Zanshin: A Mind Like Water

Zanshin is a Japanese term referring to a state of relaxed alertness and awareness. In Aikido, we practice this constantly – how to clear your mind, not to anticipate, react to the action at hand – no more and no less.

David Allen has this to say in his book Getting Things Done (link in the sidebar):

Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the water respond? The answer is, totally appropriately to the force and mass of the input; then it returns to calm. It doesn’t overreact or underreact.

… The power in a … punch comes from speed, not muscle; it comes from a focused “pop” at the end of the whip… a tense muscle is a slow one. So the high levels of training in the martial arts teach and demand balance and relaxation as much as anything else. Clearing the mind and being flexible are the key.

Anything that causes you to overreact or underreact can control you, and often does.

Imagine finding a constant state of Zanshin. Is that even possible?

I for one don’t know yet if that is possible. However, I must remember it is a path to be walked not a destination in which we arrive.

What would be the goal of this you say?

Well, imagine if you will being able to slip into a highly productive state at will. For those that care about being productive, this would be a definite must have, right?

The danger I would surmise most of us “Type-A’s” have would be in the simple fact that we allow our life to become unbalanced. I allow work to flood into my life because I work in a profession, job, company, and role I truly love. However, by letting it become all-consuming, I risk polluting my “mind of water” and I can actually feel the physical and mental drain this begins to cause; I can feel the creep towards burn-out.

The other thing I have begun to realize is that I have allowed my physical well-being to slip. I eat what I want, not what I should; I do not exercice on a regular schedule outside of Aikido, lowering my endurance – both mentally and physically. I do not take enough time for spiritual enrichment. I do not take enough time for family and friends.

The sad thing is that I can rationalize just about any of this: Oh, there’s too much work to do to allow for the other things, just this one project needs to be done, If I only had 1 more hour in the day. But the truth is, as you all know, there is always something waiting around the corner for us productive people and there is never enough time in the day.

And as I step back and re-evaluate my tactical objectives in relation to my life goals, I realize I have taken a detour once again.

So remember: relax but do not become complacement, seek to clear your mind of clutter, and maintain balance in mind, body, and spirit.

Another great link is over at Zen Habits.