The Beginner’s Mind: The Power of Not Knowing
The wise Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki reminds us of shoshin, or “beginner’s mind,” that is, to face every moment with an open and impartial attitude. (Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Shambhala Publications.)
I am reminded of my own fascination with the topic of curiosity, something I wrote about in my earliest blog post, and I find this framing so wise: the beginner’s mind. One of the most powerful teachings in mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn is this same idea: approaching life and every moment with a fresh outlook, attitude, and presence.
The Pressure to Know
The beginner’s mindset is non-assuming. Not taking an expert stance. It isn’t about knowing or searching. It isn’t about rationalizing.
Let’s pause here. This may seem like a countercultural thought, especially for living in the United States.
Many of us are taught to seek knowledge. We know and pride ourselves with the phrase “Knowledge is power”. And yet, I wonder if that philosophy leads us into striving and always aiming for a return, for proof, for mastery. Always needing to know.
I think about this from a decolonized lens: who decides what kind of knowledge is valuable? What about sensing? What about being? I think about the wisdom in nature such as the wisdom that lies within trees, land, animals, and our ecosystems.
I wonder about where this need to know comes from. We live in a world where knowing is often essential but not knowing tends to be devalued, mocked, or dismissed.
Maybe you remember a time when you were a beginner:
You didn’t know the sport, or the job, or the lesson. Maybe you felt anxious, behind, or even ashamed. You felt a part of you performing. The urgency to catch up and belong is real. But in all of that striving, what do we miss?
What We Miss
Have you ever watched a baby try something for the first time? Crawling towards an object, reaching, wide-eyed, investigating the unknown?
They move forward with curiosity. They don’t know what’s next, but they explore. Carefully, instinctively and openly. The fear and judgment we carry as adults is for the most part, learned. And so much that is learned is essential for our survival, and sometimes, we forget about our humanity and our relationships with the world. Imagine what it would be like to live with more gentle curiosity, to approach your world without needing to know the outcome all the time. Our world would be full of discovery, and perhaps our world would feel more grounded.
We need to know things such as how to navigate systems, pay bills, make decisions, keep ourselves and others safe. So this isn’t about rejecting knowledge altogether.
Instead, the beginner’s mindset invites a different relationship with knowing. Rather than chasing certainty or performing expertise, we begin from curiosity. We allow ourselves to discover rather than strive. Sometimes this still leads to knowing, but it’s a knowing that’s embodied, integrated, and aligned with who we are not just what we’re told we “should” know.
When I reflect on my experience with the beginner’s mindset, I notice it feels as if I have energy that feels stable, full, confident, and calm.
Why Beginner’s Mind Matters
The beginner’s mindset helps us:
Expand perspective
Stay curious
Engage creativity
Detach from rigid definitions of failure or success
Feeling an abundance of energy
Cultivating confidence and an increase in self esteem
It supports emotional flexibility, openness, and connection.
It allows for the kind of learning that transforms rather than just informs.
Beginner’s mind gives us space to notice, to choose and relate. Often times people worry that this will lead to passive acceptance, but on the contrary, cultivating and acutally rediscovering this (because it is within us!) rewires how we engage with uncertainty, stress, and even our identity. From this place, we find our inner compass with more clarity and feel the vitality within us.
What Can This Help With?
Anxiety
Depression
Boredom
Boundaries
Disconnection
Frustration
Overwhelm
Shame
Decision making
Addictive patterns
Even if something appears to be the same, it doesn’t mean it feels or is the same. For example: in sitting in meditation, nothing is actually the same. The breath is different. Your body is different. The moment is different. We invite a breath to be a journey and not just an action.
How to Cultivate Beginner’s Mind
Here are a few simple invitation to begin to experiment with.
Begin with the Breath
Take one breath.
Notice what it’s like.
Is it deep? Shallow? Is there tension? What do you notice? How does it feel? Can you notice what it’s like to take a breath and feel it run through the pathway down your throat, into your lungs, and belly? What feels fluid and what feels stuck?
Can you stay with that experience without fixing it?
(It isn’t necessary to define this with words)
Observe Without Solving
Notice your thoughts.
Notice your judgments.
No need to push them away—just hold them lightly.
Everything in your space is meant to be in your space.
Try the Alien Exercise (great for kids or inner children)
Imagine you’ve just arrived on Earth. You’re seeing a tree, or a leaf, or a spoon for the very first time.
What does it look like?
What does it feel like?
What is its shape, color, texture? Use your senses. What do you observe? What happens when you toss it in the air? What sounds does it make?
How does it feel on your hand? In your hand?
You may find that you could spend hours with one object!
By embodying ourselves, trusting the wisdom in our bodies, including our boundaries, and even allowing the world to influence us, we may discover true self leadership. It is about stepping into each moment without gripping tightly. It is about remembering that knowing isn’t the only way to belong. I find that the beginner’s mindset leads to the cultivation of so many wonderful things including, gratitude and joy. For each moment, every day.
-Imuri
