Declutter your mind

Can’t think straight? Always feeling frazzled? Time to clear your head and find your inner calm.

By Charlene Yared

Just when did life get so busy? Modern life is moving you away from being the superwoman you know you are to always feeling flustered, forgetful and stressed out. Here are 5 easy steps to help you clear the clutter in your mind to better navigate the chaos of everyday life.

Zen through Yoga

The entire system of Hatha Yoga, comprising breathing exercises and postures, is designed to bring balance and harmony to the body on all levels – including the intellect, says yoga instructor Deevya Vasson. “When you’re stressed, you start thinking of a million different things on your to-do list,” she says. “It’s at those times when you’ll find it most difficult to be still and quieten your mind.” Vasson recommends doing yoga and practicing various breathing techniques as a way to relax the body. “Once the body has released tension through physical exertion, stored toxins are freed from the body – and the mind becomes silent,” she says.

Horsing around

At the Mizpah Farm Retreat in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, it’s the horses that bring life back into equilibrium. The retreat has been running since 2007 as a sanctuary for anyone feeling fragmented, stressed out, tired, traumatised or just looking to get away. Visitors are given the chance to experience a guided interaction with one or more of the six horses, where the focus is on personal development, emotional healing and becoming more aware of the present moment. “Horses partner with us in this journey of exploration to help us become more aware and more connected with ourselves, each other and the environment,” says social worker, equine-facilitated psychotherapist and certified horsemanship trainer Liesl Jewitt, who runs the retreat.

Karate to calm down

In martial arts literature there is a phrase, ‘Mizu No Kokuro,’ which means, ‘mind like water’. According to the founder of Black Sword Aikido, Joseph Caulfield, the phrase implies making the mind calms when facing an emergency or an adversary. Chief instructor of the Karate Academy of South Africa, Soon Pretorius, adds: “The hard, physical training in karate demands the mind to focus, which not only improves brain capacity, but also helps to increase concentration and memory,” he says. “I believe that a healthy, peaceful mind requires a healthy body – and karate can help with all this, as well as learning about self-defence.”

Mindful meditation

Gillian Barton, co-ordinator of the level-one Shambhala meditation course, takes time out of her busy schedule every day to meditate, even if it’s just for ten minutes. “Meditation is incredibly simple, but it’s not easy. Once you get a taste of the benefits though, you’ll want to explore this practice further,” she says. “The Shambhala vision is a fresh expression of the spiritual journey for our time, and since the 1970s, centres have been set up all over the world.” Developed by Tibetan Lama Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, these techniques help to bring clarity, discipline and a sense of spaciousness, helping to free the restless, troubled and crowded mind.

Eat food for thought

For nutritional chef and owner of the Fresh Earth Food Store in Johannesburg, Matthew Ballenden, it’s simple: supply your body with good food and your brain will function optimally. “Our bodies are designed to maintain homeostasis at all times, providing that we look after them properly. A foggy mind or the inability to concentrate can easily be rectified by a well-balanced holistic eating plan,” he says. “Foods like steamed fish, raw nuts and seeds, freshly squeezed juices with ginger, gingko biloba and ginseng, loads of raw salads and whole grains, will all help to achieve a sharper mind.”