The Challenge of Clearing the Mind...

Do you know that scene in "Eat Pray Love", where Liz is in the meditation room in the ashram of her guru in India, and she is struggling to clear her mind?

I feel like that just about every single time I sit down to practice.

My inner monologue always goes a little something like this:

Okay, I've got twenty minutes or so. Let's meditate. 
I should really change clothes. You're supposed to wear comfortable clothing. Where are my yoga pants? 

Okay, *NOW* I'm ready. Should I lay down? If I lay down I'll fall asleep. But if I sit in lotus position for too long, my feet will fall asleep and that will distract me. Maybe I'll just sit on the bed and prop myself up with pillows. Yeah, that's it. Okay. 

Clear your mind. Ommmmm...what was that noise? Oh, refrigerator. Okay. Ommmmm... am I allowed to say "om"? Does that make me look silly? I don't know if a beginner is supposed to say that. I wonder what "om" means, anyway? Maybe I need one of those meditation phrases like Liz talked about in "Eat Pray Love". What was hers again? Om namah shivaya? Something about honoring the divinity within... I'll have to look that up again... STOP IT, LINDSAY, FOCUS.

Okay... let's just sort of "mmm" for now. Silently. Right, okay. Mmmmmmmmm... when the thoughts come, just register them, and then push them away. Mmmmmmmmmm... speaking of registering, I've got to figure out next semester's cla...oh crap, push it away, it can wait... Mmmmmmmmm... Mmmmmmmmm... Was that my phone? Oooh, text message! Maybe I'll just... NO, it can wait. Focus! Mmmmmmmm..... Mmmmmmmmm...

And on and on, until I either fall asleep or get interrupted.

*sigh* Oh well. I'm trying. That's the important part, right? Not giving up?