Beginner’s mind

There’s something about the sunrise that evokes optimism and possibility and stirs the beginner’s mind. It’s nature’s way of clearing the slate, gaining perspective and connecting us back to our own internal rhythms.

In yoga, beginner’s mind keeps the practice fresh, allowing us to discover the spaciousness and nuances about poses and our relationship to them. It also simplifies the practice so we can see things as they are and not as they should be. Practicing with beginner’s mind promotes less judgment and more acceptance. And we could all probably use more of that.

Sunrise

It’s funny, the only time we seem to make it out for the sunrise is in some other enchanted place like, say Lake Tahoe. In the mountain pre-dawn air watching the awakening of the natural world, iridescent sky, sounds of waves on the lakeshore, geese and the growing hum of insects are meditatively sublime. In a way it’s like awakening from a deep savasana, a little sleepy yet feeling reenergized.