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| Hi! Is concentration one of the most important skills in Yoga? Focused
thought energy? Like a glass that focus the rays of the sun
Do you know of some good exercises for learning this single mind
concentration?
Thanks!
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Johan wrote:
> Hi! Is concentration one of the most important skills in Yoga? Focused
> thought energy? Like a glass that focus the rays of the sun
>
> Do you know of some good exercises for learning this single mind
> concentration?
>
> Thanks!
Concentration is one important practice in yoga. Although the yogic
approach to concentration is conterintutive.
The mind is naturally distracted. One way of exercising greater focus
would be to forcefully suppress distraction. In effect, use a negative
reinforcement every time one's focus shifted away from the object of
focus. There are schools of yoga as well a Christian contemplative
practices that use this form to learn concentration. Distraction is
treated as a sin. Concentration as a goal.
However in my experience there is a much better way. We take a sound,
a mantra, that is pleasing to the mind. The mind will naturally be
attracted to that that pleases it. With as little effort as possible
we bring our attention to the sound. The mind naturally and
effortlessly will also move towards distractions, a stereo playing next
door, an argument in another room, thoughts about summer days. Instead
of scolding ourselves for these distractions we take note that we have
left the mantra, and effortlessly return to it.
So there is a cycle. Mantra, thought, mantra, thought and so on. We
accept distraction as a natural inclination of the mind and very subtle
guide the attention back to the mantra. In time the mind will
naturally be attracted to the better and better, as the pleasant
vibration of pimordial sound engages attention. Eventually, the mantra
is dropped and the mind rests in pure awareness.
>From my understanding this form of meditation is the most effective to
aid increasing concentration. It is effortless and spontaneous. There
have been numbers of studies showing the efficacy of this technique.
Stu
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| Johan 2005-12-06, 10:58 am |
|
"S2" <buttsplicer@gmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
news:1133820506.940739.261550@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Johan wrote:
>
> Concentration is one important practice in yoga. Although the yogic
> approach to concentration is conterintutive.
>
> The mind is naturally distracted. One way of exercising greater focus
> would be to forcefully suppress distraction. In effect, use a negative
> reinforcement every time one's focus shifted away from the object of
> focus. There are schools of yoga as well a Christian contemplative
> practices that use this form to learn concentration. Distraction is
> treated as a sin. Concentration as a goal.
>
> However in my experience there is a much better way. We take a sound,
> a mantra, that is pleasing to the mind. The mind will naturally be
> attracted to that that pleases it. With as little effort as possible
> we bring our attention to the sound. The mind naturally and
> effortlessly will also move towards distractions, a stereo playing next
> door, an argument in another room, thoughts about summer days. Instead
> of scolding ourselves for these distractions we take note that we have
> left the mantra, and effortlessly return to it.
>
> So there is a cycle. Mantra, thought, mantra, thought and so on. We
> accept distraction as a natural inclination of the mind and very subtle
> guide the attention back to the mantra. In time the mind will
> naturally be attracted to the better and better, as the pleasant
> vibration of pimordial sound engages attention. Eventually, the mantra
> is dropped and the mind rests in pure awareness.
>
> aid increasing concentration. It is effortless and spontaneous. There
> have been numbers of studies showing the efficacy of this technique.
>
> Stu
>
Thanks for your answer! Will try that. The mantra AUM perhaps?
My dad has recently got into some depressed or anxious state of mind. I told
him that it is impossible to feel anxious or depressed if one learn to
master concentration and then concentrate on something else. Sounds
reasonable at least..
Best wishes
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| J.D. Campbell 2005-12-06, 10:58 am |
| This is all it was,
concentration is found with the exhaled breath. as one exhales the mind
automaticly concentrates its attention (as breath is life
giving....giving up breath the mind pays attention or concentrates).
too lengthen the exhale one oncentrates longer and one concentrates
longer by exhaling longer. Yet after a few minutes of practice one
notces the mind in a concentrative state and can focus to this at any
time period in breathing.....
There are two other periods the "inhale" or too erease thoughts (air
oxidizes). also too "hold" the breath or give enuff air to the lung
heart relationship to engage in a period of thought or thinking (air
oxidizes). as this "hold" breath period runs out the body panics because
the upcomming "inhalation" will then to erease thoughts so on the
"exhale" it the mind body heart lung relationship concentrates to hold
attention on of the upcoming inhalation.
patanjalie describes samadhi as the highest concentration because
strangely in samadhi there is no breath the body its nimbus goes towards
no breath at all.
Natural mental powers of thiking require these 3 steps in natural
breathing which take a few minutes to learn and perhaps some reflection.
yet concentration is earned in minutes. most children after learnig a
few hundred words can be taught in a few moments.
Then from this 3 step base all powers come about.
The mind is just like a tv screen/laptop as things come go across it
Just a useful tool. Its a form of light.
Example:to lengthened the inhale to cut the exhale short holds co2 wams
the body.......this is recommended instead of eatting drinking as that
chills the body rapidly as the metabolism slows down and the money is
spent.
It becomes second nature is done regulated naturally anyway but one must
be aware or ONE IS MISLEAD.
All powers.
jd
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Johan wrote:
> "S2" <buttsplicer@gmail.com> skrev i meddelandet
> news:1133820506.940739.261550@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> Thanks for your answer! Will try that. The mantra AUM perhaps?
My understanding is that Aum is a very powerful mantra reserved for
hermits. There are some mantras and instructions on a site called
wildmind.org . He has some guided realaudio meditations that will give
you a good taste of what is involved. Though I doubt a web site, book,
or dope like me on the internet can replace a flesh and blood teacher.
Its a bit like trying to learn piano without a teacher.
Better to get a mantra from a meditation teacher. The use of the
mantra is very subtle. If effort is introduced into the practice you
will be disappointed.
>
> My dad has recently got into some depressed or anxious state of mind. I told
> him that it is impossible to feel anxious or depressed if one learn to
> master concentration and then concentrate on something else. Sounds
> reasonable at least..
>
> Best wishes
Meditation is not a form of distraction. It is not about concentrating
on something else. Meditation works to release stress. With every
cycle of mantra and thought stress is released.
>From a purely physiological point of view if the practice is done
routinly twice a day for 20 minutes to a half hour the neurotransmitter
serotonin will level off in the brain; galvanic skin response
stablizes; metabolism is reduced. However, the practice is not easy.
It is difficult to get the discipline to sit quietly with the eyes
closed for even 5 minutes. For this reason alone, it is important to
have the guidence and support of an actual teacher.
I very much doubt that he will be able to make this discipline a habit
without constant support. He may benefit from a yoga class, which tend
to be more active. Look in your local phonebook under meditation or
yoga and see what people have to offer. Shop around a bit, some
teachers may not be the right fit for you.
Stu
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| ramatantra@excite.com 2005-12-06, 6:00 pm |
| Organized Quotations on Concentration, Meditation Instruction, Buddhism
and Mysticism.
By Zen Master Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz
Main Page:
http://www.ramaquotes.com/index.html
Concentration:
http://www.ramaquotes.com/html/concentration.html
*******************************************************************
The more completely you concentrate, the stronger your mind becomes.
Sit down, keep your back straight, relax and have an object on which to
concentrate; you might use a candle flame, a brightly colored rock, a
yantra, which is a geometrical designed specifically for the practice
of concentration.
Yantras are specific designs that have a great deal of power in them,
as do mantras, which are words of power. Yantras are designs of power
that tap into other levels of attention. They remind us of things in
other worlds.
Focus on an object of some type, hopefully an object that's beautiful
or powerful. You could find a pretty colored stone that you just feel
good about.
You could use a flower, a candle flame, anything you want that's
suggestive of beauty and eternality.
Learn how to focus - that creates a lot of power. Focus on a candle
flame for 15 minutes or a pretty colored rock, or one point, or a
chakra.
Place an object within your view, hopefully at about eye level. You
might have to look down a little bit. Some people have a meditation
table on which they put an object of concentration on.
Sit in front of an object of concentration with the eyes open. Focus
on a candle flame, or a yantra, a little dot, something small. Just
look at it. Focus on it until there is nothing else in your mind.
This develops willpower.
Focus on one point and hold your attention there. The mind will
waiver, you'll think a million thoughts, but each time you do, bring
your mind back to the point of concentration, seeing it visually.
Sight is not absolutely essential in this process, but we use sight
because it is the dominant sense. It's easiest to interrupt the flow
of thought in sense perception and move the mind beyond sense
perception with sight.
If one were blind, one can simply focus on a feeling.
Meditate. Look at the candle flame - or whatever object you have
chosen to gaze upon - with intensity.
If you keep focusing, gradually thoughts will become quieter and
quieter, gradually the images will disappear from the mind. What is
happening is the kundalini energy begins to radiate and rise, it causes
the mind to be quiet.
When we mediate, we are raising the kundalini through focus, through
concentration. There is a metaphysical astral process that's taking
place.
The key to gazing is stopping thought. Gazing is a soft focus; you are
touching something with your luminosity. If you could but look into
the mountains you would see a diffuse glow.
Whatever you focus on, you become. That is the key line, you know.
Meditation is the bow and concentration is the arrow.
In pranayama you don't worry about taking breaths, you focus on
exhalation. If you exhale properly you will inhale. The more deeply
you exhale the more deeply you will inhale.
It takes a number of years to learn to hold the mind perfectly in one
place. But each day we do it a little better, and in the doing we're
releasing energy that is taking our mind in higher diffuse planes of
attention.
By disciplining and training the mind to focus on one thing, we gain
control of perception; we learn to grab it and put it someplace we want
it to be.
- Zen Master Rama
www.ramaquotes.com
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| Perhaps you may want to learn about mantras and they're relation with
chakras.
AUM or OM (as you like), is good to the 6th chakra (ajna chakra). Is
meant to open the 6th chakra. Concentration of mind, or one mind
pointed is also related with the 6th chakra.
However, the anxiety of your father, may be related with the 4th chakra
(heart).
There are many approaches to deal with.
You may find usefull the Satyananda way:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/81...=books&v=glance
Satyananda explains in every yoga pose, it's effects and awareness of
chakras.
And if you are interested in sounds (mantras), like AUM, you may find
interesting, to learn the sounds of chakras by Harish Johari:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15...glance&n=283155
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...5Fencoding=UTF8
Moon
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| Wade Humeniuk 2005-12-07, 1:05 am |
| Johan wrote:
> Hi! Is concentration one of the most important skills in Yoga? Focused
> thought energy? Like a glass that focus the rays of the sun
>
Try a slightly different definition. Concentration like the concentration
of a solution of salt. Increase the salinity. Concentrating the mind
is like pulling a dilute solution into a more concentrated form.
The mind can be very spread out, moving in many directions, unfocused
and dilute.
> Do you know of some good exercises for learning this single mind
> concentration?
Try the yoga asana tadasana (mountain pose). Just let the body stand, whatever
complaints or demands it makes. Gradually take all your attention to the
space between your eyebrows. Take your time, gather the mind in,
concentrate. (oh yeah, eyes closed)
Wade
>
> Thanks!
>
>
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| Johan 2005-12-10, 12:41 pm |
| Thanks Yogis! 
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"Johan" <Spam@spam.spammail> wrote in message
news:Zt0lf.151854$dP1.509722@newsc.telia.net...
> Hi! Is concentration one of the most important skills in Yoga?
>
no.
wisdom, compassion, equanimity, unattached mind, emotional maturity and
stability....
"purification (of the mind), study of the mind (by the mind), and surrender
to God are Kriya Yoga". (Patanjali 2-1).
> Do you know of some good exercises for learning this single mind
> concentration?
>
try a video game.
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