Shoshin
A Path to Health Exploration
Recently I took a hard right in my own training. For the last couple of years I've been mostly focused on programming based in building muscle specifically, former CrossFit Games athlete Marcus Filly's Functional Bodybuilding program. I really enjoyed it. It's a thoughtful program that gets results. In the last couple of months though I started to get a little itch for something different.I recognized the feeling as comfort. Not comfort in that the exercises and workouts weren't challenging. They certainly were. But I realized that the movement skill requirement was no longer keeping my attention. I had allowed myself to become complacent in my approach. At least more complacent than I know is ultimately good for me.
In response I shifted to Wolf Brigade's Subversive Fitness online programming. Wolf Brigade is a Strength and Conditioning gym, community, and approach home based in Rochester, NY and founded by Greg Walsh. Their program focuses on the skills of strength and "hard mindedness" through the use of heavy kettlebells, maces, and barbells among other tools. I've been dipping my toe in their pond for some time but after some consideration for my needs I decided to jump in all the way. I'm glad I did.
It's not just that I appreciate the thoughtfulness and deliberate application that comes through in their delivery. I certainly do. As a fellow strength and conditioning professional, it's actually a relief. But in what are still my first days and weeks of giving myself to this program there's another underlying feeling that I needed. An attention and drive that can only be found in one way. That is in being a student. Again. Moving myself purposefully into an environment where I cannot solely rely on the ease and momentum of my experience. Instead I have to direct my intention and attention fully at the task at hand. I have to be open to new information constantly and sacrifice my comfort at the altar of the Shoshin.
Shoshin
Shoshin, or "beginner's mind" is a Zen Buddhist term that implies eagerness, humility, and curiosity as core values of learning regardless of level of experience or expertise. This mindset is grounded in openness that encourages valuable risk taking and embodied iterative failure. When this is done right, humility will emerge as a result. Shoshin takes place in the form of action. Shutting up in the moment of vulnerability and having the full experience of uncertainty. Of sucking. Of possible ignorance, embarrassment, or heaven forbid - failure. Failure being the best teacher is not just some philosophical trope but a condition of a diploma from the school of Hard Knocks.
The cost of Shoshin can be steep but the reward is plentiful. By learning to move forward not just through but towards uncertain outcomes we open ourselves up to experimentation. "Let's see what happens" is the slogan of the Beginner's Mind. Giving up certainty can be difficult but it's nothing compared to the treasure that lies on the path of learning. By consciously engaging in a process of purposeful vulnerability we deepen our knowledge of ourselves and in an ironic twist make ourselves less vulnerable in the long term. Being in a state of frequent failure and recalibration is where the ownership of robust solutions is born.
Truly cultivating a state of Shoshin forces us to shelve our preconceptions and give ourselves wholly to whatever experiment we are undertaking. Not for the sake of broadcasting our courage socially but so that the lesson we get on the other side is real. This process can be a difficult one for sure. I've found that the frustration and disappointment can best be resolved with a hearty laugh at one's self.
Referring back to my newly embarked Subversive Fitness journey I have had to relearn, refine, and rebuild skillsets that I thought I already owned. I'm learning new movements and new ways to do old ones. There are times when the "why are they doing it like that", "I didn't learn it that way" silliness creeps into my mind. The friction that comes from how a part of me thinks it "should" be done pokes up. Left to its own devices it would cut me off from potentially new and powerful information that could make me better. No thank you.
Skills to Pay the Bills
My friend and colleague Bo Sandoval (Assistant Athletic Director at Texas A&M) recently said on a recent podcast that he believes "New skill acquisition is the key to longevity." I agree. Learning new things lights up the brain because they require our attention. The mind and body are unsure what to expect so it's all hands on deck. Novelty is the enemy of complacency.
The ability to continually learn is the most robust skill we can develop. In fact, a might even call studentness a "meta-skill". Can I still learn? is a good question to ask if you really want track an indicator of long term holistic robustness.
You can teach an old dog new tricks and in fact the dog who can learn new tricks is almost always full of more vigor, vitality, and joie de vivre than those who are unwilling or unable to do so. Shoshin is a gateway to this superpower.
Student For Life
So what in Sam Hill does that have to do with Check Engine Lights, indicators, or performance longevity? Plenty. If you see a light on, don't be afraid to reinvent yourself to fix it if necessary. Or at least that one aspect of yourself that isn't serving you or your ability to be at your best. Â
Perpetual studentness whereby you continually run experiments on what works best keeps us engaged and adaptive. This is far more sustainable in the long term than being fixated on a singular solution, path, or way of doing things.
By cultivating an improved relationship with experimentation through the Beginner's Mind we have a better framework to explore habits and practices that are more sustainable over a lifetime. The healthiest people I know are tinkerers. They're always starting over and trying something new. They are perpetual students.
Become a true student of health with the mindset of Shoshin and you may just be amazed by what happens.
Thanks for reading,
Rob