Monday mindfulness: Week 3- Beginner’s Mind

The attitude of mindfulness this week is beginner’s mind. Beginner’s mind refers to seeing an event as if you have never seen it before. Often, what happens when you get used to an experience, such as meditation, you let what you know, your thinking and beliefs, interfere with seeing what is really going on in the present. We often lose touch with the beauty and richness of the world around us. Take my drive to work. I live in a beautiful area of the country. There are mountain views, forests of trees, and wildlife. If I take this drive for what it has become; a commute to work where every tourist drives too slow and none of the passing lanes are long enough, I often end up at the office feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. However, if I slow down, take a breath, and widen my attention from the road in front of me, I have space to notice the beauty of the natural world around me. Beginner’s mind is about noticing the internal and external circumstances, as if for the first time, every time. Every new breath is a new moment. Every new moment is a new opportunity for seeing the realness of the present. Every new moment is an opportunity to practice lovingkindness towards yourself and others. As you go forward with your week, imagine one thing in your life that you’d like to see as if for the first time. Take a breath and notice the details.