Mushin - No Mind
Now for the second of the 4 essential mindsets for traditional karate, Mushin - the mindset of no mind.
“Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water.” – Bruce Lee (1940-1973)
Thinking About Nothing By Not Thinking About Anything
Mushin comes from "MU", which means emptiness or nothingness, and "shin", which means "heart, mind or spirit".
In plain language, it is the art of thinking about nothing without thinking of anything.
It is a mental state that trained martial artists, zen and Daoist meditators are working towards achieving.
It is best described in western words as what athletes in sports say they are in the "zone" or in "the flow".
You can probably recall having experienced it when you finally can sit down and write your next blog article, and you get so immersed in the act of writing that nothing can disturb you.
I experience Mushin when I am running. When my body is warmed up, after some minutes of running(5 to 10 minutes), I enter "the zone" and can run for a long time at the same pace.
My mind is focused solely on the rhythm of my feet and breath.
This article is written in the context of practising karate. It means no fear, no worries. You are only focused on your opponent and the now, letting all your techniques flow to defend and counterattack your opponent, not thinking about what to do next.
All you do is let your actions and movements flow like water in a river.
It can be challenging to achieve or call upon this mental state. It can be easy for some people, and others may have to work quite a bit on achieving Mushin.
Maybe the easiest way to achieve Mushin is by meditation.
Have you ever experienced Mushin; maybe in sports, maybe in reading for an exam or perhaps you have experienced it in your article writing for your blog?
Share your experience! I will love to learn if this is familiar to you and how you use it.
Recent Comments
22
We might end up meeting each other in the "zone" Jeff 😄👍🏼
I need to pick up my book project soon and write some more on it.
Roy
Ah yes, Mushin. Seeing that word made me smile. I know it, Ive achieved mushin state of mind, where you are free, your body and mind roam as one.
Ah yes...thank you for the reminder.
Rudy
Great, Rudy! How is your martial arts training going? Have you started yet?
I do about 15 minutes of meditation in the morning.
Roy
Recently, I stoppd by the senior center to find out about their upcoming joliday bazaar, and was surprised at all they offered in classes.
I will start taking classes in Tai chi soon, which will get me ready to return to the style of martial arts I once practiced.
Thanks for asking!
Rudy
Hi RoysinOnline it is nice to meet you. Yes my doctors want me to learn meditation. I have try to but I can't get the breathing down pat or even right. I do the opposite of what I am suppose to do. I just can't keep up with the instructor. So I gave up on it.
When I was discharged from the hospital the doctors gave me orders to relax and do meditation. I just have a hard time doing it.
I had even tried martial arts at one time and I couldn't even do that right it was like I had two feet. That is very bad. Again I gave up on that too.
I met one of the other members who does meditation and she gave me websites so I printed some things up. I am going to try to do this because I really do need to relax and be a lot calmer then what I am.
Best wishes on your journey on your endeavors much success in your business.
Mary
Any time you can sit in silence, even for one minute, you are meditating.
Yes, there are many ways to meditate, yet, when we try too hard, we do not give in to allow our minds and spirits to run free.
Rudy
Hey Mary! Nice to meet you too. Thank you for reading my little blog post :-)
Rudy has very good advice. Even 1 minute is worth a lot. Training makes you better each day you try.
There are some great apps for your phone that can help you a long way and explain how to get started.
Headspace, Breethe and Insight Timer are three awesome apps to try out, and you can do it for free with some limitations on the app. But it is still worthwhile to try them out in any case.
Both meditation and martial arts is a lifetime journey to become good at it. I have been doing martial arts since the age of 14, now I am 57 and have still lots to learn.
The core of it is to let time work for you. Take it in small steps and be patient, very patient.
Have a great day!
Roy
Roy, it is nice to meet you. Thank you for the advice I will try what you recommend. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
I have some books on meditation the only thing is they are in storage right. So I just have to go on YouTube and see what is available there.
I see 1Ruby1 so I am quite interesting in what he wrote. I believe that I can learn how to do meditation I just need some guideness. (I think that is how it is spell).
Best wishes on your journey on your endeavors much success in your business.
Mary
Thank you 1Rudy1 I appreciate your advice, I never thought about it that way before.
I thought that breathing was involved with meditation. That is where my problem lays is with the breathing I can't seem to get it right.
But I do understand what you are saying. I will be more mindful of what I am doing. Again thank you and it was nice to meet too.
Mary
You're welcome, Mary.
Sometimes we stay so busy, that taking a few minutes to do something like meditate, etc, is unheard of...grin.
And that is a mindset.
We must for ourselves as we would do for someone else.
Rudy
1Ruby1 Yes that is one of many problems in this world. We put everything ahead of us. We have no (me time) as it were.
If we stop just stop in our tracks and be quiet, listen to the sounds around you. We are always doing for others but no for ourselves.
And we feel guilty for taking time for us and we also been called selfish, self-centered, but no one every see what we do for them.
This is something we need to do from this going forward is taking time for ourselves so we can decompress, relax become our old self.
Mary
So true. I take time everyday, even if only fir 5 minutes. Longer times will increase with the level of confidence that builds from treating yourself well.
At first, yes, we may feel guilty for treating ourselves so well, yet, soon, we appreciate that we take time to do so.
Rudy
Hi Rudy, I like your response the only thing when you have running thoughts constantly it is hard to clear your mind no matter how hard you try you just can't because the running thoughts are controlling.
As I said before no one can say anything about running thoughts and bipolar disorder unless you have experience it yourself.
Because you have no control over these thoughts that's why we are on medication to help put those thoughts to rest, but it is very hard.
Many bipolar disorder patients commit suicide because of the thoughts. Unlike many mentally ill patients they just want to stop the pain that they are in. That is why this is so important to me. If I can safe a life by getting them the help they need. The I have done my job.
Mary
Although I have never been diagnosed with Bi-polar, as a former alcohol/drug counselor, I have worked with many such affected folks, and I do understand how difficult it can be to quiet your mind.
That being said, fear can be a deterrent to trying something new.
Especially when it may go against the grain of western medicine beliefs.
We believe in what we are told, because we trust the source. Yet, that source is only going by what THEY have learned, and so on it goes.
I believe that giving ourselves permission helps us to stop swimming upstream...
Of course, the first time you try to clear your mind, the noise in your head is in a mode of chaos.
We dont know how to NOT think of something. That is why visualizations are so important.
Imagine your favorite memory and think of that time for one minute .
I think you find it easier to focus on one thing, rather than to clear everything from your mind and stare into the void.
Rudy
Rudy, I just know from me and doing research no matter how hard you try to you can't stop your head from making noise. I have been bipolar since I was a kid but wasn't diagnosed till my twenties.
It only stops when the pain stops. That is why so many people with mental illness commit suicide, just so the pain will stop. If we could focus on one thing we wouldn't have the label of mental illness. That is the same of getting out of head. But we can't.
There is a lot that people don't know about mental illness. We the patient has to deal with a lot to deal with medication change medication transition and that doesn't only wick havoc on our psyche but our bodies as well.
It is a double sided coin, what I mean is we can't live without our meds and we can't live with them until we find the right combination of drugs.
Being mentally ill has many issues to it and the scientist haven't figure it all out yet. We are still learning about many new as well as the old.
Mary
Everyone has there own way of meditating but I like the way you explain the post about this concept it's well written thanks for the read.👍✨
Great point about everyone meditating in different ways. Some enjoy listening to calm and relaxing music while they meditate, and some rather like to meditate without music.
I like both but have noticed that meditating without music is more difficult than with music.
Roy
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I have never come across the actual term "Mushin" before Roy, but I fully understand what you mean....
Getting "in the zone" as I would put it is essential when we want to be highly productive in all areas of our lives my friend!
Hi Nick! Yes, your right.
It is crucial to focus and enter the flow zone and stay in it.
Amazing things happen when we do.
Roy
Absolutely it is Roy... let the amazing things continue to roll my friend!