Swami Sivananda - Concentration Exercise

1) Thought Control - 

Concentration will increase by lessening the number of thoughts. Certainly it is an uphill task to reduce the number of thoughts. In the beginning it will tax you much. The task will be very unpleasant. But later on you will rejoice as you will get immense strength of mind and internal peace by reduction of thoughts. Armed with patience, perseverance, vigilance, fiery determination and iron will, you can crush the thoughts easily just as you crush a lemon or an orange with ease. After crushing them, it will be easy for you to root them out. Mere crushing or suppression will not suffice. There may be again resurrection of thoughts. They should be totally eradicated just as a loose tooth is rooted out.

 It will be very difficult to fix the mind on one thought in the beginning. Diminish the number of thoughts. Try to have thoughts on one subject. If you think of a rose, you can have all sorts of thoughts connected with the rose only. You can think of different kinds of roses that are grown in different parts of the world. You can think of the various preparations that are made out of the rose and their uses. You can allow even thoughts of other kinds of flowers to enter. But do not entertain thoughts of fruits and vegetables. Check the aimless wandering of the mind. Do not have thoughts at random when you think of a rose. Gradually you can fix the mind on one thought only. You will have to discipline the mind daily. Eternal vigilance is needed in thought control.

2)  Where to Concentrate

Practise various sorts of concentration. This will train or discipline your mind wonderfully. Now concentrate on the Himalayas, a very great object. Then concentrate on a mustard or a pin-point. Now concentrate on a distant object. Then concentrate on a near object. Now concentrate on a colour, sound, touch, smell or taste. Then concentrate on the tik-tik of a watch. Now concentrate on the virtue mercy. Then concentrate on the virtue patience. Now concentrate on the Sloka "Jyotishamapi Tat Jyoti..". Then concentrate on "Styam Jnanam Anantam',. Now concentrate on the image of Lord Siva. Then concentrate on the "Aham Brahmasmi" Mahavakya.

Train the mind in concentration on various objects, gross and subtle, and of various sizes, medium and big. In course of time, a strong habit of concentration will be formed. The moment you sit for concentration, the mood will come at once quite easily.

Some Illustrative Exercises

Ask your friend to show you some playing cards. Immediately after the exposure, describe the forms you have seen. Give the number and name such as king of clubs, ten of spades, queen of diamonds and jack of hearts.

Read two or three pages of a book. Then close the book' Now attend to what you have read. Abandon all distracting thoughts. Focus your attention carefully. Allow the mind to associate, classify, group, combine and compare. You will get now a fund of knowledge and information on the subject. Mere skipping over the pages inadvertently is of no use. There are students who read a book within a few hours. If you ask them to reproduce some important points of the book, they will blink. If you attend to the subject on hand very carefully, you will receive clear, Strong impressions. If the impressions are strong, you will have very good memory.

Read one page in the Gita. Close the book. Concentrate on what you have read. Find out parallel lines in the Mahabharata, the Upanishads and Bhagavata. Compare and contrast'

Sit in a comfortable posture and concentrate on anyone of the numerous abstract virtues such as mercy, compassion, etc. Dwell upon the virtue as long as you can.

3) Concentration a key to success

Fix your mind on the work on hand. Give your complete heart and soul to it. Let it be even a small work like peeling off the skin of a plantain fruit or squeezing a lemon. Never do anything haphazardly. Never take your meals in haste. Be calm and patient in all your actions. Never arrive at hasty conclusions. Never do a thing in haste. No work can be done successfully without calmness and concentration. Those who have attained success and become great have all possessed this indispensable virtue.

You will be successful in overly attempt. You will never meet with failure if you can do your work with perfect attention and concentration. When you sit for prayers and meditation, never think of your office work. When you work in the office, never think of the child who is sick or any other household

work. When you take bath, do not think of games. When you sit for meals, do not think of the work that is pending in the office. You must train yourself to attend to the work on hand with perfect one-pointedness. You can easily develop your will-power

and memory. You will become a mighty man. Concentration is the master-key to open the gates of victory.

4) Concentration on Chair

When the thought runs in one definite groove continuously on one subject alone, then it is concentration. The aspirant should withdraw his mind whenever it runs outside and put it in the same groove in the same line of thought on one subject and on one idea.

When you meditate on a chair, for instance, bring all thoughts connected with the chair and dwell on those ideas. Do not allow any other thought connected with another object to enter the mind. There should be one line of thought. There should be one continuity of thought. There may be several ideas connected with one subject. That does not matter.

Concentration on a chair really means getting a full, detailed knowledge of the chair its different parts, the particular wood out of which it is manufactured such as Devadaru and rosewood, its workmanship, its durability, its cost price, the degree of comfort it gives to the back and arms, whether the parts can be detached and fixed again, whether it is manufactured on modern lines and made bug-proof, what sort of polish or varnish is used to make it durable, and so on. When you concentrate on a chair, ideas of this sort occupy your mind.

Do not allow any other thought of any other object. Again and again bring the mind that wanders to the object, which is chair.

When you meditate on a rose, think of rose and rose alone. When you think of a book, think of all that is connected with the book and nothing outside of it. When you think of a radio or a talkie, think of the radio or talkie alone. Exhaust all matters connected with the subject on hand. you can take any subject that is pleasing to the mind. Slowly you can take up any subject

When you take up any work, apply your whole heart, full mind and soul, to the work. Do it with perfect concentration. what another can do in six hours you can turn out within half an hour, smoothly, in a methodical and orderly manner. This is Yogic activity. You will be taken for an accomplished Yogi. Even when you study, study the subject with perfect concentration. Do not allow the mind to wander. you must shut out all external sounds. Fix the gaze on one point. Do not allow the eyes to wander. When you study a subject do not think of coffee or sweetmeats or your friend. 

5) Attention - 

Attention is steady application of the mind. It is focussing of consciousness on some chosen object. Through attention you can develop your mental faculties and capacities. Where there is attention, there is also concentration. Attention should be cultivated gradually. It is not a special process. It is the whole mental process in one of its aspects.

By constant practice and ever-renewed effort of attention, a subject that in the beginning was dry and uninteresting may become full of interest when you master it and leam its meaning and its issues. The power of concentrating your attention on the subject may become stronger.

Throw your entire attention into whatever you happen to be doing at the moment. Practise attention on those unpleasant tasks from which you have been shrinking before on account of their unpleasantness. Throw interest upon uninteresting objects and ideas. Hold them on before your mind. Interest will slowly manifest. Many mental weaknesses will vanish. The mind will become stronger and stronger.

6) Concentration on External Objects

Concentration is holding the mind to one form or object for a long time. To remove the tossing of the mind and various other obstacles which stand in the way of one-pointedness, the practice of concentration on one thing alone should be made.

Concentration is opposed to sensuous thoughts and desires, bliss to flurry and worry, sustained thinking to perplexity, applied thinking to sloth and torpor, rapture to ill-will.

It is easy to concentrate the mind on external objects. The mind has a natural tendency to go outwards. Keep the picture of Sri Krishna, Rama, Narayana, Devi or Lord Jesus or any picture, in front of you. Look at it steadily without winking. Gaze at the head, then at the body, then at the legs. Repeat the same process again and again. When your mind calms down look at a particular spot only, then close the eyes and mentally visualize the picture.

You should be able to visualize the picture very clearly even in its absence. You will have to call up the mental picture at a moment’s notice. Keep it there steadily for sometime. This is concentration. You will have to practice this daily.

If you want to increase your power of concentration, you will have to reduce your worldly desires and activities. You will have to observe silence everyday for some hours. Then only can the mind concentrate very easily and without difficulty.

Developing Concentration - 4 [Trataka, Various Methods of Tratak]

Trataka - Swami Sivananda

‘Trataka’ is steady gazing at a particular point or object without winking. Though this is one of the six purificatory exercises, it is mainly intended for developing concentration and mental focusing. It is very useful for the students of Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. There is no other effective method for the control of the mind. Some of the students who claim that they belong to Jnana Yoga, neglect such important exercises since they are described under Hatha Yogic portions. Sri Ramana Maharshi the famous Jnani of Tiruvannamalai, was doing this exercise. You could have seen it clearly if you had been to his Ashram for his Darshan. While seated on his sofa in his room, he used to gaze on the walls. When he sat on the veranda in an easy-chair, he steadily looked at the distant hills or at the sky. This enabled him to keep up a balanced state of mind. Nothing could distract his mind. He was very calm and cool always. He was not at all distracted by any one even though his Bhaktas might be talking and singing by his side.

EXERCISES

(1) Keep the picture of Lord Krishna, Rama, Narayana or Devi in front of you. Look at it steadily without winking. Gaze at the head; then at the body; then at the legs. Repeat the same process again and again. When your mind calms down look at a particular place only. Be steady till tears begin to flow. Then close the eyes and mentally visualise the picture.

(2) Gaze on a black dot on a white wall or draw a black mark on a piece of white paper and hang it on the wall in front of you.

(3) Draw the picture Om (!) on a piece of paper and have it before your seat. Do Trataka on it.

(4) Lie down on an open terrace and gaze at a particular bright star or on the full moon. After some time, you will see different colours of lights. Again some time later, you will see only a particular colour throughout, and all other surrounding stars will disappear. When you gaze at the moon, you will see only a bright moon on a black background. At times you will see a huge mass of light all around you. When gazing becomes more intense, you can also see two or three moons of the same size and at times you cannot see any moon at all even though your eyes may be wide open.

(5) Select at random any place in the open sky in the morning or evening hours and gaze at it steadily. You will get new inspirations.

(6) Look at a mirror and gaze at the pupil of your eye.

(7) Some people do Trataka at the space between the two eyebrows or at the tip of the nose. Even during walking, some persons do Trataka at the tip of the nose.

(8) Advanced students can do Trataka at the inner Chakras, (Padmas). Muladhara, Anahata, Ajna and Sahasrara are the important centres for Trataka.

(9) Keep a ghee-lamp before you and gaze at the flames. Some astral entities give Darshan through the flames.

(10) Very few Yogins do Trataka on the sun. It requires the help of an experienced man by their side. They begin to gaze on the rising sun and after gradual practice they do Trataka on the sun even in the midday. They get some special Siddhis (psychic powers) by this practice. All are not fit for this Sadhana. All the first 9 exercises will suit everyone and they are harmless. The last one, sun-gazing should not be attempted until you get the help of an experienced man.

INSTRUCTIONS

When you do the practice in your meditation room, sit in your favourite Asana (posture), Siddhasana or Padmasana. At other times you can do in a standing or sitting posture. Trataka can be profitably done even when you walk. As you walk along the streets, do not look hither and thither. Gaze at the tip of the nose or toes. There are many persons who do not look at the face when they talk to others. They have their own gaze at a particular place and talk. No particular Asana is required for this Sadhana.

When you gaze at a picture, it is Trataka. When you close your eyes and mentally visualise the picture, it is Saguna Dhyana (meditation with form). When you associate the attributes of God such as omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, purity, perfection, etc., the name and the form of the object of Trataka will automatically disappear and you will enter into Nirguna Dhyana (abstract meditation).

Do Trataka for two minutes to start with. Then cautiously increase the period. Do not be impatient. Gradual steady practice is required. Gazing at a spot even for three full hours continuously counts for nothing, if the mind is wandering. The mind also must be on the spot. Then only you will advance in this practice and attain many psychic powers.

Those who cannot gaze steadily for a second in spite of several attempts, need not worry much. They can close their eyes and gaze at an imaginary spot at the space between the two eyebrows.

Those who have very weak eye-capillaries should do Trataka after closing their eyes on any imaginary spot within or without. Do not tax your eyes by over-practice. When you feel tired, close your eyes and keep your mind on the object of Trataka. When you sit and do Trataka do not shake the body.

Trataka improves eyesight. Many who had some eye-troubles have realised immense benefits by Trataka. Going beyond one’s own power and gazing at the sun without any help may produce serious troubles. For gazing on the sun you must have your guide by your side. The Guru will prescribe some oil to rub on your head to avoid such serious troubles and to cool the system. You should apply honey to your eyes at night when you practise sun-gazing.

The same object of gazing will appear as something else during the practice. You will have many other visions. Different people have different experiences. You will not even believe certain things when others tell you of their experiences. Trataka alone cannot give you all Siddhis. After the control of the mind, when it becomes steady, you will have to manipulate the mind by prescribed methods for the attainment of powers. Therefore the powers that are obtained by this practice may vary in different persons. It depends upon the further training of the mind, in a particular way.

Young aspirants, who pose as big Yogins, neglect such practices and ask whether this practice is Moksha. Certainly that practice itself is not Moksha. Different practices are for the attainment of Moksha. One can attain the goal by a particular method, others by different methods. Remember this point always. Otherwise you will be neglecting all the methods. You will be misguided and lose the goal if you neglect the Sadhana.

By the practice of Trataka, diseases of the eyes are removed. Eye-sight improves. Many have thrown away their spectacles after taking to this practice. Will-power is developed. Vikshepa is destroyed. It steadies the mind. Clairvoyance, thought-reading, psychic cure and other Siddhis are obtained very easily.

Once again I will tell you that Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, etc., are not incompatibles like Cocaine and Soda Bicarbonate. They are not antagonistic to each other. Do not neglect this exercise for the mere reason that it comes under Hatha Yoga portions. Even though you may claim to be a student of Jnana Yoga or Bhakti Yoga, you can take to this practice. It is a very effective powerful remedy for a wandering mind. It prepares the mind undoubtedly for perfect Dhyana and Samadhi. This is assuredly a means for the end. You must ascend the Yogic ladder or stair-case step by step. Several persons have been benefited by this useful exercise. Why not you, also, dear friend, sincerely attempt to practise this from this moment? I have given you different exercises for Trataka. Select any one of the methods that suits you best and realise the spiritual benefits. Do this for one month regularly and let me know your experiences, benefits and also troubles, if any.

===================

 tratak is an excellent method to improve concentration and sharpen memory. It means “to gaze steadily at a fixed point”. The fixed point can be an object placed directly in front of the eyes or an inner visualisation when eyes are closed.

The impression of the object falls on the optic nerves in the retina which are connected by sensory nerves to several centres of the brain. These centres receive information through the optic nerves and send out commands. Many of these centres are asleep or inactive. Tratak increases the function of perception which awakens these inactive centres of the brain.

One of the most practical and effective ways to do tratak is to use a candle and focus on its wick.

Light the candle and place it on a small table so that the flame is exactly at eye level. Sit in any comfortable meditation asana with the head and spine erect. Adjust the position so that the candle is at an arm’s length. Close the eyes and relax the whole body. Be aware of the breath for a few minutes.

Open eyes and gaze steadily at the tip of the wick. The flame may flicker but the tip of the wick will always remain steady. Do not blink or move eyeballs. The awareness should be completely centred on the wick. If the mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to the practice. After a minute or two, when the eyes get tired or watery, close them gently.

Gaze at the image of the flame left behind. If the image moves up or down, or from side to side, observe it and try to stabilise it. When the image of the flame begins to fade, try and bring it back. When the image is no longer retained, gently open the eyes and gaze at the tip of the wick again and repeat the procedure. Practise 3-4 rounds.

 

BENEFITS

Besides concentration and memory, tratak enhances will power.

It is an excellent way to clear accumulated complexes, problems and suppressed thoughts from the mind.

Regular practice makes the eyes clear and bright.

It balances the nervous system, relieving nervous tension, anxiety, depression and insomnia.

It is an excellent preparation for meditation.

 

TIPS

Choose a clean and dark room for practice.

Start with 5 minutes and gradually increase the time to up to 15 minutes.

Avoid undue strain. Slowly train the eyes to avoid blinking during the practice.

Slowly move your eyeballs clockwise and anticlockwise 2-3 times and blink rapidly a few times to relax. After completing the final round, rub your palms together to make them warm and place them on your eyelids without applying pressure. Repeat 3 times.

Tratak is best practised after asana and pranayama as an integrated approach. Take the guidance of a teacher.

Though tratak can be practised at any time of the day, early morning or evenings are good.

 

PRACTICE OF THE WEEK

Begin with a few asanas to loosen up the body, followed by anulom vilom pranayama (refer September 5 tabloid!). Then begin tratak.

https://gulfnews.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/yoga-for-improving-concentration-1.1579936

 

Developing Concentration - 3

EXERCISES

1) Counting with just your eyes - take a newspaper and count the lines / words in any one paragraph using only your eyes without pointing your finger at each word. Do with another paragraph and page.

2) Mental Repetition (2 min) - choose an inspiring word / phrase and repeat it silently in mind for 2 min. Try to reach upto 5min. "I am a peaceful soul", "I am a happy soul", "All is well", "My concentration is good"

3) Absolute Focus - on small triangle, square or circle. Color it and put it in front of you, keep attention on the drawing. Try to visualize

§ "Your concentration has to be Right Concentration: just right, on an even keel, all the time. Whatever you do — sitting, standing, walking, lying down — don't let it have any ups and downs."

"உங்கள் மன ஒருமைப்பாடு சரியான மன ஒருமைப்பாடாக இருக்க வேண்டும்: எல்லா நேரத்திலும் சரி சமமான நிலையில் இருக்க வேண்டும். எதைச் செய்தாலும் - உட்காரும் போதும், நிற்கும் போதும், நடக்கும் போதும், படுத்திருக்கும் போதும் - மன ஒருமைப்பாட்டில் ஏற்றத் தாழ்வுகள் இல்லாதவாறு பார்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்."

§ "Concentration: You have to learn how to do it, how to maintain it, and how to put it to use."

"மன ஒருமைப்பாடு: அதை எப்படிச் செய்வதென்றும், எப்படிப் பராமரிப்பதென்றும், எப்படிப் பயன்படுத்துவ தென்றும் கற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்."

§ "Once you catch hold of the mind, it'll stay in the present, without slipping off to the past or future. That's when you'll be able to make it do whatever you want."

"நீங்கள் மனத்தைக் கட்டுக்குள் கொண்டுவந்தபின், அது நிகழ் காலத்திலேயே இருக்கும். கடந்த காலத்திற்கோ, எதிர் காலத்திற்கோ அது நழுவிச் சென்று விடாது. அப்போதுதான் நீங்கள் விரும்புவதைச் செய்யும் வகையில் அதை நடத்தலாம்."


src: https://sites.google.com/site/budhhasangham/fuang/fuang10

Developing Concentration - 2

The mind can be fixed on any object in the beginning which is pleasant. It is very difficult to fix the mind in the beginning on an object which the mind dislikes.

At the initial stage of practice you can concentrate on the tick-tick sound of a watch, the flame of a candle or any other object which is pleasing to the mind. This is concrete concentration. 

Select any gross object that the mind likes such as pencil, apple, rose, chair, etc., and concentrate on it. The mind should be trained to concentrate on gross forms and objects in the beginning period of Sadhana and then gradually it can concentrate on subtle objects. Train the mind in concentrating on various objects gross and subtle and of various sizes big, medium and small. After a regular practice on these, the mind becomes fit for concentration on internal Chakras and abstract ideas.

Concentration on a chair really means getting full, detailed knowledge of the chair, its different parts, the particular wood out of which it is manufactured such as Devadaru, rose wood, etc., its workmanship, its durability, its cost price, the degree of comfort it gives for the back, arms, etc., whether the parts can be detached and fixed again, whether it is manufactured on modern lines and made bugproof, what sort of polish or varnish is used to make it durable, etc. When you concentrate on the chair, this sort of idea occupies your mind. Mind generally wanders wildly at random. When it thinks of one object, in a second it leaves that object and runs to another object like a monkey, then to a third object and so on.

It cannot stick to one point.

When you concentrate on a chair, do not allow any other thought of different objects. Again and again bring the mind that wanders to the object which is chair. When you meditate on a rose, think of rose and rose alone. When you think of a book, think all that is connected with the book and nothing outside it.

Devotees concentrate on the heart, Raja Yogins on Trikuti (the seat of the mind), Vedantins on the Absolute. Trikuti is the space between the eyebrows.You can also concentrate on the tip of the nose, the naval, or the Muladhara (below the last vertebra of the spinal column).

Sit on lotus-pose, Padmasana, with crossed legs. Fix the gaze on the tip of the nose. This is called nasal gaze. Do not make any strained effort. Gently look at the tip of the nose. Practise for one minute in the beginning. Gradually increase to 30 minutes or one hour. This practice steadies the mind. It develops the power of concentration. Even when you walk in the streets keep up this practice.

Sit on lotus-pose with crossed legs or in “perfected pose” (Siddhasana) in your meditation room and practise fixing the mind at the junction of the eyebrows gently for half a minute. Then gradually increase the period to half an hour. There must not be the least strain in this practice. This practice removes the restlessness of mind and develops concentration. This is known as the frontal gaze because the eyes are directed towards the frontal bone of the forehead. You can select either the nasal gaze or the frontal gaze according to your temperament and capacity.

If you want to increase your power of concentration you will have to reduce your worldly activities. You will have to observe the vow of silence every day for two hours or more.

Practise concentration till the mind is well established on the object of concentration. When the mind runs away from the object bring it back again.

Be slow and steady in concentration. By practice of concentration, you will become superhuman.

When concentration is deep and intense, the senses cannot operate. He who practices perfect concentration for three hours daily will have tremendous psychic powers. He will have a strong will-power.

You can see distant objects, hear distant voices, send messages to distant, parts, heal persons who are at a distance, and move about to a distant place in the twinkling of an eye. Believe in the power of the mind. If you have interest, attention, will-power, faith, you are bound to succeed.

Developing Concentration

What is concentration ?
Concentration is holding the mind to one form or object for a long time. 

Practice Concentration for focusing the mind on one object continuously for certain time (without mind getting distracted )  

You can concentrate internally on any one of the seven centres of spiritual energy or on external objects. Attention plays a prominent part in concentration. He who has developed his powers of attention will have good concentration. 

Concentration purifies and calms the surging emotions, strengthens the current of thought and clarifies the ideas.

He who has a steady posture and has purified his nerves and the vital sheath by constant practice of control of breath will be able to concentrate easily.


He who practises concentration will possess a very good health and very cheerful mental vision. Through concentration you will get penetrative insight.

Concentration leads to meditation.

How to practice concentration ?


Japa of any Mantra and Pranayama will steady the mind, remove Vikshepa (tossing of mind) and increase the power of concentration.

Concentrate on a concrete form in the beginning.  Concentrate on a flower, on a black dot on the wall, a candle-flame, a bright star, the moon, the picture of OM (AUM), on the form of Lord Buddha, on any dream picture, on the effulgent light of the heart, on the picture of any saint, or your Ishta Devata.
Lord Siva, Rama, Krishna, Devi  in front of you with open eyes.


It is easy to concentrate the mind on external objects. The mind has a natural tendency to go outwards. Keep the picture of Sri Krishna, Rama, Narayana, Devi or Lord Jesus or any picture, in front of you. Look at it steadily without winking (dont strain you eyes, you can wink if there is too much strain to eyes). Gaze at the at the legs,then at the body, then head. Repeat the same process again and again. When your mind calms down look at a particular spot only, then close the eyes and mentally visualize the picture.

You should be able to visualise the object of concentration very clearly even in its absence. You will have to call up the mental picture at a moment's notice. If you have good concentration you can do this without much difficulty.You will have to practice this daily.

Have three or four sittings; early morning, 8 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

When irrelevant thoughts enter the mind, be indifferent. They will pass away. Do not drive them forcibly. They will persist and resist. It will tax your will. They will enter with redoubled force. But substitute divine thoughts. Irrelevant thoughts will gradually fade out. Be slow and steady in the practice of concentration.

Ref:

http://www.dlshq.org/download/thought_power.htm#_VPID_93