A Beginner's Mind, Compassion, Mindfulness and a Portugal adventure
Are there prettier pictures I took in Portugal? Absolutely!! But I picked this one because it gives a deeper sense of what the experience was like for me on this trip. I was lucky to be able to take in the amazing country of Portugal filled with mindfulness and compassion.
I wanted to do an immersion in the country and with the people of Portugal. This would include, as always, significant engagement with Beginners Mind. In mindfulness, this refers to the mind being open and free. The mind is free from judgement and open to ALL possibilities...even the not so pleasant experiences.
I began this process months before the trip by studying the language for about an hour a day. It gave me an understanding of the language although I was very far from fluent. I came to find that this served me well in this travel of discovery. Every time I went into a restaurant, shop or other establishment where I would find the local people, I began the conversation in Portuguese. Broken Portuguese? Definitely! But what an adventure in learning! I didn't worry about embarrassment that I was not saying things correctly. I trusted that the authentic place I was in of wanting to connect in a significant way would shine through. I was granted some amazing experiences through this beginners, compassionate and open mind.
People wanted to connect! The language difference did not matter much at all. I had a translator app and could understand enough to have a small conversation. But that app was used less and less as the trip went on. I even got involved helping a person involved in helping the cat colonies there and we became fast friends. Although the woman running it did not speak any English and I was limited on Portuguese, it didnt matter. We were both speaking the language of connection. We went to coffee one day, used the translators and with my limited understanding and speech in Portuguese we were able to communicate.
The real lesson in all my interactions was that in the Portuguese culture and people genuinely want to connect. The language was secondary. Just like the woman who was helping the cats, it made zero difference that we didn't totally understand each other. It was the warmth between two people who care that was understood at a fundemental level by both of us that provided understanding. It was the universal truth that we are ALL interdependent. It goes beyond verbal language and gets to the core of who we are as humans. We need each other...desperately. There is a reason that in the US we have a crisis of lonliness. We need to connect with each other. The dogma of belief gets pushed to the background when we genuinely connect and help each other as humans.
This is what I found in Portugal. I realized my place in this world is one of affiliation, compassion and of course, mindfulness as the over arching philsophy of it all. Mindfulness includes everything!! There is no exclusion of emotions or experience when we practice mindfulness. We include and feel it all; maybe especially when it is difficult. Keeping this open mind of compassion and being present made this trip magical.
So the question may be, how do I begin to do this?
Set an intention of being present. This requires practice. Because our minds tend to go to obsessive and/or judgmental thoughts, we need to practice bringing our minds back to the present moment with kindness. We must do this over and over again to gain true present moment awareness. I have been practicing over 14 years and it can still be difficult depending on what is happening in my life. But the payoff for my mental state is beyond anything I could ever imagine.
Practice self compassion. The practice of self compassion literally changed my life. It created a new world of love for myself . This translated into expaniding my capacity to love and support others. Begin by taking a class with me or another Mindful Self Compassion teacher. I have many free self compassion meditations on my website that could be helpful. It is very helpful to have a mentor to help when there are setbacks or questions.
Meditate --it does not have to be sitting! Walking meditation can be powerful, especially if the mind is particularly active. I have found taking a mindful walk where I place my focus on sounds around me, body sensations while walking, emotions or my breath are very helpful. Remember that the mind WILL wander. This is no problem. When we notice it wandering, this gives us the opportunity to bring it back gently to the present moment. Of course, if sitting meditation reasonates with you, please do this! Know that what you need for your practice and that this could change from day to day. Honor what you need.
Remind yourself to have an open beginners mind. As Zen master Shunryu Suzuki said"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few." I take this statement to heart. Practicing mindfulness will allow us to see when we are NOT open and make the necessary changes in the mind to cultivate a more open nature. Notice I am usuing the word culivate. It is so important to understand that this change towards openness will not happen overnight. It took most of us a long time to get this way and it takes time and lots of gentle reminders to bring ourselves back to the wonder and excitement that that can fill our lives!
Thank you for reading this and please remember to reach out to me any time with questions. You can sign up for one of my classes by clicking here:
In compassion and kindness,
Laurie
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