How to calm a restless mind? Anxious brain. How to Calm Your Thoughts, Heal Your Mind, and Take Back Control of Your Life
← + Ctrl + →
Meditation practiceMeditation Mistakes
calming the mind
You are now ready to begin the actual practice of meditation. At this stage, the main thing is still to calm the mind.
Quieting your mind is not as difficult as it seems. All you need is just to sit. Yes, just sit, and that's it, in comfortable clothes and a place convenient for you. Now you can practice the ways of entering and exiting meditation and feel how the state of meditation itself calms your mind. Pick a time when you don't have to rush anywhere. Your studies will not be useful if your thoughts are occupied with some business that you urgently need to do. If your life is filled with daily work, take the time early in the morning or in the evening after work, when thoughts of work can be most easily dismissed. Do not rush yourself, do not set big goals right away. Start with a short time - 15 minutes. Over time, the duration of your practices and your skill will increase.
Exercise "Just Sitting"
Sit in a position where your back is straight but not tense. Place your hands on your knees, palms up, one on top of the other, crosswise, so that the tips of the thumbs touch each other. Take your time - choose a pose as much as you need. If you feel inner stability and peace, then the pose is chosen correctly. The pose should bring peace and balance - then you can begin the practice. Use any way to enter meditation - focusing on a point, image, mantra, prayer, or counting from 1 to 50.
Now gather all your attention and begin to mentally explore your body, moving carefully from top to bottom and looking for tensions. Do this gently and calmly, as if barely touching your body with attention. Notice all the sensations that you will experience. You will feel how the body relaxes by itself from a single touch of attention. Allow your eyelids, which will become heavy, to cover your eyes completely or half by themselves.
Pay close attention to everything you feel. Are there any doubts? Voltages? Are you waiting for something? Then relax your attention and let it go - let it wander freely. You will feel that the mind is already calming down - it is much calmer than it was at the beginning of the session. Remember: your soul is deep and calm, and thoughts, memories, doubts, fears, expectations - this is what is temporary, secondary, this is what comes and goes. Feel a calm and deep space in yourself - feel that it is you. From this calm and deep space, look from the outside at your flowing thoughts, feelings, doubts and expectations. Let them flow past, flow easily and freely - and leave. Don't fight them, don't follow them - just watch from the sidelines as they pass by.
Start exploring your body again. Move your attention from the top of your head down through your body. Notice all the sensations that will be encountered in the body: warmth, blood pulsation, numbness, chills, moistening of the palms - everything, note everything, be aware of the life of your body, do not miss anything. Carefully trace every area of your body - even those areas where there is no sensation: focus on the earlobe, on the knuckle and phalanx of each finger ... Notice that you can be aware of everything - both the presence and absence of sensations in your body. You are aware of your body, aware of its sensations - a conscious body does not get sick, because with your attention you do nothing more than make the energy of your body move. The body where the energy moves is a healthy body. A body where energy stagnates is a diseased body. With just attention and awareness, you are already healing yourself.
The preliminary stage has been completed. You have already experienced what it means to enter a healing state. Even if you haven't realized it yet, your body has already understood and realized it. A body that has not felt the touch of attention is like a lamp that has gone out. The body illuminated by attention begins to concentrate and radiate the light and energy of health.
Now it is necessary to make the transition to the main stage of entering the meditative healing state. Until now, we have occupied our mind with attention to the sensations of the body. Now let's give him one more task - tracking his breath.
Breath control exercise
Breathe normally, but consciously notice and follow the entire breathing process. Feel and be aware: here I draw in the air through the nostrils, here the air moves through the nose and airways, here it fills the chest and stomach. Watch all the sensations from the passage of air. Next, watch the exhalation: here I exhale, the air passes through the respiratory tract and enters the nostrils, now it is warm air, it passes through the nostrils and goes out.
Now focus on just one point - the nostrils. Watch how the air enters and exits at this point. Breathe calmly, easily, barely audibly, slowly. This breath is soothing. If the mind wants to get away from breathing and go about its usual fussy mental activity - do not be angry with yourself, this is a common occurrence. Quietly and patiently again and again bring your mind back to the observation of the breath. The mind is bound to be distracted - that is its nature. Just start over and that's it. In the process, awareness develops: you see the nature of your mind, which wanders as it wants, and consciously discipline it. If you persist enough, the mind will eventually calm down.
If anxiety and excitement prevent you from focusing on your breath, just step back for a while, just watch your mind as it wanders, as it grabs one thought or another. Don't fight it, don't follow these thoughts - just watch them come and go. Accept your mind as it is - just watch it. Make peace with yourself. Once this happens, the excitement subsides and your mind will obey you.
Now you can exit the state of meditation.
The East is considered to be lazy, and the West - energetic. Because in the East people more often allow themselves contemplation, relaxation. And the business West condemns the habit of doing nothing and does not recognize the benefits of just lying down. At the same time, there are more healthy people in the East than in the West. Do we live for vanity? Those who live for vanity get sick more - and still, in the end, they do not feel the satisfaction of life from this vanity. People are trying to fill their lives with fuss, because they are afraid to remain in the void. But then it turns out that vanity is emptiness, it only exhausts, but does not fill. But in what seems empty to the uninitiated, lies the real fullness and richness of life.
Let all the blessings of the world into your life right now - for this you only need to relax, calm your mind, open up to the Universe and let it into you. The abundant universe will bring with it all that you need, and above all will share with you its health.
Exercise "Lying Meditation"
It is not necessary to specifically meditate lying down during the day. When you go to bed at the end of the day, just take a few minutes to meditate. To do this, lie on your side, fully straighten your body, and bend one arm so that the palm serves as a support for the head. Examine your body with your mind's eye, looking for any tensions anywhere. From your attention, the tension will begin to go away. Focus on your breath. Put aside memories of the past day and expectations of tomorrow. A few minutes after you reach the state of a clear, pure mind, you can fall into a sound restful sleep and have a good rest.
Once you have mastered the still meditations, you can move on to other forms. You can just sit, just walk, just stand, go about your daily business - and at the same time immerse yourself in a state of meditation.
Go out into the open air, but not for any purpose, as you usually do. Do it for no purpose. And push even such a goal as “doing meditation” to the sidelines of your consciousness. Do not set goals - we are best at those things in which we do not set ourselves the goal of succeeding. The intended goal and the struggle to achieve it is the path to defeat. The absence of a goal is freedom, and freedom is the path to victory.
Exercise "Walking"
Go to an open space, to a park or garden, where there is a path at least 25-30 steps long. Stand at one end of the path and turn your mind inside your body. Feel how the spine is straightened, how your arms hang freely along the body. Place your palms gently together in front or behind your body. Direct your eyes to a point about three meters ahead of you at ground level. Let your gaze be directed all the time to a point on the ground three meters ahead of you - then your vision will not be distracted by surrounding things and objects. Start walking calmly, gently, smoothly, at your usual pace, but not fast or fussy. Choose the pace and way of walking depending on your condition. If you are drowsy or you are drawn into obsessive thoughts, like in a viscous swamp, go more energetically. If you are anxious, restless - go more smoothly and gently. Get to the end of the path and stop. Take a few breaths in and out, focusing on the state of the body. Turn around and go back. Now focus more closely on the sensations in your legs. Pay special attention to the sensations that arise in the feet when they come into contact with the ground. Feel the entire sequence of foot touching the ground, and then leaving the foot on the ground and the gap between steps.
Develop patience - bring the mind back to these sensations again and again, even if it gets distracted. And he will be distracted - that's how he works. Return concentration to the mind again and again - and sooner or later you will notice that thoughts go away, and the soul is filled with a state of lightness, peace and bliss. This means that the mind has been purified, and with it your whole being has been purified.
If the mind is distracted not only by extraneous thoughts, but also by the environment, just allow everything you see and hear to pass through you without lingering. Let the environment not catch your mind and pull it along, but pass by without hitting you.
Our task is to enter a state of calming the mind, a healing state, when the voice of the inner healer wakes up and we receive healing from a healthy Universe, merging with it together. The voice of the inner healer is nothing but that part of us that is one with the Universe and knows its laws - including the laws of healing.
We have explored several ways to calm the troubled, sick mind and bring it to a state of healing silence. There is another way, perhaps not suitable for everyone, but very curious in its results, unexpected and all the more surprising.
This is meditation in an active, chaotic, movement without a set pace and rhythm. We know that the mind, in order for it to stop and give the floor to Reason, needs to be occupied with something: contemplating the breath or an imaginary image, or concentrating on prayer. In dynamic meditation, we do not even occupy the mind with anything - it falls silent because it is in a state of shock. When you do dynamic meditation, the mind simply does not understand what you are doing - it cannot understand the meaning of this with its down-to-earth straightforward logic - and from misunderstanding it sinks into shock and freezes. And here, not constrained by the fetters of the mundane mind, your true nature comes to life and comes out - healthy, omniscient and ready to heal you of all diseases! Don't you know that your true nature is in you? Then it's time for you to discover it in yourself and get to know it with the help of dynamic meditation.
This exercise is absolutely safe. The fear that you may experience when you embark on it is not fear of possible danger, but fear of meeting your true self. It is the fear of the mind - the fear of stopping and giving way to true nature. After all, we are sometimes afraid of our true selves - we are afraid, looking into our souls, to suddenly see some terrible monsters there that we don’t want to meet. Don't be afraid, there aren't really any monsters there, and what may seem like monsters to us is just our unresolved problems that pretend to be so terrible. But one has only to honestly and directly look into the eyes of these fears, and they will disappear. The more we run away from fears, from meeting our monster problems, the sooner they overtake us, the closer their heavy breathing is behind us. But when we stop our run, turn to face them and boldly look into their eyes, we understand that there was really nothing to be afraid of, fear is melting before our eyes, like morning fog, and nothing remains of it.
Don't be afraid to face yourself. Those problems and fears that live in your soul will cease to be monsters when you learn to get rid of them in meditation. And everything is possible in meditation, including getting rid of the most terrible (or rather, seemingly so) “monsters”. You will see for yourself.
Exercise "Dynamic Meditation"
This exercise should be done on an empty stomach, alone, in an empty spacious room, with a minimum of clothing on the body, or, in any case, in clothing that is light, loose and does not hinder movement.
First you need to lie down or sit down in a comfortable relaxed position and spend a few minutes breathing through your nose, but breathing should not be the same as usual, but fast and deep enough, and not measured, but erratic. The depth and speed of breathing gradually increases.
Then you will feel how the body wants to move from such breathing. Get up and let your body move the way it wants to. Say to yourself: “Whatever happens” - and do not suppress anything in yourself, trust yourself, your deepest true nature and let everything happen that happens: dance, jump, twitch, make movements sharp or smooth, roll on the floor - it doesn’t matter , as long as you do exactly what you want, without regard to any “rules” - there are no rules here, you are your own most important rule! You can laugh, scream, growl, yell - in any way you want. Do this for several minutes.
After a few minutes, freeze and stay in the position in which you froze. The energy awakened by you in this stillness begins its healing work within you.
Then a few more minutes of dancing, jumping, laughing or screaming - you will feel that you have been cleansed, that now you are overwhelmed with joy and a sense of celebration from what you experienced.
Stillness again - and exit from meditation.
At the very edge of your being, at least for a moment, but you, of course, felt what it is: a state of tranquility of the mind. You have already felt the healing power inherent in it. Now it is necessary to direct this healing force, discovered by you and awakened in you, to the actual healing.
← + Ctrl + →
Meditation practiceMeditation Mistakes
Hello dear readers! In our hectic age, it is very difficult to stay in harmony. Many people live under stress. Many (especially women) lack peace and inner stability. But there is great news: you can become the master of your mind. You can escape from a series of worries, fears, empty “chewing” events ... How to calm the mind
Disease of our mind
We are so accustomed to chaos and an abundance of unnecessary experiences in our heads that we have already begun to consider this the norm. It already seems to us that life is woven from continuous problems. We are so used to the state of stress that we no longer notice it.
Yes, there are real problems. Sometimes people have nothing to eat, they feel hungry. Sometimes a tsunami hits the city, an earthquake begins ... In fact, even in such situations, it is stupid to worry and be nervous. You need to make some decisions, do something, without overloading your brain with negative thoughts.
But the rest of our problems are created by our mind. We are worried that we may be fired at work. That the spouse somehow communicates with us differently. That we won’t be able to go to the resort, that we have some extra pounds, that the weather is bad outside, and the aunt on the bus told you some kind of rudeness ...
A calm mind is needed by everyone and in all situations. Especially - in some difficult situations. If you are nervous, it is very difficult for you to make the right decision.
A simple example, understandable to all mothers: the child suddenly fell heavily from some kind of slide, lies and cries. It may have fallen headfirst. Perhaps he has blood somewhere, etc. What are the options for action
You can be horrified, tear your hair out, burst into tears yourself, blame yourself for being a bad mother;
You can examine the child, call an ambulance, and at the same time be killed, nervous, scroll through the whole situation in your head a thousand times;
And you can not be killed at all and not worry. Stay calm. Just approach the child, assess his injuries, try to calm him down, and if necessary, call an ambulance, calmly go to the hospital.
Which option do you think is better
Fortunately, some people in critical situations suddenly turn on absolute calmness. Fortunately, I am one of those: I begin to worry and get nervous belatedly, when the situation has already been resolved. I am very grateful for this to my body.
We also had falls, blood, some diseases and so on. And my daughter, looking at my unshakable calmness, gradually calmed down herself. Therefore, I know that the most important thing is to maintain inner balance in emergency situations.
However, a calm mind will be no less valuable in ordinary everyday life. He will make her much more pleasant and happier. Basically, happiness depends on our state of mind.
How to become calmer
To achieve the desired state, you need to do two things:
Clear your mind;
And don't pollute it.
Purification is achieved through the practice of meditation and prayer. I have written about them many times and will write more. In the meantime, let's focus on the second, no less important point ...
How to keep the mind calm
Your life will change significantly if you take care of what enters your mind. I can give you some practical advice:
The most banal, but most important rule - no TV! And no mindless browsing on the Internet! It is very important! TV and the Internet are loading us with a huge pile of garbage!
If possible, create a good social circle for yourself! Communicate only with people who work on themselves, do not spread negativity, have useful and constructive conversations. No whining, gossip and chatter "about nothing".
If for some reason you cannot get rid of destructive communication (for example, from work colleagues or relatives) - find yourself a lot of other, good communication. So that there is much more good communication, so that it outweighs. In the course of a conversation, we adopt the mindset of the interlocutor.
Create strict censorship of films and books. No militants and detectives. Choose a quality movie that carries a positive charge, not depression.
The Vedas say that in order to maintain purity of consciousness, it is important to observe the daily routine (get up before 6 in the morning and go to bed before 22) and eat fresh vegetarian food. If possible, follow this.
Keep your home clean and tidy.
Learn to think optimistically.
alms-1807519_640
How to become an optimist
In fact, optimism is just a habit. Try to track your thoughts. For every negative conclusion, immediately look for three positive ones. In every situation in which cons are obvious, immediately find any three pluses.
Today, many books have been written about positive thinking. The authors recommend working with affirmations, collages of desires, visualization... Someone does not approve of these methods, but someone praises them.
My opinion: at a certain stage, affirmations are very useful! They are good when you need to learn to think in a positive way. I have been actively working with affirmations for over a year.
However, meditation, mindfulness practices, prayers are preferred over affirmations. And they work on a deeper level.
My experience
I am naturally very nervous and restless. That is why at the age of 18 I realized that something had to be done about it. A long search began.
Yoga, auto-training and meditation helped me a lot. Unfortunately, after the birth of children, it is almost impossible to devote enough time to this. But if you follow the principles I talked about above, you can help your mind stay calm.
We don't have a TV. I keep a close eye on what comes to me in the form of films and books. I control my communication. I try to constantly feed my mind with something useful and positive. And I need much less time to meditate than before. It is much easier for me to feel in harmony.
At first glance, the principles I wrote about are very simple and banal. But all the most effective methods can be ridiculously simple! The main thing is to apply them in life. Try it! Feel how important communication is to you. MASS MEDIA. Thinking style. Start taking it more seriously.
The dictation is taken from askrealjesus.ru I will try to give you a simple but effective method so that you can experience peace, my beloved. You can approach this in different ways, but the basic idea is that you make time for it every day, or at least as often as you can. Go to a quiet room. Sit in a comfortable chair with your spine straight and then direct your attention inward. Inevitably, thoughts will come. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that in order to calm the mind, you have to fight the thoughts, hold them back, because in doing so you tense the mind. And how can you calm the mind by tensing even more? Many people have wasted countless hours in meditation, trying to calm the mind, and in doing so, only increased the struggle and anxiety in it. Instead, the approach is simple. You know that behind every outer appearance there is an underlying, deeper reality. When you look at your physical body, you know that under the visible surface there are organs and bones. But bones and organs are made up of cells. Cells are made up of molecules. Molecules are made up of atoms. Atoms are like miniature solar systems with electrons revolving around the nucleus. But between the electrons and the nucleus is empty space. And thus, if you go deeper and deeper beyond the outer phenomena, you will see that eventually you will reach emptiness. Void. There's nothing. No electrons, no neutrons, no protons. No molecules. Nothing. You can use various visualizations, including the one I just gave. You can also visualize a river with its constant movement, but that there is still empty space between the molecules. Outside the flow of water, there is stillness that serves as a background for movement. For the movement must be relative to something, and you are well aware that a very slow movement cannot be detected by your senses when there is no comparative reference. And so, ultimately, any movement can be seen only because there is a still background. So you can meditate in your mind on the river. And when thoughts arise, you see that they are like whirlpools in a river. But when you enter them and exit from the other side, you will eventually achieve peace. What I mean to say is that when a thought comes, you don't try to fight it. But even so, you do not swim with her. You enter right into it. You pass through it. And you are looking for what is behind it. As a result, another thought may appear. Enter it, go through it. Look for what is behind her. If another thought comes, go into it, go through it. Look for what is behind her. Keep doing this, my beloved, and eventually you will achieve some degree of silence. Spend time in silence Keep practicing this day in and day out and in time you will be able to quickly achieve silence and feel that behind the flow of thoughts there is a silence - a Presence that shapes your sense of identity, your sense of Being, your sense of "I AM". ". And just because you have this feeling that "I AM", thoughts can appear in your mind, your being. And so, by going beyond every thought, every feeling, every perception in the mind, you can come to that core of Being, which is the core of Presence, your I AM Presence. And then spend some time in that silence - no compulsion, no desire, no questions, no prayers for anything. Enjoy simply experiencing the Presence, my beloved. Ask for nothing, no answers, no change. Enjoy the experience of the Presence. And when you feel that the time has come for completion, take some time to calmly return to your normal state of consciousness. This meditation does not take long. As you become more experienced, it only takes you a few minutes a day to do it. And then later on you just go and go about your daily business without waiting, asking or demanding anything. But you will be surprised at how contact with the Presence can be the catalyst for bringing new thoughts, new perspectives, new ideas into your outer mind. Ideas that you realize are not part of the normal disturbances in the atmosphere of this Earth coming from the mass consciousness, but come from a higher realm and carry a certain degree of infinity in them - and therefore allow you to be in the creative flow and bring new solutions, new perspectives. And then as you tune in to the Presence, you can also begin to carry the feeling of silence with you. You will come to be able to start speaking out of the silence, so that your words are not born from the interference of your own mind or the collective consciousness and seek to counteract some other form of interference. Instead, they will flow from a deeper level; they will be filled with something. They will be inspired by the Presence and therefore reach people on a deeper level. For they will touch their hearts and help them see higher. Sometimes it is legitimate to challenge people in a very direct and confrontational manner. For some of you, this is a natural expression, at least at the current level. I am not hereby saying that all of you should express yourself in the same way. I am simply saying that all of you have the potential to consider sharing your Presence in some way, so that the words carry more than just words and the linear mind, so that they are filled with something true, my beloved. .
Of particular interest to readers of the site are the questions " restless mind“, i.e. such a state of thinking, when thoughts flow in an endless stream day and night, prevent a person from concentrating, making the right decisions, require great intellectual and volitional efforts to maintain internal composure, etc.
I'll start at the beginning, pardon the pun. The activity of the mind is its natural quality, this is normal. In contrast to the mind, the soul strives for peace, it is passive in this sense. Therefore, an active mind is good, but it is necessary on one condition that this mind is properly regulated and disciplined. Otherwise, under certain conditions, sooner or later the mind becomes restless.
For example, a car with a powerful engine that instantly responds to the gas pedal is the dream of many motorists. However, in the absence of movement, the engine of this vehicle must operate at the minimum required speed. If the engine runs at high speeds without movement - this is a disaster, such an engine wears out quickly, it will fail faster than usual, such engine operation pollutes the atmosphere more.
restless mind- similar to a car running at high speeds without moving. This engine needs to be adjusted.
The mind works through the organ of the physical body - the brain. Therefore, a restless (unregulated) mind is the cause of many diseases of the human physical body. This is not surprising. The brain for a person is akin to an on-board computer for a car, ship, aircraft. The brain issues commands to the body. An abundance of thoughts gives rise to an abundance of contradictory commands to the body and its systems, which leads to an imbalance of the body and its systems with all the ensuing consequences. These are the so-called psychosomatic diseases. In fact, ordinary domestic trauma is also the result of a restless mind, it is also psychosomatic, like hypertension, for example, as it is the result of the mind's conflicting work.
Causes of a Restless Mind
Relatively speaking, I see two large groups of these reasons: internal and external.
- Internal causes are determined by the fate of man, his previous lives, the current way of life, the motives and goals of his actions.
- External causes are the environment, the intensity of information processes in which a person is included.
The main cause of a restless mind is the sum of impressions stored in a person's operational and long-term memory.
These impressions are emotionally charged to varying degrees, emotionally significant for a particular person. That is why events even of the distant past can constantly pop up in his mind if they are emotionally significant (important) for him. As long as this emotional charge exists, impressions will determine the further behavior of a person.
How to calm the mind?
The New Year holidays are approaching, the time of noisy feasts, fun, meetings with friends and relatives. But they will be followed by everyday life, work, life issues that have not gone away. What will be the new year for each depends largely on him.
I would like to end the article with an excerpt from Master Kamlesh's book:
We must be very careful about how we spend our lives, because that is our destiny. ( Creation of Destiny, Chapter “Understanding the Path”, p. 149.).
How to calm your nerves and thoughts in your head. What is a clear mind?
There are several ways in which you can reduce the excitement of the mind and achieve greater peace and stability. For example, meditation-thinking on a topic will help you sober up your mind and soften the “rumble of the surf” caused by hyperactivity and agitation of the mind. Themes commonly used are: the inconstancy and variability of nature, the suffering of the human race, the inevitability of death, priceless opportunities on your life path.
If you are distracted by strong, obsessive desires to possess something or someone, review the entire scenario, choosing the entire life cycle of the object of your desire - a thing or person as a subject of contemplation. and play out the whole story of having it - from start to finish - in your mind.
When you see what you end up with, you will be able to cool down your unsatisfied desire much faster. Contemplate with compassion and sympathy; when the mental exaltation subsides, return your attention to the object chosen for concentration.
The antidote for distraction
When attention is dulled and you want to raise the level of mental clarity, some physical plane aids will help you. Experiment: sit with your back as straight as possible in a room with bright light, looking up.
To refresh your mind, try mindful walking, take a refreshing shower, splash cold water on your face, look up at the sky.
One of the meditation teachers said: if you experience sleepiness during meditation, imagine that you are sitting on the top of a telegraph pole or on the edge of an abyss - in this case, the likelihood that you will not fall asleep increases dramatically!
Here are a few tips to help you counter a decline in focus and increase your mental energy levels.
Visualize your body being filled with light.
Imagine that your mind is of the nature of light.
How to calm your nerves and thoughts in your head
Visualize your mind as a sphere of brilliant white light at the heart and imagine it rising to the top of your head and dissolving into the infinity of space.
Think about things that lift you up, lift your spirits, expand or open your mind or heart.
Contemplate the people whose example inspired you.
Reflect on the virtues of kindness, the characteristics of someone you truly love, something or someone in your life, people you are grateful for.
If you feel that you are starting to stagnate, not moving forward or backward, it is better to end this meditation session and move on to something else.
If you are tired, relax, take a nap or take a bath. If you're overly excited, switch to "mindful walking", go for a jog, put on some music that makes you feel good to move to.
Take a look at how your compassion, your creativity, manifests itself while you are busy redirecting the unproductive energy of the mind.
Focusing and calming the mind
Sit comfortably, take a few minutes to relax. Place your hands on your lap and smile to yourself quietly and calmly.
How to calm your nerves and thoughts in your head
Pay attention to your breathing, feel the air moving in and out of your nose. Now start counting each exhalation, from the first to the tenth. If you lose count, go back to the beginning; if you can't get to ten, go back to the beginning.
This technique can be used at any time of the day, devoting a few minutes to it.
The goal is to focus your mind on what you are doing, and focus not too hard and not too relaxed.
Don't try too hard: let your mind be focused but relaxed. The mind will inevitably wander, but if it does, just take a step back. As Saint Francis ds Sal said: “If the heart begins to wander or wander, gently bring it back to its object; and even if during this hour you did not do anything, only directing your heart to its object, it still means that you spent this hour with great benefit.
With constant practice, concentration will get better and better, and you will feel that it has become much easier for you to keep your mind on the subject of contemplation and on anything in general.
Cure for frustration
If most of your time is spent in distraction or overstimulation, it can very easily feel like your meditation session is wasted. There is a simple and effective remedy for this, and it is also an excellent way to improve concentration.
How to calm your nerves and thoughts in your head
Break your big activity into many small ones with breaks in between. (You can use this method any time you have a spare minute.)
1. Sit comfortably with your back straight.
2. Take a deep full exhalation, without making any extra effort.
3. As you exhale, visualize the sound "ahhh".
Let the sound open up and flow freely outward. As you do so, allow your mind to also open up and flow freely with that sound, forming a single wave of awareness—until the mind becomes distracted or overexcited.
4. At the first sign of distraction or arousal, stop immediately.
5. Relax. Take a break (fifteen to twenty seconds).
Look around. If you want, you can walk around to stretch your legs, but then repeat all the points.
Repeat as many times as you see fit within the time frame dedicated to meditation practice. Gradually, you will get used to these short periods of time, within which your attention is not scattered, and to the corresponding concentration.
At first you may only be able to hold your concentration for a few seconds, but continued practice will allow you to stabilize your attention and deepen it.
As you develop your skill of concentration, you will consciously feel that your mind and the sound of "ahhh" are constantly turning outward, even when you pause to take a breath.
(Taken from the web in the public domain
