Lacking concentration? Meditate

Have you ever experienced sitting in one place and thinking about a totally different place or scenario? Even when attending an important meeting or session when all of a sudden your in a different world and by the time your back , your lost in the current topic?

Most of us have been in similar situations in our life. There are many reasons why we lack concentration mainly being stress, fatigue,lack of sleep, anxiety and in rare cases depression.Have you ever figured it out why or tried to find a remedy for it? Well, here is a simple way to fight this lack of concentration and make us stronger and more focused in life – MEDITATE.

Meditation is the one of the most important aspect of yoga. It helps in connecting the body, mind and spirit. Daily yoga meditation helps in mental purification and offers clarity of thought. It increases concentration and focus.

If your new to meditation first start of with the simple breathing meditation called Pranayama .The first stage of meditation is to stop distractions and make our mind clearer and more lucid. This can be accomplished by practicing a simple breathing meditation.

Simple Instructions for practicing Pranayama.

Ty to meditate early in the morning. That way, they can face their day feeling refreshed and calm. Morning meditation also reduces the chance that you will fall asleep during the course of the meditation. While calmness is one of the desired effects, you do not want to be so calm that you go to sleep.
Choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a comfortable position. Sit in the traditional cross-legged posture or in any other position that is comfortable .The most important thing is to keep our back straight to prevent our mind from becoming sluggish or sleepy.
Sit with our eyes partially closed and turn our attention to our breathing. Breathe naturally, preferably through the nostrils, without attempting to control our breath, and try to become aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. This sensation is our object of meditation.
At first, mind will be very busy, and we might even feel that the meditation is making our mind busier; but in reality we are just becoming more aware of how busy our mind actually is. There will be a great temptation to follow the different thoughts as they arise, but we should resist this and remain focused single-pointedly on the sensation of the breath. If we discover that the mind has wandered and is following our thoughts, immediately return it to the breath. Repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the breath .

Next level of Yoga meditation to build concentration is Trataka which is also called as Eye Glazing.

When one sits and gazes continuously at some object , its called Trataka, which also helps to improves eyesight. trataka_cleansingofeyes1

Simple Instructions for practicing Trataka.

Sit on a rug or your yoga mat in the squatting position with the spine straight. You may also sit on a chair to practice this meditation. Keep the waist, back, neck and the entire spinal column erect.
Be relaxed and sit in a calm manner, breathing normally.
Make a sign on a piece of paper like a cross or a circle. Hang it on a wall in front of you at the level of your eyes at a distance of about 2 meters from you. Now, fix your sight upon the sign or image without closing your eyes. Concentrate only on the sign or image. Continue to gaze, non-stop till your eyes start watering or feel the strain.
Once this happens, close your eyes, and imagine that symbol to be in the eyebrow center and concentrate upon that sign through the mind’s eye.
You can also do Trataka by concentrating on the flame of a candle or lamp. Light a candle or lamp and place it upon a table or stool at the level of the height of your eyes. Please make sure there is no turbulence in the air around because the flame of the candle should not flutter. Keep the candle at a distance of 2 feet from you.
Now fix your gaze on the flame. Continue to gaze without blinking till you feel the strain on the eyes and they start watering. Then close your eyes and visualize the flame at the eyebrow center through the mind’s eye. Gradually increase the time with practice.