Singular Focus
This week’s mindset echo’s the message from last week on sneaky ways to meditate in the sense that we are talking about a singular focus. Meditation is a challenge and takes years to get good at and many more years to master. Often times focusing on your breath can be quiet challenging as our monkey mind bounces all around with random thoughts popping in and out every few seconds. One of the ways I have found to help alleviate the monkey mind is to find something that you ARE good at focusing on. ONE thing.
As an example, I love to shoot a bow and arrow. When I draw the bow back I have to be focused on staying relaxed and staring at the target, all while breathing relaxed through my diaphragm. In order to hit the bulls-eye I have to be 100% focused on it. Anything less and I will miss. I know the feeling of breathing and staring through the sites at my target. That is my singular focus, and I can use that in my mindfulness practice because my mind is already familiar with the process. All I need to do is close my eyes and mentally rehearse the process of shooting my bow.
So what could be your singular focus? Is it an activity that requires your 100% attention? Is it a game like Chess? Is it a thought process like prayer? This list could go on, and hopefully you get my point. Also, when you apply the singular focus technique it can be helpful to set a timer and try it for one minute. Once you can keep your focus for that one minute progress it to two minutes, then three, and so on. Do this consistently every day and before long you will be able to have a meditation and breath practice that lasts however long you want and/or need it to keeping your mind focused on one singular thing.