In the beginners mind there are many possibilities. In the experts mind there are few.”

—Shunryu Suzuki, Zen 2)monk

Many years ago, as a yoga student, I 3)envisioned how wonderful it would be to teach yoga. As a beginner, my mind was always open: I had begun a love affair with the practice of yoga, and I absorbed it like sunlight to a flower. My teachers always seemed so centered and strong. They offered powerful insights in class, helping me gain greater insight into the challenges I faced in life.

Then one day I heard this statement:

“If you want to know about something, read about it. If you want to understand something, do it. If you want to master something, teach it.”

I was 4)hooked 5)instantly, and I knew I would be a teacher. I wanted to master the practice of yoga, so I needed to teach it.

Though Ive been a teacher for more than a decade, as I write this I am in the middle of an intensive four-week yoga teacher-training program. After all these years and countless hours teaching, I am back to where I started: sitting in a class with a beginners mind.

初學(xué)者的思維飽含可能，久習(xí)者的思維飽受羈絆。”

——禪修大師鈴木俊隆

多年前，我還是一個瑜伽學(xué)生時，就在想象教授瑜伽會是件多么美妙的事。作為一個初學(xué)者，我總能接受新思想：我開始對瑜伽練習(xí)產(chǎn)生了狂熱的興趣，我就像花兒吸取陽光那般，去吸收瑜伽知識。老師們看上去總是顯得那么專注有力。他們在課堂上傳授強大的見解，幫助我更富見地地面對生活中的挑戰(zhàn)。

后來有一天，我聽到了這樣一個觀點：

“欲曉某事，讀之。欲悟某事，踐之。欲通某事，教之?！?/p>

我當(dāng)即便被吸引住了，并明白到自己會成為一位老師。我想精通瑜伽，所以我需要教授瑜伽。

盡管我已經(jīng)當(dāng)了十幾年老師，在寫這篇文章時，我還在參加一個為期四周的瑜伽教練強化訓(xùn)練項目。多年以來，歷經(jīng)教授瑜伽的無數(shù)個日子，我又回到我最初的狀態(tài)：在課堂上，抱著一個初學(xué)者的心態(tài)。

For me, the decision to participate in an intensive training program has seemed fairly 6)straightforward, as it allows me to study a style of yoga I have not yet mastered. Yet, as Ive mentioned the training to friends in passing, a few of them have expressed a bit of surprise: “But I thought you were already certified?” Another friend said, “Given both the time and financial commitment, why put yourself through another training program?”

Good question.

In my experience, any good teacher is simply an accelerated student, constantly learning, staying open, and sharing the fruits of their explorations with others. Enthusiasm is 7)contagious, and when we are in the presence of a really inspirational teacher, we feel their excitement and their joy of discovery.

Good teachers inspire us to be with our beginners mind and stay open to new ideas.Even if it makes us uncomfortable, this mindset provides a perspective of willingness—the willingness to listen to new ideas, no matter how overwhelming they seem to be at first. Though it often feels very 8)humbling to be in the classical beginners mind place of “not knowing,” it can also bring such rewards.

When we are feeling stuck, a new idea can powerfully transform our lives. As noted American 9)yogi Joel Kramer states: “Yoga transforms you by opening up the physical and mental binds that block your potential, limiting your life. Transformation is a process that brings newness and interest … the transformation that yoga brings makes you more yourself, and opens you up to loving with greater depth … as a 10)sculptor brings out the beauty of form in the stone by slowly and carefully chipping away the rest.”

于我而言，決定參加強化訓(xùn)練課程，目標似乎是相當(dāng)明確的，我可以學(xué)習(xí)還未完全掌握的一種瑜伽風(fēng)格。然而，當(dāng)我與朋友們順帶提起這個培訓(xùn)項目的時候，其中幾位朋友表露出一絲驚訝：“我以為你已經(jīng)擁有認證資格了呢？”另一位朋友問道，“訓(xùn)練需要時間和經(jīng)濟上的投入，你為什么還要報讀新的瑜伽課程呢？”

問得好。

依我經(jīng)歷之所見，任何優(yōu)秀的老師只不過是一個進步神速的學(xué)生，不懈地學(xué)習(xí)，保持開放的心態(tài)，并與他人分享自己鉆研探索的成果。熱情是富有感染力的，當(dāng)我們有一位極具感召力的老師在場時，我們可以感受到他在探索中的興奮與喜悅。

優(yōu)秀的老師啟發(fā)我們保持初學(xué)者的心態(tài)并樂于接受新觀點。即使這使我們感到不適，但這樣的心態(tài)會令我們積極配合，愿意傾聽新觀點，無論那些觀點起初顯得多么有沖擊性。雖然“一無所知”這種初學(xué)者思想狀態(tài)需要放下身段，但這樣也能收益頗豐。

當(dāng)我們感覺走進死胡同時，新想法能強有力地改變我們的生活。正如美國知名的瑜伽修行者喬伊·克雷墨所說：“瑜伽可以通過打開束縛你潛能，約束你生活的身心枷鎖來改變你的生活。改變是一個帶來新奇和趣味的過程……瑜伽所帶來的改變能讓你更忠于自我，也讓你能更深沉地投入去愛……它就如雕刻家那般，通過緩慢而細致地修琢，削掉石塊多余的部分，雕琢出美麗的形態(tài)?！?/p>

Yoga offers a process where you can 11)systematically move through the binds that block your potential, and intentionally transform your life one breath at a time. When you are feeling frustrated or stuck, physical exercise often can be a 12)vital step toward feeling better—but remember that your mind plays a key role in this process as well.

The internal reflection (awareness) encouraged in yoga allows us to explore our mental edge—those places in our heart and mind where weve shut down out of fear or 13)fatigue, where weve decided we can no longer grow, expand, or change. Though it takes effort, we are reminded that we are always able to choose a new path, a different way of looking at our challenges.

As you move through each day, imagine your breath being a powerful sculptors tool. Like the sculptor working with a 14)chisel, with each mindful breath, you begin to see which aspects of your psyche need to be chipped away to reveal the already existent beauty that is within you. Even in situations and conditions that youve had for decades, use your beginners mind perspective to stay open to new possibilities.

瑜伽讓你經(jīng)歷這樣一個過程：它通過每一次的呼吸，讓你有條不紊地穿越那些限制你潛力的束縛，有目的地改變你的生活。當(dāng)你感覺沮喪或者困惑時，身體鍛煉往往是讓你走向感覺更好的至關(guān)重要的一步——但別忘了，心態(tài)在這個過程中也起著關(guān)鍵的作用。

瑜伽喚起的內(nèi)心反?。ㄕJ識）使我們能夠探索我們的精神極限——我們內(nèi)心和精神中那些因恐懼和疲憊而緊鎖的地方，我們曾認定這些不能再有所成長、發(fā)展或者改變的地方。盡管這需要付諸努力，但我們會獲得提醒說我們總可以選擇一條新的道路，以一個不同的視角來看待挑戰(zhàn)。

在每一天的生活中，想象你的呼吸就是一個雕刻家的神奇工具。就像雕刻家使用錘鑿工作那樣，通過每一次的用心呼吸，你開始意識到心靈的哪些部分需要摒棄，從而展露出你內(nèi)心本已存在的美麗。即使所處的境況長年不變，你也要發(fā)揮自己的初學(xué)者思維，向新的可能性敞開雙臂。

Remember: In the beginners mind, there are many possibilities, and within these possibilities we are reminded that we are free. May you open your mind to the many wonderful possibilities that exist for you in each moment, and systematically create the life of your highest dreams.

記?。阂猿鯇W(xué)者的思維角度看待問題，有很多的可能性，這些可能性提醒我們，我們是自由的。但愿你每時每刻都能夠?qū)Ρ姸嗑实目赡苄员３珠_放的心態(tài)，有條不紊地創(chuàng)造屬于你自己的最理想的生活。