5 Meditation Techniques To Increase Your Concentration

Maybe you have heard about the power of concentration and Why concentration is necessary for achieving excellence and success in life. 

This may prompt you to find how to improve your concentration or What is the best way to practice concentration.

So, in this article, I will reveal some best meditation techniques that may increase your concentration and also disclose some scientific evidences on how regular practice of meditation helps you boost concentration. 

Here’s the list of 5 Best meditation techniques to improve concentration.

  1. Mindfulness Meditation
  2. Mantra Meditation
  3. Trataka Meditation
  4. Vipassana Meditation
  5. Guided Meditation

These meditation methods are completely different from each other and may not be applicable for every meditator also; they can be differentiated according to beginner, intermediate, and advanced level. 

Let’s dive deep into each of these meditation techniques and understand How they can improve our concentration. 

1) Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is a practice of living in a present moment and paying full attention to our feeling, sensation, and activity which you are doing, without any judgments and interpretations. 

You can practice Mindfulness just anywhere at any time that will improve your involvement in activities and increase concentration. 

You may feel content and joyful by applying Mindfulness in your routine tasks. 

When you practice Mindfulness, You will notice that disturbing thoughts and feelings are disappeared, and you may experience a flow state in your work.

Mindfulness meditation can be done by being aware of your breathing by mindfully noticing the inhalation and exhalation process, sensing the touch of air on the nostril, measuring the depth of inhalation, and noticing the movement of the belly. You can also meditate by being mindful of your body sensations.

According to a study published by Harvard, Practitioners who went through 8-week mindfulness training made faster and significantly more pronounced attention-based adjustments than non-meditators, which means mindfulness meditation can improve brain processing speed and increase concentration while working. 

Related Post: Mindful Communication Exercises, Tips, And Benefits

2) Mantra Meditation

Mantra is a sacred word or phrase that is repeatedly pronounced in mantra meditation. 

This is an ancient meditation technique used to attain super-consciousness. Nowadays, people use it for personal benefits and to resolve health problems. 

Mantra can be utter loudly, whisper at a low pitch, or recite in mind. However, Reciting and contemplating mantra in mind has more significant benefits than the other two. 

When you use the mantra in meditation, it directs the flow of thoughts and hangs your mind on the constant repetition of sound. 

In between the meditation, When your mind wanders away, you may stop pronouncing the mantra or lose focus from it. So, very soon, you will realize that and can regain control over your mind. 

With consistent meditation practice, You will become self-aware and become more conscious of your thoughts and immediately identify when your mind wanders, and also be able to bring your mind back from the distraction.

Mantra meditation is the best technique for beginners who can’t concentrate for a longer time, and for Them uttering mantras loudly and speedily may increase their concentration.

3) One-Pointed Concentration (Tratak) Meditation

Tratak meditation involves a physical object to concentrate upon. 

In this technique, you have to focus on the object with your eyes opened or with a soft gaze. 

You can use a candle flame, flower, stone, or any small pointed object as an object of meditation. 

Generally, a candle flame is the most popular object. The reason is, when you concentrate on the tip of the flame, you can’t see any other things nearby due to the bright light of the flame, so naturally, you develop more focus on the object. 

To practice tratak meditation, Light a candle and place it 3-5 inches away at eye level, then take some deep breaths and, with the soft gaze, concentrate on the tip of the candle flame for 2-5 minutes. If any thought comes to mind, simply ignore it and refocus on the flame.

One–pointed meditation is easy compare to other techniques, and this is highly recommended for beginners who find difficult to meditate. 

Research published on one-pointed meditation shows, Increase in brain activity related to attention and concentration and a decrease in activity related to discursive thoughts and feelings.

Related Post: Open Eye Meditation: Everything You Need To Know

4) Vipassana Meditation

Vipassana meditation is an ancient Buddhist meditation technique. It’s a breath-focusing and body scanning meditation. 

This meditation requires a sharp and focused mind, and you can increase your concentration by practicing this meditation. However, it also benefits us physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

In This technique, First, you have to be aware of breathing, sense the touch of air at the nostril, then feel sensations in the body by drawing your attention to each part of the body, But the most important aspect of meditation is to be equanimous for any type of sensation. 

For instance, If you find pleasant sensations, so don’t generate cravings for then you feel unpleasant sensations, so don’t hate it.

Continuously practicing vipassana meditation brings self-awareness, concentration, resilience, and mental wellness. 

Follow this Scientific research on Vipassana meditation for more details.

Related Post: Are Mindfulness And Introspection Same Or Different?

5) Guided Meditation

Guided meditation is an easy technique to practice concentration, just focusing on instructions and following them; it makes meditation simple for beginners. 

There are many YouTube videos and meditation apps that help us to practice different meditation methods.

Related Post: Are meditation apps worth it?

You can practice Mindfulness with guided instructions in which the instructor asks to draw attention towards inhalation, exhalation, belly movement, and the sensation of physical touches, sounds, etc. In this way, you can practice concentration by paying attention to different objects. 

For intermediate meditators, Guided meditation may not help because the different different instructions may disturb them from focusing on one object; because They have already developed some good concentration power, so it’s better for them to practice silent meditation like vipassana or mindfulness meditation. 

If you are a beginner, You will face some difficulties such as uncontrolled mind chattering and physical pain, but you don’t need to pay attention to any of this. If your mind runs away, accept it and gently bring it back without fighting. 

Remember, Any meditation technique can’t boost your concentration immediately. It takes time, depending on your way of practicing and involvement. 

Also, consistency and patience are necessary for any meditation techniques to get the results. 

Related Article: 18 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Meditation And Mindfulness

Don’t expect anything in the beginning; rather, focus on improvement in your practice. Gradually, You will notice the improvement in concentration level. It’s like learning a new skill that requires time and effort. 

Practice, Persistence, and patient are the key to success in any field.

FAQs

Will I lose my concentration if I take some days of a break from meditation?

It depends on how long the break is. Few days of break can’t significantly affect your concentration. 

However, When you can’t meditate. You can implement Mindfulness in your routine activities that will also keep you on track and improve your ability to focus.

How long should I meditate to improve concentration?

It depends on your way of doing meditation, the current level of concentration, and the consistency of meditation practice. However, with patience and regular meditation practice, your concentration level will definitely increase. 

Related Post: How Long And How Often Should You Meditate?

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