Maximizing Your Brain’s Potentials: Meditation for Better Concentration
Do you know meditation can improve your concentration?
Do you ever get those days when you’re simply not in your element? You go to work without focus, stare blankly at the audiovisual during a staff meeting, and go back to staring blankly at your computer, unable to focus on what needs to be done. Days like these don’t just happen – not if they can be prevented altogether. There are many ways to improve concentration, but only a few come with added benefits like deep relaxation, stress relief and better multi-tasking skills. In this article, get to know the basics of medication and how it can help you develop better concentration to be more efficient and effective in both work and play.
First, understand your goal. What does it mean to concentrate? Take a brief look at your work desk. There may be paper clips, forms, pens, photos, and other items on it. It is one thing to eye the desk and see everything there, and it’s another to look at a single paper clip and let the others fade into periphery. That’s concentration. It is more abstract in life, of course, but simply put, it is putting your focus on one thing at a time.
Is it really possible to concentrate on something 100%? Yes it is. You may have even experienced it. You may have been so engrossed in a book you were reading or a movie you were watching, that you barely blinked, got out of your seat, or even heard someone else talking to you.
Meditation is centered on the belief that in order to concentrate, you need to summon your energy and center them on your object of focus. True enough, it does take a significant amount of energy and willpower to shut everything off and focus on just one thing.
Experts believe that the first step towards effective meditation to improve brain function is breathing control. Notice how when you are feeling a rush of emotion or tension, your breathing is rapid and labored, and you can barely focus on anything. Meditation is the complete opposite. Breathing here should be deep and observed, as if you had to listen to yourself inhale and exhale. When you breathe deeply, your brain gets more oxygen and nutrients, making it more receptive.
After you’ve mastered your breathing, the next step is to find a focal point. Single-pointed meditation is one of the best ways to increase concentration. Favorites are a lit candle or a tree. If you are to use a lit candle, have it at eye level. Sit in a comfortable position and stare at the lit candle for as long as you can. If you start to get teary-eyed, close your eyes and imagine the candle just as it was. Images in your head will get distorted. The candle will start moving, or swaying, or you may start imagining other things. When this happens, bring yourself back to your focal point and try again.
If you decide to involve meditation in your daily routine, it will be best to do it for 30 minutes in the morning when you are fresh and rejuvenated from sleep. Turn off mobile phones and other gadgets and never rush your ritual. It takes a lot of patience and you may struggle at first. Some people report a heightened concentration in as early as one week, and others as long as six months.
Photo by HaPe_Gera
