We tend to be very driven. When we are consciously aware of and in control of this quality, it can be very useful. Of course, being aware of and in control of your compulsions, impressions, and experiences might be better described as 'driving'. For most of us, we are 'driven' as opposed to 'driving'. When this is the case, it is hard to truly learn anything new... we attempt to understand it in terms of what we have already learned.

In order to really absorb new teachings, we have to "empty our cup" as the kung-fu master of old would say. Another way of describing this is creating 'clear space' in your mind-body. In addition, it is important to be able to look at your progress and challenges clearly without emotions getting in the way. Developing a place of clarity can be incredibly valuable for this as well.

So how do we create this 'clear space'? There are many ways, but for the sake of simplicity, we will be discussing just two of them: meditation and intense workouts.

When you meditate, you begin to clear out stagnant patterns in thought and behavior. You create space. This space does not have to be filled when you learn something new. This same space can be leveraged for an unlimited number of new learnings. This is a difficult concept to understand from reading. You will have to practice to truly comprehend.

The most important aspects of meditation for developing clear space are awareness, acceptance, and deep breathing. Pay close attention to the object of meditation. Accept whatever comes up in meditation; allow it to be. It is also very helpful to practice deep breathing during your meditation. If you like, focus on the breath can be the entire meditation.

The second method we will discuss is the intense workout. It is easiest to use whatever your standard workout is. To make it a bit more intense (ideally you want it to be energizing as well), change it up slightly, increase the quantity, or increase the length. For example, if you like to lift weights, you might use a bit more weight than you normally would, increase your reps, or perform some lifts that you usually don't do. If you practice Yoga, you could use some new asanas, hold your normal asanas longer, or increase the length of the whole session. If you don't workout at all, just a long walk (45 minutes or more) will do. Be cautious anytime you change your workout. Most importantly, listen to your body. But it is also useful to listen to your doctor and your trainer if you have one.

When you perform your workout, pay as much attention to the sensations in the body as possible. Breathe as deeply as you can while you workout. If your attention wanders, bring it back.

With either of these methods, you will begin to develop a pleasant state of clarity. For some, it will be blissful. For others, it will just be a nice, focused relaxation. The more you practice, the deeper you will develop the state. Eventually, you will be able to bring some of this state into any moment in your life. This is the ideal state to enter when learning something new, when you are reviewing something new you have learned, or when examining a particular performance of your new skill.