Sustained Focus

Of course, I sustain my focus on Huz whenever possible

While we have a biological purpose to feeling stress (survival) it is not a healthy state in which to remain. Stress release is key to optimal mental health. How best to release stress is up to you, but meditation can be a helpful tool on your journey to mental health.  

Not too long ago, I attended an online workshop called "Scientific Research on Yoga and Meditation", Offered by the Yoga Alliance, this workshop taught me so much about the scientifically proven elements of meditation - the things that can be measured and quantified. 

I learned that after 8 weeks of sustained meditation practice, noticeable change in grey matter can be detected. Meditation is good for the brain! 

I also learned about the stages through which the mind progresses during meditation. When we begin a meditation practice, as with all new things, we tend to struggle. That's because we are in a "mind wandering" status. We've all been here. The way your mind runs through your to-do list, or rehashes conversations from the past, or even - tries to predict future outcomes.

Moving beyond this mind wandering phase can be difficult. At first, you don't even notice your mind is wandering. That's why you give the mind something on which to focus. The breath, a mantra, a sound. Anything that you can fix your mental gaze on will do. 

From there, and with a LOT of consistent practice we can move into distraction awareness - noticing the distractions. I love calling these "mental sit ups". Our mental muscles can be strengthened by repeated practice of noticing when the mind wanders.

While they won't deliver a six pack abdominal wall, I promise you won't break a sweat with these sit ups, you won't get a cramp, and you will have more peace of mind and better impulse control.

Begin by sitting comfortably. Start with a straight spine. Not rigid - just aligned. Let the way you feel in this seat dictate the shape of your limbs, the position of your hands - not some preconceived notion of how you should look while meditating. 

Inhale deeply and exhale fully.

Start counting your inhales and exhales - inhale 1, exhale 1. Inhale 2, exhale 2. Try to count ten complete breaths without having your mind wander away from focusing on each inhale and exhale. If it does, just go back to one and begin again.

That moment of noticing that the mind has wandered is your mental sit-up. Celebrate it and then resume focusing on the breath.

The first time I tried this, I couldn't get beyond two breaths. Now I regularly get all the way up to ten and go back down again. Not every time, but often enough that I use this method to get myself ready for the part of meditation where it gets really good.

By developing reorientation awareness we find ways to redirect the attention, which gives way to sustained focus - it can impact many areas of our lives for the better.

Start counting the breath and doing those mental sit ups. Pretty soon - just be patient and present with it - you'll notice changes. You'll be able to use that moment to pause and sustain your focus on the now, the only moment we truly have.