THE ART OF CONCENTRATION

Balancing effort and relaxation

We all use some level of concentration in our daily lives, but rarely do we practice the intensity of focus needed in meditation. A deep state of concentration requires the balance of two things: effort and relaxation.

With too much effort in meditation, you become tense and restless, but with too much relaxation, you become drowsy and lazy. Deep concentration falls somewhere between the two: the right type of effort and the right type of relaxation, in the right balance.

To generate the right type of relaxation, let go of tensions in your body and mind, consciously “open up” and “sink in,” but remain alert moment by moment. For the right type of effort, you need to create an internal feeling of intensity, but one that also has a sense of continuity, stability, and gentleness. It can help to generate a feeling of importance and interest toward your meditation and to keep your interest alive. Imagining a metaphor of intensity will help you to channel this feeling (see below).

METAPHORS OF INTENSITY

These visual ideas aim to give the mind a sense of what intense, unwavering presence feels like, which you can then apply to your meditation. When you do, you will enter the state of flow. This means you temporarily forget about yourself, your posture, and your environment, and become one with the object of your focus.

Meditate like …

A person on a tightrope carefully placing foot after foot in perfect balance.

An artist carving a figure on a matchstick, keeping their mind, eyes, and hand perfectly still.

A candle flame burning steadily in a still room.

A cat patiently and quietly waiting outside a hole, poised to pounce on a mouse.

A parent joyously hugging a child they haven’t seen for years.

Your mind is made of iron filings, and the object of your meditation is a powerful magnet.

Every drop of your being has nowhere to go but with the meditation object.

Your mind is an arrow flying toward a target.

You are placing a fence around your mind so it can focus on only one thing, such as your breath.

Your hair is on fire, and the object of your meditation is water.