Meditation: How to Concentrate and Achieve Focus Easily

One of the keys to successful and rewarding meditation is learning to stop wandering so you can focus. For most people, the required level of concentration is difficult to achieve when they first try to meditate. Left to her own devices, her mind will tend to wander in a thousand different directions. The general purpose of meditation is to reduce tension and stress and achieve a peaceful state of mind; this is unlikely to happen if you are thinking about your electricity bill or whether your football team will win on Saturday.

When you learn to focus properly, you will be able to completely relax physically and mentally and discover the true benefits of meditation. In fact, you’ve probably already experienced the state of mind you’re trying to achieve. If you have ever become totally absorbed in something you are doing, perhaps playing a musical instrument or drawing a picture, to the exclusion of everything around you; has achieved the special kind of focus required.

calming the mind

So how can you focus your attention when meditating? There are several different methods that can be used to promote the necessary concentration. Many practitioners achieve this by focusing their attention on a particular object, or perhaps by chanting, this is sometimes called “concentration meditation”. Personally, I find that the most effective technique is what is called ‘mindful meditation’. With this method, you don’t have to try to focus on one thing in particular, instead you welcome each and every thought that pops into your mind, acknowledge them for what they are (distractions), and let them go. It’s like becoming an observer of your thoughts, rather than a participant. You must stay in the present moment, simply letting distractions flow through you, without stopping to examine them. You shouldn’t berate yourself if random thoughts occur to you, just acknowledge them and move on. After a period of time, you will find that your mind has become calmer and calmer. Without actively trying to banish distracting thoughts, they will start to go away on their own.

When followed correctly, ‘mindful meditation’ techniques allow you to reach a state of high concentration effortlessly. If you are just beginning to practice meditation, but find it hard to quiet your mind enough, it might be a good idea to try this method.