MUSHIN ~ The Japanese Art of Flow

imagine the Olympic athlete they're at the Pinnacle of their domain their sport alongside a select group of individuals who are the best of the best in the world however even at this level of Excellence the athlete still acknowledges the possibility of losing or not making the podium although the athlete is aware of their abilities and potential for victory nothing is certain in this circumstance The Athlete's best option is to rely on their automated behaviors from thousands of repetitions of practice they allow and trust their mind and body to find the right rhythms to increase their chances of winning this mental state of trusting your training being in the present moment and allowing for natural and unconscious movement is referred to as mushin is an expression derived from Zen Buddhism the word contains the character for negation not or without along with the character for heart's mind the word is shortened from mushin no Shin a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also referred to as the state of no-mindedness at its core mushin is about being fully present in the moment free from distractions and preconceptions by emptying the mind of wandering thoughts one can achieve a state of flow where actions become effortless and intuitive State of Mind allows for faster and more effective decision-making especially in high pressure situations where reaction time is critical it is translated by Zen master DT Suzuki as being free from mind attachment practice of mushin is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture and it can be found in many aspects of daily life one example of mushin in practice can be found in the martial art of Aikido in Aikido the goal is to blend with an opponent's movements and redirect their energy rather than directly attacking or resisting them to do this effectively practitioners must be able to move quickly and intuitively without conscious thought in order to achieve this state of mind Aikido practitioners often practice a form of meditation called Tsar Zen which involves sitting in silence and focusing on the breath this practice helps to clear the mind of distractions and preconceptions allowing for a more intuitive and spontaneous response to an opponent's movements mushin can also be seen in other areas of daily life such as when a musician becomes fully immersed in a performance or a writer enters a state of flow while writing in these moments the individual is able to let go of distractions allowing for a more intuitive and creative response to the task at hand says the real secret of life to be completely engaged with what you're doing in the Here and Now and instead of calling it work realize it is play the way to reach a state of no mind involves the practice of relaxation through meditation and mindfulness this means accepting and allowing yourself to be your true self without any form of judgment to achieve a state of no mind you should allow all your thoughts feelings and Sensations to exist freely without any resistance by doing so you can be completely relaxed and free to be who you are Osho explains this beautifully he says I am not my mind because I can observe my thoughts so the Observer is different from the observed I am not my mind without total acceptance you cannot achieve a state of no mind when you resist or try to suppress your thoughts you limit yourself from realizing your true self resistance creates a separation from your genuine self to flow naturally and without attachment to them helps increase your awareness of yourself allowing is the key to awareness in this state of awareness the content of your thoughts becomes insignificant as only your awareness matters you'll become aware of the peace within you and your thoughts will be recognized as a natural part of the flow of energy this energy is peace and consciousness through this awareness you attain a state of no mind no mind does not imply the absence of thoughts instead it involves identifying and being aware of the origin of your thoughts the source of your mind zen master takuan Soho said the Mind must always be in the state of flow for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this Interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the Mind in the case of The Swordsman it could mean death when The Swordsman faces an opponent he is not to think of himself his opponent or of his enemies sword movements he just stands with his sword which forgetful of all technique is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious The Swordsman deletes his rational mind from the situation as the wielder of the sword when he strikes it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man's subconscious that strikes in the West mushin can be described as being in the Flow State this term was first coined by Dr mihali sixxent mihali in 1975. it is a modern confirmation of what the Ancients have known for millennia we perform best when we act on intuition people who have experienced flow also known as The Zone report being fully immersed with an increased level of concentration losing oneself in a task and deriving intense enjoyment and meaning from it so how do you unlock this Flow State in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear he coined a concept he referred to as the Goldilocks zone it refers to the optimal level of difficulty for a task or habit if a task is too easy it becomes boring and does not challenge us enough to create any real growth or progress on the other hand if a task is too difficult it can be overwhelming and discouraging leading to frustration and giving up the Goldilocks zone is the just right level of difficulty that is challenging enough to push us outside of our comfort zone and create growth in progress but not so difficult that it leads to frustration or burnout for example if you are trying to develop a regular exercise habit starting with a short 10 minute workout might be too easy while attempting to run a marathon right away would likely be too difficult instead finding a workout routine that is challenging but achievable such as a 30-minute jog or a 45-minute yoga class would be in the Goldilocks zone finding the Goldilocks zone can help us to create habits that are sustainable and enjoyable leading to long-term success and growth it requires a level of self-awareness to know our own abilities and limitations as well as the willingness to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone in a healthy and productive way attaining the state of no mind may be a challenging idea for some to comprehend nevertheless when you attain this state you enter a realm of Consciousness and spirituality that only the enlightened and the awakened can experience observing everything from a detached perspective your true self emerges as past presence and future dissolve into pure existence as Stephen kotler the founder of the flow Collective says flow is more than just an optimal State of Consciousness one where we feel our best and perform our best it also appears to be the only practical answer to the question what is the meaning of life flow is what makes life worth living so continue a good fight should be like a small play but played seriously a good martial artist does not become tense but ready not thinking yet not dreaming Ready For Whatever May Come when the opponent expands I contract when it contracts I expand and when there is an opportunity I do not hit it hits all by itself no

Channel: Wiara

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Id: NBHLW0x2dHY

Length: 8min 51sec (531 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 02 2023