This meditation for concentration and memory is easy to learn and one can begin practicing immediately. Simplicity is the key as our purpose in this meditation technique is to merely watch our thoughts.
There’s no need to invest more than 10 or 15 minutes to begin, building up to 20 minutes twice daily. Even with that little time spent your meditation will cause a noticeable improvement in your both concentration and memory.
Set a timer initially
Set a timer initially but as you continue to practice the meditation you’ll know instinctively when the time is up. Whether you assume a complex lotus position or simply sit in a straight back chair just make sure that you are completely comfortable.
Just sit quietly and be. Close your eyes, sit still and without any effort watch every thought that bubbles up in the screen of your mind. Watch the thought and be aware that you are the witness of the thought but you are not the thought.
This is crucial to get. You can’t be what you perceive as there is the perceiver and the perceived; therefore you can’t be your thoughts. Just persevere in noticing all the endless thoughts that parade by.
You are immediately developing an invaluable skill of remaining detached from your thoughts and thus they lose their power to influence you. All the memories, descriptions and ideas you have about yourself are just that. You are ever the witness of these memories, descriptions and ideas but previously you have taken them to be who you are. No longer will that be the case. You know clearly see what you are not.
Deliberate action of focused attention
This meditation for concentration and memory involves a deliberate action of focused attention on thoughts that arise. Awareness of the thought and separation from that thought.
By developing this skill of remaining objective to your thoughts, you will move through your day with increased levels of concentration. By remaining more aware more consistently your recall and memory will skyrocket as you remain present more often daily.
There is no effort involved. There is no effort to notice. Just notice your thoughts and the mere noticing separates you from the thought. Don’t resist the appearance of any thought. Just notice it has arrived. This will increase you ability to concentrate on anything you choose.
Just sit still
Just sit still and practice remaining unattached to thoughts. Don’t rush the process. Don’t even try not to rush. Remember; no effort. Just notice the thoughts that arise and be aware that you are not the thought.
Be prepared to see all kinds of thought and images – pleasant and disturbing and also mundane. Don’t react to what you see, simply notice and watch them diffuse like mist. By being aware of your separation from the thought it loses the “stickiness” it previously had on you.
Whenever you find yourself upset, watch the emotion that arise. Your sadness, frustration, anger, etc. Try to step back and look at the emotion. There is you and there is the emotion. Try to witness the emotion – be objective to the emotion – and notice the calming effect.
Again sitting still just let thoughts bubble up and watch them go. Just notice and stay detached from the thoughts. Realize that anything you can perceive is separate from you therefore can’t be you. Therefore you are not your thoughts and they no longer have power over you. Can you feel how liberating that is?
You will be developing a witness attitude
Away from the meditation exercise in your day to day activities, you will be developing a witness attitude. This is easy and involves no effort or strain. Do to attempt to sugarcoat what you see; simply remain detached and make no judgement of what you witness. Don’t struggle with thoughts you may not like seeing. Just realize you are not the thoughts.
As you continue to practice meditation, it becomes easier to detach from thoughts and your mind becomes more still. As your mind becomes quieter and less caught up in thoughts, simultaneously your ability to both remember and to concentrate in the present moment will increase. You will notice flashes of insight as you recall forgotten bits of “unfinished business”.
Again keep it simple. Follow the recipe.
- set a timer
- sit still
- close you eyes
- witness the thoughts that arise
- be aware that you are the witness of the thoughts
- remain detached from the thoughts
- when a thought pulls your attention away realize it is so
- rinse and repeat
- stop when the timer goes off.
