Concentration Exercises: The importance of this great skill, and the techniques that can help us develop it
- 2019
"Concentration is the key to strength."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do you know the importance of conducting concentration exercises regularly?
It is true that we are currently surrounded by stimuli that compete for our attention. Today we constantly live with noise and lights that stun us. And that way, we gradually lose the ability to focus our attention .
Faced with this panorama, we find ourselves in need of exercising concentration, because like everything else in human beings, what is not used is eliminated.
We take many things for granted in our lives, and our ability to concentrate is one of them. And that way we lose sight of the importance of carrying out concentration techniques and exercises that keep that part of us active and developing. Well, this ability comes into play at all times.
When studying, in our work, in sports, we use this tool. Even in our spiritual and personal development practices such as meditation, artistic expressions and the connection with our surroundings, concentrating is essential.
In that way, concentration is a core part of our evolution in all areas of life. So stay with us while we review some concentration techniques and exercises that will help you keep this important innate ability young.
The importance of concentration
Concentration is our ability to focus all our mental attention on a single objective on a voluntary basis. That is, to focus completely on what we deliberately decided to focus on. Leaving everything else out.
Does it sound difficult? However, of course it should not be. Since we have used this skill since the beginning of the story .
Concentration exercises are essential, as they help us strengthen this capacity, which has participation in every mental process.
Fundamentally, we need it in order to have a greater decision about our thoughts. To leave out all those destructive and negative thoughts that sabotage us. And focus on the positive things that life has for us. In addition, it is essential for the exercise of our memory as well. In the study and at work, we can directly increase our performance if we improve our memory by performing concentration exercises .
Our ability to concentrate is also the spine in the quest to know ourselves. In meditation, for example, concentration is everything . It also develops our intuition, focuses our energy and thanks to it we achieve inner peace. However, without our help that ability disappears more after day .
Concentration techniques
Before starting with the concentration exercises, I would also like to share some techniques and tips that you can incorporate into your daily life. This will serve to create an environment where concentration can develop more fluently.
First, try to keep your spaces tidy . This can be difficult if you are not used to it, but there is much you can gain by incorporating this habit. With all things out of place, our attention is surrounded by obstacles where you look. And the disorder in your environment is also a reflection of the disorder in the state of your mind .
Another fundamental thing before starting with concentration exercises is rest. Try to sleep well, because sleep is more important to our health than food and physical exercise combined. Concentration demands mental effort, and every effort is difficult when faced with fatigue.
You can also set small breaks of 10 minutes throughout the day to take a breath and clear your mind. Eating well and exercising can also help blood flow and radiate all important centers of the brain. And so, concentration exercises will become more natural for you too.
If you are not listening to your body, find moments in the day when you can observe your breathing . While you are carrying out some task, take a moment to feel the air enter through your nose and fill your lungs. Little by little you will start paying attention to internal sensations that you do not use.
Concentration exercises
Think of your concentration as a muscle. At first it may not be very strong, but as you train it you will notice a change in its performance. Remember that starting to train something you have never trained takes time. Move forward gradually, do the concentration exercises gradually. And increase complexity as you feel it strengthens.
Exercise 1: Sit Still
This one of the simple concentration exercises, but it can be more difficult than it seems at first glance. And it involves sitting in a chair comfortably, and concentrating on staying still for as long as we can. We can help each other by closing our eyes to pay maximum attention to our body. Thus, any involuntary muscle movement will not go unnoticed. And at the same time, you can work on correcting your posture.
It is advisable to start with a short period of time, such as 5 minutes. And as we find it easier, we can increase it to 10 or 15 minutes. And at the same time, you may find pleasure in staying 5 minutes relaxed and with your eyes closed.
Exercise 2: Fix your gaze on your fingers
The attention in what you observe is also an important factor for concentration . So another one of the concentration exercises consists of sitting in a chair with the head raised and the shoulders back. Then, raise one arm until the hands are at shoulder height and look at your fingers. Focus on your arm not moving, and keep it that way for a minute. And go alternating arms, once with each.
As soon as you notice that a minute is easy, then you can increase the exercise time until you reach 5 minutes.
Remember that the palms of your hands are facing the ground when you do this exercise. Well, it is also the most natural position and therefore less demanding for your arms. And observing the tip of your fingers you can notice the slightest movement.
Exercise 3: Fix Your Look in a Glass
This is another of the concentration exercises that follows the line of the previous one. To carry it out, you must fill a small glass with water, and lift it with your hand to the height of your eyes. Now look at the glass, and keep your arm completely still . In this way, any movement can be noticed because the water will show it.
In the same way as with the previous one, try to alternate your left arm and your right arm. You can also start with one minute and increase the time to five to the extent that you feel relevant.
Exercise 4: Focus on Open and Close your fists
In the previous concentration exercises, the main purpose is to gain control over involuntary muscle movements. This exercise, on the other hand, is to control your muscles at will with mental orders .
To do this, support your closed fists on the table with your palms up, and fix your gaze on the fist for a moment. Then, gradually extend your thumb while keeping your eyes fixed on the spot. Continue then extending your index finger, then the older one and so on until you have an open hand on the table. Once opened, you can begin to perform the reverse process to return to the initial position.
As with the previous concentration exercises, go alternating hands until you reach 5 times with each one.
Now, this exercise may seem tiring, or boring for its monotony, but it is important that you do it to train your attention. You will also get control over your muscle movements. And as much as you think these exercises are very simple and don't help, I can promise you that in a short time you will notice much more control over yourself.
Exercise 5: Focus on the Sense of Smell
The fifth of the concentration exercises is designed to develop concentrated attention, and it is of primary help to learn to control and direct your thoughts in the same way you do with your arm.
For this, when you walk, or drive through the field, or go through a flower shop, seek to focus on the smell of each scenario. Can you feel different types of aromas? If so, then try to focus on one in particular and move on to others at will. You will feel that this increases your sensitivity in the sense of smell.
You will find many opportunities to carry out this exercise, and when you develop your nose, you will not only have to eliminate from your mind everything that is not the smell you are perceiving, but you will incorporate a repertoire of fragrances in your knowledge.
Exercise 6: Interior Concentration
Both the previous one and this one, are concentration exercises whose object is the sensation that awakens within us. And therefore, carrying them out forces us to be present in the now.
For this exercise, you can lie down or look for a comfortable position and relax your muscles. Focus on the beat of your heart. Do not pay attention to anything else. Think for a moment about how this great organ pumps blood to all parts of the body. And try to visualize the blood that flows from your heart to your limbs. Ideally, you can begin to feel the flow of your blood throughout your body.
Exercises 7: Concentration to Sleep
There are also concentration exercises for sleeping . And we will mention here the well-known method of water. This is a very simple and effective exercise.
To carry it out, put a glass of water on a small table in your room. Then, take a seat by the table and fix your gaze on the glass. Observe the calm of the water resting . Now, visualize yourself reaching an equally calm state.
Little by little, you will be able to notice how your nerves calm down and you will be ready to go to bed. Sometimes it is good to imagine how the drowsiness takes over your body to induce sleep. And those who suffer from insomnia, remember to hold in their minds the idea that there is no difficulty in sleeping. They should eliminate all fear of insomnia.
Exercise 8: Control Your Desires
This is one of the advanced concentration exercises . And it consists, as the name implies, in learning to control one of the most powerful forces: our desires. And it will also be one of the most beneficial exercises you do.
It will seem natural to want to tell others everything you know, but by learning to control these impulses, you can strengthen your concentration in a wonderful way. If you see something from another person that you don't think is good for them, keep it. At the end of the day, your opinions can also be wrong anyway. If you hear good news, resist the desire to communicate it to the first person you cross.
This will require all the power that concentration exercises have given you.
Don't get me wrong, this does not mean that it is wrong to communicate what you think or what you hear. Only you need to have absolute control over these impulses. Once you feel that your willpower can control them, then it will really be your decision if you speak.
Concentration Exercises : Considerations
Beyond what you are doing, try to imagine that it is the main objective of your life . Imagine that you are not interested in anything else in the world than in completing that task you are carrying out. And don't let anything get your attention out of it. While your attention will undoubtedly seek to escape at times, you must control it and not let it control you.
Once you conquer your attention you will have won a battle that will lead you to be more productive in whatever you are doing .
Don't let a day go by without concentrating exercises. The person who can concentrate manages to have complete control of his mind and body, managing to get ahead of his primary inclinations.
Not being his slave.
AUTHOR: Lucas, editor and translator of the great family of hermandadblanca.org
SOURCES:
- https://www.successconsciousness.com/blog/concentration-mind-power/the-importance-of-concentration/
- https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentraci%C3%B3n_(psicolog%C3%ADa)
- https://www.educaweb.com/contenidos/educativos/tecnicas-estudio/tecnicas-concentracion/
- https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/12-concentration-exercises-from-1918/
- https://www.psicologia-online.com/ejercicios-para-mejorar-tu-concentracion-416.html
