang of this yoga thing and you’re doing great!
All that’s left, is to begin.
That’s right, I said begin.
By now, you’ve realized that yoga is more than downward dog. It’s a bottomless well of wisdom that gets deeper every time you dip into it.
That’s why it’s so important to bring a spirit of curiosity to your practice, there is always more to discover.
In yoga, we call this attitude “Beginner’s Mind” and it just might be the most important tool in your box.
“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; In the expert mind, there are few.”
Shunryu Suziki-roshi
The Pitfalls of an Expert Mindset
Have you ever met someone that “knows it all”? They show up to every situation full of arrogance and assumptions.
They’ve got it all figured out.
When it comes to yoga, we all have a little know it all inside. How many vinyasas does it take to feel like a pro? Surprisingly few. It’s so easy to slip into certainty, lose the attentiveness of our first practices and presume we know what to expect.
Unfortunately, when we approach yoga with an expert mindset, we close ourselves off to new experiences and possibilities.
In essence, we cannot grow.
Putting It Into Practice
“I mistook simple for easy”
- Rick, my very wise friend
“Beginner” doesn’t mean easy, it means basic. There’s a big difference!
Your practice will evolve over time but you will never be done learning.
Nurture your beginner’s mind by revisiting the basics regularly, every time discovering new layers of depth.
This week is dedicated to beginner’s yoga classes. Bring your beginners mind to your mat. Stay present and open to all possibilities.
“The way to get good at advanced stuff is to get great at the basics”
Kara Loewentheil - UnF*ck Your Brain Podcast
30 Minute Yoga Sequence for Total Beginners with Jessamyn Stanley
32 Minutes / Beginner Friendly / All Levels
I love this class. Jessamyn Stanley is so down to earth. Her teaching is full of excellent cues for every level of student, and lots of reminders to give ourselves grace.
10 Minute Guided Meditation for beginners to Clear Thoughts
11 Minutes / Beginner Friendly / All Levels
Try this lovely little meditation after your asana practice.
Back to Yoga Basics: Beginner Hatha Yoga Flow | Allie Van Fossen
40 Minutes / Beginner Friendly / All Levels
Have you been practicing Yoga for a while? Do you feel like you’re just going through the motions? Try this class for a beautiful reminder to bring presence back into the poses.
Final Thoughts
Take your time with these classes.
Choose one and practice it multiple times throughout the week.
Come to it as if it were the first time, every time.
Set an intention to learn something new each time you revisit the class.
Tell me about your experience in the comments. What did you learn the first time you practiced the class? The second time? The third? I can’t wait to hear all about the layers you discover this week.
See you next Sunday, when we will be diving into the magical, mystical nature of the breath. Make sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet, you do not want to miss out!
RESOURCES
UnF*ck Your Brain Podcast | Episode 96 - Beginner's Mind
Mindful Ambition | How To Cultivate a Beginner's Mind for a Fresh Perspective
Jenny! I read this earlier in the week and I've been meaning to chime in about how this post really resonated with me. I just returned to Tae Kwon Do classes after a 40-year hiatus. It was sort of an impulse decision after seeing a kid wearing the uniform from the karate school I attended as a kid. That run-in brought back a rush of memories and I popped into the old school to say hi to Master Jun Chong, the owner of the school and man who taught classes to me and my brother as kids. He's in his 80s now and still teaches! He suggested I come back and, because I felt compelled to write about this experience, I went to a class and then another. It's been the most physically humbling and challenging thing I have done in ages. The classes are mixed levels so most of the folks in class with me are black belts. I've had to completely let go of my ego and just be terrible at everything as I try to relearn the practice. My only saving grace is that years of yoga and muscle memory have helped tremendously with my balance and flexibility. There were times in class where I've had to remind myself to have a beginner's mindset. That chart you included it totally me. I so prefer to know what I'm doing and feel uncomfortable in settings where I'm not skilled, but I know it's good for me. Thanks for this helpful post.