Practice (noun): repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it
Like most people, the start of a new year serves as the *perfect* opportunity to adopt a new habit. While the chance for growth and personal development is constantly happening despite the calendar day, beginning a new year does give us that feeling of starting with a clean slate. The ball drops, Mariah Carey lip syncs, and suddenly, the past is the past and our glimmering future year lies ahead.
- Often our New Year’s resolutions center on “bettering ourselves:”
- For some, that may look like running twice a week or eating more plants.
- For others, that could be honing your budgetary skills or organizing your closet.
- Whatever it may be, we may soon find out how hard it can be to maintain these goals, so with January coming to a close, I’m inviting you to evaluate how you’re doing with whatever intentions you may have set at the beginning of 2019.
- What successes have you had?
- What setbacks have you encountered?
- What does your self-talk sound like amidst the frustration of new goals?
- How do you measure progress?
- How do you feel?
I like to set goals, but I often find myself labeling them as something else:
Whereas a “goal” seems too ephemeral, “lifestyle” seems more grounding.
When I want to make a lasting change to “better myself,” or rather grow into myself, it begins with my mindset. Calling something a “goal” already has me thinking it’s out of reach. Instead, I view it as simply incorporating small changes to evolve my lifestyle and suddenly, it seems more attainable.
- Starting anything new is hard.
- I know.
- This is where something called “the beginner’s mind” comes into play.
This is a term my yoga teachers use a lot:
the beginner’s mind.
But what does that mean?
In Zen Buddhism, there is a term called Shoshin meaning “beginner’s mind.” It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner would.
- Think about the last time you did something for the first time.
- You may have felt timid – lightly treading the unexplored area because you hadn’t experienced it before.
- You may have been more alert, observing everything, taking notes, seeing details as you were exposed to such new things.
- This approach of a “beginner’s mind” can be used anywhere at anytime.
- Perhaps, you’re making tea.
- Engaging your beginner’s mind, you might fill the tea kettle slowly, watching as the water rises.
- You might choose to use loose-leaf instead of pre-packed tea bags, allowing you to look, touch, and smell the dried herbs and tea leaves.
- You might steep the tea with more patience, slowing down long enough to smell as the flavors bloom and come together.
- Ultimately, you may find that you’ve enjoyed this morning ritual much more with the new sense of presence and curiosity you’ve brought to the act.
When starting, maintaining, and enjoying your new goals/lifestyle, try practicing with a beginner’s mind.
- Meeting a goal or suddenly changing a lifestyle is hard work.
- It takes practice. Teaching your brain to slow down and start engaging a beginner’s mind when doing your everyday normal tasks will not just *happen* over night. It’ll start slow.
- You’ll have to make a very conscious effort to engage all five senses.
- You’ll have to be intentional with moving slow, taking notice, and absorbing all what you’re experiencing.
- But as you continue practicing, it’ll become second nature.
- It’ll become natural.
Let’s go back to your New Year resolutions.
- Could you approach any of them with a beginner’s mind?
- Could you take the broad goals of “eating better” or “moving more” and list out specific ways to do each?
- Examples:
- Try 3 new veggies
- Visit my local farmer’s market
- Enjoy evening walks with a friend
- Set aside 10 minutes for free movement each morning
- These four specific examples are experiences that may prove even more gratifying when done with a beginner’s mind – especially if these are things you haven’t done before.
- What does the air feel like during the evenings after dinner?
- What questions are community members asking local farmers at the market?
- What movement does my body crave first thing in the morning?
- Take your list of resolutions.
- Where can you incorporate the practice of a Shoshin?
- Where can you make intentions more realistic? More specific? More approachable?
- Where can you begin to find patience and acceptance as you make progress?
- Everything is a practice. Once December 31, 2019 falls upon us, the timer won’t go off.
- We’re forever moving upwards and onwards, setting goals, making progress.
- Dedicate yourself to the practice because with it, the “second chances” to begin again will never run out.
the exhale 