The Art of Letting Go
“In the Beginner´s Mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert´s there are few”
©photo: Sandra Schultze
My Beloved Community,
Zen master Shunryu Suzuki writes "In the Beginner´s Mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert´s there are few."
At this moment, we are all having to learn to embrace that which is unknown and new on a daily - if not hourly - basis. Having to let go and begin again. And again. And again. This may feel as hopeless as Groundhog Day at first glance, but in my own experience - Letting Go and Beginning Again is probably the single most important quality in practice.
“The art of letting go and beginning again is an act of friendliness, of curiosity and kindness.”
Because the art of letting go and beginning again is an act of friendliness, of curiosity and kindness. It´s making room for a childlike wonder that allows us to be complete beginners. - To not have all the answers. To not have a perfect plan. To not think that there is something fundamentally wrong with not knowing.
Each time we manage to stop clinging to things being a certain way - there is space, open and mysterious. And it is in the depth of this groundlessness that new insights can begin to sprout. Because we don´t learn the most from what we already know. We learn from our fumbling mistakes, our trials and errors, our doubts and shortcomings. Releasing our grip of the known, and opening up to things as they are keep our practice alive and relevant for the life that we are actually living. The other day, over one of many coffees, Patsy shared with me her favourite quote by Lama Sumati Marut:
It´s like this now.
So simple and so profound. It´s like this now - so let me be curious and pay attention to how it actually is now.
The Buddhist Ajahn Chah writes:
If you let go a little, you´ll experience a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you´ll experience a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you´ll experience complete peace.
The beauty of this teaching is that we are invited to begin exactly where we are. We can begin to let go a little and find some peace in that. The little letting go directs us towards the big letting go. Like this, little by little we can learn to trust that we too can float in the ever changing ocean of life - Like it is now.
We remain closer together. Do keep in touch, I´d really love to hear from you.
With All my Love and Gratitude
x kia, Paris September 20th 2020
You can find my talks, meditations, pranayama, practice soundscapes etc in our Podcast Channel: Mysore Yoga Paris | Closer Together that Yotam and I have created for you.
I’m dedicated to continue to support your practice through this delicate time, creating an inner Shala where we can always meet. We will meet regularly in our Borderless Online Shala and I will also personally post resources, talks, meditations, practice soundscapes and inspiration as well as any updates on the situation in our Newsletter, in Mysore Yoga Journal, through our website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
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