But there are a few activities that ease my chatter; that give me enough focus to clear out the clutter and concentrate on working through just one idea at one time.
The first is my daily commute. I have the unfortunate circumstance of living outside of the city (blame it on paying off debt and trying to save a small little nest egg) so I commute in and out daily. My commute is about 2 hours in total (per day - gasp!) and I spend much of that time in my own head clearing the clutter. The monotony of the route and the cars coddling me on either side have turned my drives into somewhat comforting moments of clarity. Mind you, I'd happily rid myself of the commute in a heart beat, but for the time being, I'm making the best of it.
The second is the shower. I really enjoy my showers. I have always had a loving relationship with water; I enjoy feeling the running water on my skin and I enjoy how said running water tunes out everything else in the real world. This is actually my favourite place to really feel. To focus on one, perhaps normally overwhelming, thought and really let myself feel it. I sometimes have my most explosive a-ha moments while conditioning my hair.
Lastly is the yoga studio. And perhaps this is more a practice of clearing all thoughts and focusing on one intention (more than easing the chatter). But it's a practice that has, over time, given me strength and clarity. And it's this reason alone that brings me back to my mat when I've strayed. Yoga is one of those rare gifts that has been even better for my emotional and mental health than it has for my physical. I wouldn't trade my ability to practice for the world.
It's far easier for me to write this post than actually engage in calming the chatter, but it's something I think we all should do daily; if even for a few minutes. I'm often guilty of brushing it off. So, I've added this to my 2012 goals: Take a few minutes every day to clear the mental clutter.
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