Beginner’s Mind is one of the nine attitudes of mindfulness which we explore in my 8 week mindfulness programme. Beginner’s mind is being open to seeing things as if for the first time. The way our minds work when left to their own devices is to predict, assume and filter what we see, based on our own past experience of similar situations, people or places. This feature looks at Beginner’s Mind to see how it might help us in everyday life and some tips on how you might practice this.

As I approach this feature, it could be useful to me to apply the attitude of Beginners Mind. I’ve written other articles of course, but this is the first time I’ve written this article. Although I might have certain concerns or assumptions about how easy or difficult this may be to write, or how this article might be received, nevertheless these are the workings of a mind that is ready to predict and ‘storify’ each moment. I shall try to be present as I write the article, so fingertips on key board, feet on the floor, I bring my attention back to my purpose to share these important nuggets of mindfulness wisdom in the hope they may help you. If my mind drifts to worry thoughts such as, “what if people think this is a load of twaddle?” I’ll gently guide my attention back to the writing of this feature, knowing that each moment of this writing is unique.

What is beginner’s mind?

Beginner’s mind is one of the 9 attitudes of mindfulness. In Zen Buddhism they have a word for it: Shoshin. This means being openly curious and free of preconceptions. Simply put, it means making an intention in each moment to see our experience, our interactions, our habits, people we know with fresh eyes as if we are seeing each for the first time. This is an attitude of open-ness to each moment, and being aware that often we bring our own preconceptions and assumptions to our view of the world.

Albert Einstein once said, “Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.” What a wonderful way of summing up the attitude itself. Beginner’s mind can be observed when you see a child play with a toy, even a toy they may have played with many times before. Each time they are learning something new about their toy with an intense curiosity we might lose as adults. I remember once taking my eldest son (at the time age about 2 and a half) to the zoo. I imagined he would delight in the monkeys, penguins and sea lions. He did, but to my surprise the thing I could not drag him away from was a metal gate. As I sat on a nearby bench with our picnic, I could see his fascination with the hinge as he moved the gate back and forward for some time, examining it from every angle, looking intently, touching the hinge, moving it a bit and then back, pushing it closed. It’s not what I expected from our day, but that picture stays with me many years later as I watched his curious beginners’ mind in action. (Side fact: it was not long before he cracked the security of stairgates far too early!)

A child will approach each experience, each object with fresh eyes, and it’s really interesting to watch this intensity of observation and exploration. As adults, it can be useful to adopt this attitude of Beginner’s Mind as it prevents us from many unhelpful thinking biases which can increase stress and anxiety in daily life - fortune telling, mind reading, jumping to conclusions, emotional reasoning…

How beginner’s mind can be helpful

Why does our mind need to be nudged in the direction of Beginner’s Mind? Our mind is one pattern-making machine. To ensure our survival as a species we have a brain which has developed to anticipate and predict threats… very helpful to ensure our survival in the face of a real threat… but in modern day life, it’s rare we are facing an immediate and sudden threat to our survival, where this ability to compare situations with previous ‘dangerous’ situations and match them with the present moment could save our life.

So we can nod to our mind and its tireless attempts to save us from harm, whilst remembering that our mind has a tendency to get overinvolved.

Approaching each situation afresh can ope us up to new perspectives. Rather than getting stuck with automatic thoughts, our mind opens to new ideas and ways of doing things. It keeps us flexible in our choices and our behaviours. No matter how much we think we know, there are many siutations where in order to learn or to grow, it would help us to give up on what we think we know and approach the situation as if we have never seen it before… this could apply as much to problems we want to work through as to difficulties in relationships.

Shunryu Suzuki, a reknowned Zen Buddhist teacher is quoted as saying, “In the beginners’ mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few”. How useful would it be to bring this attitude of mind to problem solving at work, at home or in the greater political landscape. If we always cut with the same tool, we always get the same result. Beginner’s mind has the potential to change the way we relate to the world and to others for the better.

Practising Beginner’s mind

There are simple mindfulness practices which are very helpful for cultivating Beginner’s mind. Mindful eating is one popular practice. I’ve a couple of meditations elsehwere on this site… Mindfulness of Fruit and Mindfulness of Chocolate. Both meditations involve tuning into your senses and noticing your edible meditation object as if it was the first time you had experienced it. Whilst doing so, notice the habits of your mind to make connections and assumptions, because it will, and refocus your attention to the present experience.

Beginner’s mind can be cultivated anywhere. A mindful walk can be a very pleasant experience if taken in nature, as this beginner’s perspective will bring your attention to many aspects and details you may have previously missed. It’s easy to see how this broadening of persepective can translate into our daily lives.

Try having a conversation with the intention of cultivating your Beginner’s mind. How different this is to a habitual chat.

Beginner’s mind will help you to find the new in almost anything you believe yourself already familiar with. I’d encourage you to take up the challenge to see what you discover.

Ali Binns is a CBT therapist and mindfulness teacher based in Bath, UK. She offers one-to-one or group mindfulness sessions as well as therapy with a cognitive behavioural focus.