Mind of a Child

Gift from Santa for my children me

Beginner's Mind. Ground of Being. Emptiness. 

Buddha Nature. Christ Consciousness. Awakening.

Different belief systems from the East and the West have similarly expressed the experience of being fully present (in Christianity and other monotheistic religions, being connected to God)--along with teachings for cultivating this state, e.g. through mindfulness, prayer and other contemplative practices. Recognizing our thoughts and feelings (sometimes called ego), which originate from our preconceptions, as being just thoughts and feelings sets us free. This is called beginner's mind or "don't-know" mind.

While it's a simple practice, it isn't easy. As little ones we begin being taught what we're supposed to do each and every moment in order to stay alive and hopefully thrive. But over time we begin chasing frantically after an ideal of what we've come to believe life is supposed to be. We become human doings instead of human beings, and we eventually decide we know it all. Of course the truth is that we're incredibly limited by our singular life experiences and narrow perspectives. We become fixed in an ever-changing universe, which is clearly incongruous with life.

At some point as adults, if we're lucky, we become aware of our disconnectedness from who we are (understood by many as being separated from God), along with our discontent. We realize that in order to be happy we must learn how to be once again--something we inherently knew as children. Sometimes we may even find it helpful to forget everything we thought we knew.

Those who practice yoga long-term do so because the body serves as a vehicle for accessing the connectedness and liberation described above. Through this fully engaged body-mind practice, we join or "yoke" body and mind together. Again, this is something young children, ever in the moment, do naturally. Thus, it makes sense that long ago a wise teacher urged his disciples to "become like little children."

Early yogis actually practiced yoga to prepare for long periods of sitting meditation for the purpose of attaining enlightenment. Ultimately, they were seeking a lasting version of what modern yoga practitioners gain when we practice--freedom from the suffering created by the mind. They understood that by emptying the mind they could transcend suffering and experience peace.

So when practicing Child's Pose, be sure you're not just doing the physical pose, but that you're also cultivating Child's Mind--feeling the ground beneath you, the breath within you, aware of sensations and thoughts as they arise, being curious about your body, full of wonder. And as you move into this new year, remember:

Be a beginner.

Breathe and be.

Be peace.