Beginner’s mind is both simple and beautiful. It’s where we start, and where we want to return to. Moment by moment, experience by experience.

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.

– Shunryu Suzuki

Very often we approach situations with our conditioned mind. This conditioning is often unconscious. We have unwittingly taken on the views of our parents, peers, teachers, colleagues, church and wider community. Very often this conditioning goes unquestioned.

In beginner’s mind, we approach everything as if for the first time. Just seeing everything as it is, without the weight of conditioning.

Freeing yourself of this conditioning takes work, but is absolutely worth it.

Continuity of Mindfulness

An important part of being mindful is to get through the difficult times we all face and maintain some continuity of mindfulness. To achieve mindfulness (beginner’s mind) is not difficult, and it can be maintained by those who practice regularly a lot of the time. Sometimes, in some crucial moments, it is extremely difficult. How you handle these difficulties and challenges is most significant. It is the continuity of mindfulness that is crucial. It is this continuity that we are developing with practice.

We could say, therefore, that by focusing our attention on the present moment, calmly and mindfully accepting our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, we achieve a mental state that can be used to therapeutic effect. It is important to remain detached and non-judgmental, including of ourselves.

Just Observe

Just observe, practice noticing little sensations before you react and use them as a mindfulness bell to help you to respond to a situation rather than react (egoically) to it.

For instance, if someone is critical of you in an online review, or in a response to a post you have made, you can rant back at them mindlessly (I have been guilty of this in times gone by), or you can decide to calmly look at the situation and respond mindfully. Or decide to ignore it.

Perhaps some of their criticism is valid, in which case thank them and move on.

If they are trolling you, either delete and move on, or respond calmly, knowing that their response is about them and not about you.

It can be easy to get wound up thinking that their comments could harm your business, but this is highly unlikely with a one of comment. These people usually give themselves away as trolls, and your audience is not easily fooled. Have faith in them.

This practice can be applied to all areas of life – home, work, social settings.

Again and again, examine
Every aspect of your mental and physical activities.
In brief, that is the very way of observing mindfulness.

– Shantideva

Paying Attention

Mindfulness can help us to pay attention in everything that we do. By practicing meditation, we can learn to become more and more aware of things going on around us such as the birds singing, the wind in our hair or the sun on our skin. We may notice things we have walked past for years and overlooked.

In your work or business you may find that ideas flow much more clearly, and problems are more easily solved. You may pick up on potential problems before they happen, saving a lot of time, money or overwhelm.

In your relationships, you may find that you are more tolerant and understanding. And your calmer nature will likely rub off on your friends, spouse or colleagues too.

If you have never meditated before, mindfulness meditation can be a nice, simple introduction to the practice. And if you are a seasoned meditator, you can always work on deepening your practice.

Free Downloads

I have a couple of short meditations mp3s you can download for free:

3 Minute Breathing Space Meditation

5 Minute Kindness and Compassion Meditation

Try them out and let me know how you get on.

Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Being Focused

I was first introduced to mindfulness formally in 1996. I came to realise, however, that I had been practicing mindfulness for most of my life, without realising it. Just by paying attention to everyday things, my yoga practice and the meditations that followed a session. Focusing on reading and not being disturbed by anything around me. Just being in the present moment.

Ongoing Moment to Moment Awareness

Soon after this formal introduction, I came to practice more and more. Then, I came to understand that mindfulness is not just sitting down and doing a twenty minute meditation each day, or performing a body scan to release tension, but is an ongoing, moment to moment awareness.

Try to just practice this as much as you can, gently bringing yourself back every time you realise you have lost awareness.

Want more help with your mindfulness practice? Check out my course Mindfulness For Busy People