The experienced beginner's mind

Over the next few days, I’ll be attending a course for something I have a good deal of experience in.

Why would I do such a thing?

When we make our first pass at learning something we do so with limited context. We take in information more passively because we don’t have the informational or experiential knowledge to question the material. We fixate on certain aspects of the teaching we believe to be important, but turn out to be relatively minor, and we dismiss some elements that turn out to be critical when we put our learning to use.

Showing up with a beginners mind. With the view that we know nothing. Fully open to the teachings on offer, but viewed through the lens of an experienced practitioner. This approach can help us see many truths about the fundamental teachings of our craft, to make connections between concepts, to learn the lessons we almost certainly missed the first time around.