Welcome to waking waves,
Beginners mind.
Often when we think of doing something new over the very first time,
It can bring with it uplifting or challenging feelings and emotions.
We may get a feeling of excitement and a sense of being energized,
Or we could feel nervous,
Perhaps even experience anxiety.
This anticipation can build up in advance of the new thing and take us a long way away from the actual experience we eventually have.
We sometimes create scenarios about how the event or activity might play out,
Or how we will feel when we have experienced it.
This trains our bodies and minds to react in these situations.
We might find we always feel a certain way when we encounter new things.
So even if we suddenly see or experience something new,
Our default reaction can be very different to what we might predict if we wrote this down on paper.
But since we don't have a ready supply of these new experiences to hand,
We can't proactively encourage a more open attitude towards them.
Today's practice is designed to help with this.
It's an invitation to intentionally bring a beginner's mind to any day-to-day experience you have.
It doesn't require you to change anything you ordinarily do each day,
Just how you apply your attention to the experience.
It can be anything,
Brushing your teeth in the morning or evening,
Taking a shower,
Making a cup of tea,
Noticing a flower,
Or walking a few paces.
With a beginner's mind we bring a felt sense of openness and curiosity to the activity,
A childlike wonder to the experience,
As if you were trying it for the first time.
Take brushing your teeth,
Something that can take minutes or slightly less if we're rushing.
But where are we when we brush our teeth?
We might jump from a thought to a plan,
An image to a memory,
An action to a reaction,
But rarely do we fully experience the many sensations of this everyday activity.
But brushing my teeth is something I just do.
There's nothing to notice,
You might say,
And yes,
That is partly true,
But what happens if you pay full attention to brushing your teeth?
You pick up the brush,
You notice the bristles move as you apply toothpaste,
You squeeze the toothpaste,
You might smell the toothpaste as it comes out,
The colours,
The quantity,
And you haven't even started.
You turn on the cold tap,
Notice the condensation,
The sound of the pipes,
The water emerging,
You still haven't started.
Then you move the brush towards your teeth,
Then the brushing begins,
And a lot more follows,
The textures and sensations on your teeth and gums,
The motion and patterns of repetitive movement,
The attention to detail,
The taste,
The freshness and so on.
And of course this can last for minutes if you can hold your attention.
By being fully open and curious,
You can turn any activity into a meditation.
You can feel wonder about the many actions and senses you engage to make it possible too.
By bringing a beginner's mind,
You can turn everyday activities into moments of full awareness,
And you can train the body and mind to become receptive and welcoming towards new experiences.
And when you encounter something new,
It will become a more valuable and nourishing experience,
Coloured by more feelings of happiness and calm.
Try it for yourself today or every day.
Pick anything old or new and bring your beginner's mind.
