Beginners Mind: Tips for Meditation
Back to the basics
There are many resources and self help books on how to meditate. Additionally, there are numerous definitions of meditation, mindfulness, and awareness that seem to interchange and shift between different approaches and teachings. So where to begin? Or for some who have a long standing meditation practice how do you move out of stuck points? How do we get back to the basics of these principles?
Seat of a student
“Beginners mind” is a term originating in Zen Buddhism that can be applied in many contexts of life. It refers to approaching a situation, experience, or practice with an open and receptive attitude, as if you were a beginner, even if you have previous knowledge or expertise in that area. It encourages the principles of openness, non attachment, fresh perspective, humility, and continued learning. When reminded to let go of preconceptions about what meditation should be like, we can remain open to various techniques and approach each meditation session with a sense of curiosity and wonder. Taking the seat of a student can help deepen practice for beginners and move long time meditators out of stagnation by creating openness to new, more enriching experiences.
Steps of the Practice
To practice a beginners mind it can be helpful to get back to the basics of your meditation practice. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, is a long time student of, and teacher from the lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. His five simple tips about how to meditate (see video below) are a gentle reminder of the building blocks of your practice.
Recognition of awareness: When we know we are awake
Maintain recognition with gentle awareness: follow the breath
Don’t block emotions
Wonderful experience to witness your thoughts: you are not your thoughts
Meditation experiences change
Wether you are beginning your practice, coming back to it after a break, or seeking to deepen your existing practice, taking the seat of a student may be the fresh perspective and reminder you have been looking for!
