How to improve concentration

[buscon]

My meditation path is going quite well: I practice every day and I'm slowly smoothing my imbalances, I'm quite happy about it.

 

What I'd like to improve now, is my concentration. I noticed that it's really hard for me to keep 100% of concentration, and it's more evident when I meditate. Of course meditation itself is already a practice that improve concentration, and I've already had some good benefits in this field. Still, I'd like to reach a whole and deep concentration - that actually already happens, but not always.

 

I know that this incapacity is due to years of bad mind/body conditioning: stressful life of style, too many hours in front of a computer, partying hard, smoking pot, drinking alcohol. Now I'm quite relaxed, I don't pollute my body/mind or I can balance when it happens, do a lot of kung fu and meditation.

 

Should I stop worrying about improving my concentration, keep meditating, and full concentration will be there eventually ?

Do you have any practice to improve concentration ? maybe simply meditate on the dan tien, the everlasting medecine ?

 

I know that it takes time, I'm not looking for a shortcut, just for good practice and interesting discussions

Edited April 29, 2010 by buscon

[Marblehead]

Hi Buscon,

 

For me, you are speaking to two separate issues.

 

Concentration is good when needed in 'real' life.

 

In wu wei or in meditation, I think that concentration is counter-productive.

 

For me, meditation is just letting the thoughts come and go naturally until they just relax and allow us to clear our mind.

 

In wu wei, which, IMO, is the next stage after clearing one's mind, we do not concentrate on anything but are aware of everything. That way if any condition arises that requires attention we can then give the needed attention, and action if necessary, by concentrating on that specific condition.

 

So, in answer to your specific question: Should I stop worrying about improving my concentration ...? (during meditation)

 

my answer is yes, stop worrying about it.

 

Peace & Love

Edited April 29, 2010 by Marblehead

[Sloppy Zhang]

I found my concentration went up dramatically after a couple of weeks doing Franz Bardon's practices. Classes and labs that seemed to drag on forever and ever and ever seemed to fly by in minutes and I always seemed to be on task.

 

The practices that helped me were mostly single pointed meditation- focus intently and exclusively on one sense (one visual image, one auditory image, an image that you feel, an image you smell, and an image that you taste, as well as keeping your mind only on one particular thought or object in front of you).

 

The only downside is that sometimes intense concentration can produce tension, so after a while, if left unchecked, you might encounter some problems with that.

 

So balance out concentration with relaxation practices. Think of it like working out and exercising- sometimes you want muscles to tense, sometimes you want them to relax. Both are required for healthiness.

 

Anyway, good luck!

[thelerner]

There's the real world practice of paying strict attention to everything you do. Writing things by hand is a good training for focusing attention, each letter and word shows a level of your mindfulness and concentration. Rewrite a poem or sayings that have meaning to you. Examine the writing for breaks in concentration, repeat.

 

There are mathematical ways of honing concentration. From simply counting up in 2's to 100. Then down. Later 3's, 7's etc. Graduate to 500's, counting up and down, even 1000 counting down by 13, things like that.

 

In meditation, I find holding a mudra (raised hand position) makes me more concentrated.

 

 

Michael

[buddhasbellybuttonfluff]

Hi buscon,

 

Do you mean exclusive single-pointed concentration (samatha) or inclusive mindful awareness (vipassana)? Both are good, but the latter is more valuable for gaining advances in the field of spirit because it leads to insight of reality.

 

Living beings are motivated by pleasant activities. How do you make concentration and mindfulness more fun and engaging to practice? If you can answer that, I think you already have all the answers you need.

 

Blessings

[Sunya]

Hi Buscon,

 

For me, you are speaking to two separate issues.

 

Concentration is good when needed in 'real' life.

 

In wu wei or in meditation, I think that concentration is counter-productive.

 

For me, meditation is just letting the thoughts come and go naturally until they just relax and allow us to clear our mind.

 

In wu wei, which, IMO, is the next stage after clearing one's mind, we do not concentrate on anything but are aware of everything. That way if any condition arises that requires attention we can then give the needed attention, and action if necessary, by concentrating on that specific condition.

 

So, in answer to your specific question: Should I stop worrying about improving my concentration ...? (during meditation)

 

my answer is yes, stop worrying about it.

 

Peace & Love

 

You're describing more advanced practices which in Dzogchen is called 'relaxing into the natural state' -- It's very difficult to do without concentration. If one simply relaxes then they will fall asleep or become too absorbed into thoughts. That's why the advanced meditation of Dzogchen/Mahamudra is a combination of shamata (concentration) and vipashyana (insight). You need a stable concentrative effort already in place before you can do the practices you describe.

[Marblehead]

You're describing more advanced practices which in Dzogchen is called 'relaxing into the natural state' ...

 

Sorry. Hehehe. Those were the only thoughts that came to mind when I considered Buscon's post.

 

 

PS to Thelerner,

 

That is the method I was taught when I was in college (that was a long time ago) for clearing one's mind in learning good study habits and preparation for tests and writing compositions. It was very useful to me.

 

Peace & Love!

[buscon]

Hi Buscon,

 

For me, you are speaking to two separate issues.

 

Concentration is good when needed in 'real' life.

 

In wu wei or in meditation, I think that concentration is counter-productive.

 

For me, meditation is just letting the thoughts come and go naturally until they just relax and allow us to clear our mind.

 

In wu wei, which, IMO, is the next stage after clearing one's mind, we do not concentrate on anything but are aware of everything. That way if any condition arises that requires attention we can then give the needed attention, and action if necessary, by concentrating on that specific condition.

 

So, in answer to your specific question: Should I stop worrying about improving my concentration ...? (during meditation)

 

my answer is yes, stop worrying about it.

 

 

With concentration during meditation, I actually meant emptyness and staying focused there. Of course I let flow my thoughs, but eventually I get lot in my thoughs and that's bad.

I'm usually don't experience tension during meditation; instead I sometimes get lost in my thinking process: at that point I go back to my meditation practice (lower dan tien or MCO) but it happens again.

 

I noticed the same happening in my daily life, especially when I'm working at a computer; it happens that I start doing smt and then I end up in a chain of "related subjects"... I mean, it's nothing so bad: I have a job, I go to the university, do kung fu and I have the necessary concentration for everything. But in this moment, I feel like I could do better, and I wanted to train this side of myself too.

 

@buddhasbellybuttonfluff: I usually practice single-pointed concentration (lower dan tien, MCO, 5 elements meditation); yeah, I should try some inclusive mindful awareness

 

and thanks everyone

[Oleg Galkin]

There's the real world practice of paying strict attention to everything you do. Writing things by hand is a good training for focusing attention, each letter and word shows a level of your mindfulness and concentration. Rewrite a poem or sayings that have meaning to you. Examine the writing for breaks in concentration, repeat.

 

Wow. Thank you for the interesting thoughts! I have a notepad for writing my thoughts and ideas. I always carry this notepad with me. It helps me very much to sort out my life.

[Sunya]

Of course I let flow my thoughs, but eventually I get lot in my thoughs and that's bad.

I'm usually don't experience tension during meditation; instead I sometimes get lost in my thinking process: at that point I go back to my meditation practice (lower dan tien or MCO) but it happens again.

 

Indeed. This happens to everyone in the beginning years of meditation. No worries Learn from me. I've been meditating for 4 years now doing various energy breathing practices such as MCO, lower dan tien breathing etc. I thought I had enough concentrative ability to move on to more advanced practice like relaxing into mind and simply being present -- but no. Same thing happened with me. So now i'm strictly doing concentration.

 

Some tips: sit infront of a white wall and draw a black dot on the wall at an angle downward from your eyes and stare at that. Or put a brightly colored bowl or object against a white wall and sit further away and stare at it. Or visualize, though this might be more difficult. A candle works too. I find solid visuals objects to be much better than the breath for concentration -- but find what works for you. Also -- 30 seconds of strict concentration is better than 30 minutes of off/on concentration so shoot for short bursts of concentration and really focus on sticking to the object and ignoring whatever else arises within you. Don't drink caffeine it'll make your mind race more. And doing yoga/qi gong before you meditate will calm your mind down but don't over do it or you'll be too sleepy. The ideal state is relaxed and alert.

[C T]

I think concentration levels are determined by how 'present' a person can be at any given moment. The more present one is, the more focus becomes tension-free. Thats my experience anyway, having met some very special individuals who have reached the state where they no longer have the need to be anywhere else but in the moment, and its such a joy to be in their company, because the connection is constantly in flow, which then becomes even more apparent during moments of silence. The mind, the self, during that time, just drops off, and all the mundane needs to think, to react, to analyze, to weigh, and to judge, simply evaporates.

 

Presence can be trained. The method proposed by Mikaelz is one of the better ways to get the grounding. It leads to mindful awareness. If this can then be translated to our daily activity, especially the routine ones, we will notice that concentration arises quite effortlessly. The activity of walking is ideal to incorporate mindful attention to the task at hand(or foot? hehe). At the early stages it is very easy for the mind to drift off, but thats normal. Generally those who first begin this exercise become overly hard on themselves when they notice that their attention have swayed, thus creating tension, and self-absorption takes over. Be gentle - simply allow for the distraction, and then joyfully guide the attention back to the walking, step by step by step. Consciously develop an attitude of gratitude, both for those moments when your attention is focussed, and more importantly, when you begin to notice that you have begun to be aware of even those moments when the attention is slacking. Thats usually the turning point.. marking progress.

 

Personally i find that mindfulness lead to gratefulness, and gratefulness leads back to mindfulness. I try to apply this to all my daily activities. When its meal time, for example, i try to be aware of the whole process before, during and after the meal. If i was engaged in some activity just prior to eating, i will try to notice how i end that activity, what i do just before i sit at the table, like do i remember to wash my hands, do i remember how the water flows out of the tap, from where the source of this water is found, its temperature, how it felt on the skin of my hands, then turning off the tap, drying the hands, the sensation of the hand-towel against the palm, the fingers, and so on. When i sit down for the meal, i will notice why the body gets hungry; when i look at the food, i give thanks, not only for the food, but for how the food has made its way to where it is, and so on. This process is repeated over the course of the whole meal, and after as well. If i was not in any hurry to do anything, i would then spend maybe a couple of minutes to retrace the whole process in my mind, from the point where i started being mindful that it was almost time to drop what i was doing and get set for a meal, paying attention to as many sensations as i can recall. I would apply this same mindful awareness to other areas of life too.

 

Anyway this is just one small example of training in mindful awareness. Same can be translated into almost all other activities. Hope this will help.

Edited April 30, 2010 by CowTao

[~jK~]

What I'd like to improve now, is my concentration. I noticed that it's really hard for me to keep 100% of concentration, and it's more evident when I meditate. Of course meditation itself is already a practice that improve concentration, and I've already had some good benefits in this field. Still, I'd like to reach a whole and deep concentration - that actually already happens, but not always.

 

I know that it takes time, I'm not looking for a shortcut, just for good practice and interesting discussions

 

You used the magic word: Practice

 

There are 132 replies to this topic with the vast majority being nonsense but the beginning and a few inbetween will supply what you are looking for.

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/11802-awakening-psychic-abilities/

 

The process takes 100 days on average.

 

E-mail me if you have any questions - I mastered the Savasana about 30 yers ago and still practice it daily. It is the key to Raja Yoga.

[forestofclarity]

Buscon,

 

MCO and LDT practices are in fact concentration practices. I disagree with others who say to practice something else to improve your concentration--- these practices themselves can improve concentration.

 

Dissolving practices or vipassana type practices are different.

 

The best advice I saw on concentration practice is to imagine that you are a pioneer in the field, the first one ever. Pay close attention to your mind during practice and learn from that.

 

My meditation path is going quite well: I practice every day and I'm slowly smoothing my imbalances, I'm quite happy about it.

[Bum Grasshopper]

Brainwave entrainment in the beta/gamma range has been proven to sharpen concentration, focus and I.Q.

[hajimesaito]

Observing the breath or focussing your mind on the abdomen while sitting in lotus (full or half) posture can be very beneficial for developing concentration.

 

Another method is to make a small dot using a pen on a white paper and then stick the paper to the wall, sit in lotus posture and focus with your eyes on that dot. You will realize how difficult it is indeed to achieve full concentration. Even while you are trying hard to concentrate on that dot, your eyes will naturally deviate and point here and there around the dot.

[~jK~]

.

Edited June 10, 2010 by ~jK~

[exorcist_1699]

Why emphasizing on concentration? It is detachment that should be emphasized. The arena of Tao is different what we do in daily life .Detached from all forms , all ways , all minds , including this mind thinking of detaching .... then the great Mind will come to you . With this great Mind , and with qi, Tao will be close by . Concentrating on or hair-splitting whatever minds can only lead you away from the right path ...

[~jK~]

Why emphasizing on concentration? It is detachment that should be emphasized. The arena of Tao is different what we do in daily life .Detached from all forms , all ways , all minds , including this mind thinking of detaching .... then the great Mind will come to you . With this great Mind , and with qi, Tao will be close by . Concentrating on or hair-splitting whatever minds can only lead you away from the right path ...

 

It seems like to bark with labels of extremes: All, All, All, while few can point to the way.

The first we learn in school is that infinitives such as All, Never, Always etc are impossible -so not true.

 

I use the methods of India as well as those in the Taoist classics, such as The Secret of the Golden Flower, recently unearthed from the silk road at Dunhuang that are thousands of years old- can you improve with barking ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogao_Caves

[fizix]

www.pmemory.com greatly improves concentration; it is a difficult school, however. Check your motives, though; wanting to improve concentration . . . why and why and why?

[al.]

http://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Jhanas-Traditional-Concentration-Meditation/dp/159030733X

 

This book is great!

 

A

[Aetherous]

Why emphasizing on concentration? It is detachment that should be emphasized.

 

Concentration is like mental fire (can be damaging), and detachment or letting go is like mental water. Gotta mix it up, and get things steamy!

[~jK~]

Concentration is like mental fire (can be damaging), and detachment or letting go is like mental water. Gotta mix it up, and get things steamy!

 

I'm thinking that there is about to be a dose of asian logic aimed more at creating chaos than order.

 

What about this book on various meditation practices including conceptionalisation:

Concentration and Meditation: A Manual of Mind Development

http://www.amazon.com/Concentration-Meditation-Manual-Mind-Development/dp/1862042608

Edited May 2, 2010 by ~jK~

[Aetherous]

I'm thinking that there is about to be a dose of asian ligic aimed more at creating chaos than order.

 

What do you mean, JK?

[~jK~]

What do you mean, JK?

Scotty, there are different forms of reasoning - AKA: 'structuralist' and 'belief' systems.

As well as a few others, The Chinese posters claiming to be from Hong Kong, in this thread, are using belief style which is designed to manipulate - the same as religious and political manipulators use.

I am pointing to indicators. As with all things, time will tell truths.

Edited May 2, 2010 by ~jK~

[Aetherous]

time will tell truths

 

True.