24 Aug Embrace the Beginner’s Mind
My favorite teacher in college, Mr. Dan Hibbler, always encouraged his students to step outside our comfort zones. He said that when you do what’s uncomfortable, awesome things can happen and we grow.
It takes courage to try something new and be a beginner. There can be feelings of fear, insecurity, resistance, or unease. But it also opens us up to enjoy new experiences and possibilities in life!
Embrace those times when you’re a brand new beginner, and that means in yoga, too. As a beginner in yoga, you are creating a foundation for your practice. Take things slowly, pay close attention to what’s happening on your own mat, and let everything sink in so that you develop a strong base to build from.
There is a Zen Buddhism concept called Shoshin, which means “beginner’s mind.” It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, enthusiasm, and no preconceptions when studying a subject.
Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki said, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” Even when studying a subject at an advanced level, we should approach it just as a beginner would.
Come to every yoga class with a beginner’s mind, no matter how experienced you are in yoga. This will help you to remain fully present and receptive to new information that you might have missed otherwise. And newbies, cherish being a beginner and be open to all of the possibilities that your yoga practice can offer.
Keep an eye out this week for our new Fall schedule; it will run from September through November. Due to popular demand, we will be offering three (3) Yoga for Beginners classes each week this Fall. More experienced practitioners are always welcome to attend to bring your practice back to the basics.