Mountains and plateaus

When I observe beginners in practice I am amazed by how wide open they are to learning. The discoveries they make are exciting. Their enthusiasm glows in their eyes. The amount of change they undergo in the first few months is immense; studying about their body and mental tendencies, about movement and interaction, and about the application of what's learned on the mat into their daily life. Many of the things they do, like rolling, are completely new (and at times, scary) and may be done for the first time in their lives.

This first period of time is like infancy - indeed, a clean slate, a beginner's mind. We absorb and try everything for the first time. We change rapidly. We feel we can climb any hill and move any mountain with the power of our exploration. The next few years will be much like childhood - experiencing this world of new knowledge, and trying out everything with much curiosity. The path is colorful, and the landscape keeps changing.

Yet as time passes by, we find out that big discoveries are coming less frequent and we enter a new stage of work. We feel more comfortable. It seems harder to have "fresh eyes" and we become somewhat conditioned. We walk the gray plateaus, and the deeper we study, the longer the stretches. We have doubts and second thoughts, and we ask ourselves whether we want to keep going. We advance slowly and we sometime feel we regress. Now and then we experience a breakthrough. We come to the understanding that walking this path is not about entertainment. There is a lot of work to be done and much to be practiced. We get to experience the path with its subtle layers. No longer studying the techniques but refining them, not learning whole movements but working on subtle shifts of angles and positioning, examining our timing in every encounter. Yet in the face of hard work, we discover our own capacity to move on and enjoy our growth.

By recognizing the depth and richness this path offers - one will reach maturity. From infancy to adulthood, perseverance is right beside us. We develop our skills, sharpen our techniques and build our internal strength. Step by step, we keep walking, roaming the great plateaus.

Drum sound rises on the air, its throb, my heart.
A voice inside the beat says,
"I know you're tired, but come. This is the way."
~Rumi