While I think the experience of "rocking out with the barren trees" is enough of a reward in and of itself (they really are quite lovely!), there are over-reaching benefits to turning off the internal chatter. At the top of the list: it can help you to achieve goals that you set for yourself.
We all know that being able to pay attention to what we're doing is important, but often, even when we think that we are paying attention, there are still a host of other thoughts that are running through our minds. We may still be able to get a lot done, but will often take a little longer to do it, or may miss some little details that we would not have missed had we been truly focused.
I fall victim to this when I practice for sure. I catch myself going over the same thing again and again, tiring myself and not actually getting anything valuable done. It is most likely to happen when I'm hungry or tired, but often it's simply because I'm distracted by other thoughts about what I should be doing or what I already did that day or what I will be doing later.
So a little bit of wasted practice time or a wasted breath of fresh air in the morning is not too big a deal, right? What about when the pressure is on and it's really important that you give your all? For most of us, true and complete mental focus is difficult to just turn on and off. The times when we need to focus the most can be times when we experience more internal chatter than ever. If we are unable to focus on the important issue in that moment of performance (be that music, a game, a speech, and important conversation, an interview, etc.), we are far more likely to miss out on opportunities for success, or, at the very least, miss out on the full enjoyment of that moment if it is successful.
You can likely see where I'm taking this: practicing mental focus, being in the moment when there's no pressure is not only intensely rewarding on its own, it can pay massive dividends when you need to have your "game face" on.
The mind is incredibly powerful when it is focused, but we often don't take the time to truly develop that power to its full potential. Believe it or not, taking the time to say "No, thank you." to the mindless conversation that we have with ourselves all day and just allowing our minds to live in the moment strengthens our ability to focus when it counts.
People who want to practice this mental focus specifically and in isolation may choose to meditate. I personally find that a short meditation session in the morning is hugely beneficial to the way I think and feel for the day. That sort of time commitment may or may not be of interest to you. What everyone can afford to do, though, is take a few minutes during the day, even when busy, to just experience the moment. Get out of your head and look around. It sounds cliche, but when you're in the grocery store and you pass a bouquet of roses, take a second and really smell it. Or when you're next in the shower, take a moment and really feel the warm water on you. Our mind and our senses delight in pure experience, even if they are simple ones. Treat yourself.
I love the idea of really being engaged with your practice all the time, but sometimes it just doesn't work that way. I find that instead of getting frustrated with myself and my inner chatter, sometimes I just let go of my heavy expectations of myself and just play, in whatever capacity I can. No doubt that the more focused practice yields better results, but sometimes just going through the motions is OK too. I find it takes the pressure off and ultimately helps me to let go of tension. Maybe it's just another way of living in the moment and not judging life's experiences.
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