No Mind

The biggest hindrance to accessing the strength within is the mind. If you ever try to sit still and clear your head, you will quickly see how noisy your mind is. Constant thoughts, one after the other. When you are training or about to lift, you can easily see how your mind gets in the way. Telling things to you like, “you’re tired, just stop and rest”, “I don’t know if I can do this”, “this is way too heavy”, “what am I even doing here”, “it's much easier to just take it easy”, “I’m not as strong as I used to be”, and so on. Most of the time, we fall victim to it and let it get the best of us.

In Japan, there is a term called Mushin. Mushin translated to english is no mind, or empty mind. It is a state where the mind is not preoccupied by thought or emotion. It is empty. Emptiness is powerful, very powerful. When the mind is empty, it is free, unbiased, and adaptable. Mushin is the essence of Zen. It is also the core principle of Japanese martial arts.

Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a former Samurai, wrote a book called "The Art of the Samurai" where he talks in details about mushin. He writes that a great samurai must be free of thought. One should not be thinking about where the next attack might come from or I am going to this or that. If one begins to think the attack is going to come from the left. His whole being is now bias and prepares for an attack coming from the left. So if an attack comes from anywhere but the left, he will be at a disadvantage. To be in a state of mushin is where the mind is free, unbias, and can adapt to any situation.

https://aikidonosekai.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/aikido-mushin-no-mind/