Mushin no shin — Mind without Mind

Mind without mind sounds wishy-washy, yet for those who have experienced it, there is no better feeling.

This mindset is where your inner voice is silent. You act purely based on instinct and feel. For many of us who are continually worrying, mental silence is incredibly freeing.

In sports, it is often called being in “The Zone,” where everything just seems to flow for a player.

Meditation is a tried and tested way to attain “Mushin no shin,” yet meditation is not something that appeals to everyone.

Have you ever aimlessly gone for a walk, and your legs just have taken you around without any conscious decisions about where you are going? Total empty mindedness, but your subconscious guides you.

People experience “Mushin no shin” in a vast array of fields. People report it in physical activities such as dance, running, karate, and others find it in mental or creative areas such as painting or doing sudoku.

I believe everyone should have an activity that gives them this feeling. We all struggle when we first start an activity because we must think so hard about what we are doing. Getting through this difficulty eventually leads to cognitive ease.

The key to “Mushin no shin” is consistency in whichever activity you choose. This activity then becomes an oasis during your day or week.

While I would caution against trying to force this mindset to be used productively rather than purely for mental health, it is possible to achieve in a working environment too.

Have you ever had a day where it’s just flown by, and you have no idea where the time went? It happens when you have all the necessary skills for your tasks, and your brain simply plows through.

It can be great for the first attempt or draft of a piece of work. Instead of your inner voice assessing every word or action you make, you let it run wild and afterward in a more focused state can edit and revise.

You may already have activities that put your brain into this state. If you do, make sure you make time for this and see how it lifts your overall mood. If you do not, what are you waiting for!