Yoga and the Wisdom of Beginning Again, … and again, … and again

Brisk, cold, wintry January sky in NYC. A clean slate, so pregnant with possibilities for the new year. The eternal movement from dark to light. The perfect slate upon which to begin again.

It’s time for new beginnings, both within ourselves and externally in the larger world. So much has changed in the past month. It’s as if the Earth and all its inhabitants are purging itself – volcanically – of the old, and moving forcefully toward a renewal. Boy do we need one – a major one.

But the cool thing about new beginnings is that endless possibilities abound. Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi encourages us to have a Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. He writes:

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.  In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.

How can we empty our mind in order to cultivate a “beginners mind?” Well practice yoga, of course. Remember what the main goal of yoga practice is, as stated in these beginning verses of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: 

yogash chitta vritti nirodhah (verse 2)
tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam (verse 3)

Essentially, these verses mean that yoga practice’s aim is to help us to quiet down the movements of our own minds, so that we can realize who we really are – the Big Self, not the little self. In fact, a sign that you are progressing on the path of yoga is when you observe that you are less obsessed about your own little needs and more concerned about the needs and well-being of the people all around you, and indeed those of the very planet itself.

I have always found comfort in this meditation teaching from Sharon Salzberg:

[When we put our attention on the feeling of our breath] almost immediately we feel the healing power of being able to begin again. No matter where our attention has gone, or for how long, nothing’s ruined, nothing’s lost, we can always, always begin again. Everyone who meditates – both complete beginners and long-time meditators – gets high-jacked by thoughts and feelings. It’s just impossible not to. But it’s completely possible to start over. Wherever we’ve gone, we can begin again. It’s not a sign of failure. It’s not remedial practice. This is the practice. This ability to let go and begin again is the kind of fruit that we take into our ordinary life. We might stray from our chosen course, but realize we can begin again. We might lose sight of our aspiration, but realize we can begin again. We might make a mistake, but realize we can begin again.

I hope you too can take comfort in these words, especially each time you perceive you’ve failed. I fail to live up to my highest aspirations often. But each time I do, more and more now I find them to be moments to begin again to not berate myself yet again, and to begin again to cultivate a personal understanding of what it means to be a human who, like everyone else, has both flaws and unlimited possibilities.

And what about those aspirations? If you’re like me, you’ve probably set some New Year’s resolutions and SMART goals for 2021. Another favorite quote of mine – from Goethe – might be a helpful reminder of your innate power:

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all acts of initiative and creation.  There is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves to.  All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.  Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.  Begin it now.  

Whatever are your highest aspirations for the new year, I invite you to join me in ‘beginning again’ and ‘beginning it now’ to achieve them!

Know that I salute your courage!

May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May your mind be clear, …
May your mind be a beginner, again, …
May you begin again, … and again, … and again, …
May you begin again, NOW, …
For the benefit of ALL beings everywhere. 

Aloha, with Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun

May your yoga and meditation practice lead you to new heights!