Methods To Naturally Improve Your Concentration

(Some things everyone should know about concentration) We've all been through periods of time where we just can't seem to focus on any one thing. We may be scattered, easily distracted and unable to formulate consistent or productive thoughts. There are many reasons for this. Fortunately there are also many ways you can naturally improve your ability to focus so you can reach your goals and fulfill your ambitions.

Self-hypnosis

There are a variety of MP3 and CD format self-hypnosis sessions which help to synchronize thought patterns in the brain and subliminally "reprogram" the brain. There is compelling evidence that self-hypnosis works for a variety of purposes, including significant improvement in focus and concentration.

Focusing is a learned discipline. Hypnosis helps accelerate this learning process by making subliminal suggestions that you carry throughout your day. It is almost like exercising the brain and reconditioning the mind to be able to ignore distractions and achieve clarity.

Hypnosis works by inducing a relaxed state of mind. In this state, your brain is more receptive to subliminal suggestions. It is also more receptive to the various "training" exercises that different self-hypnosis programs utilize. It is in this relaxed state that you will get your biggest returns in learning how to focus and concentrate more efficiently.

Start Practising Meditation

Today it seems just about everyone is living a hectic lifestyle. Meditation offers a break from the frantic mentality that often clouds many workplaces and various types of careers. It allows our brain to regroup. It sharpens focus and increases mental clarity.

Many people find it frustratingly difficult to meditate. This is because they have been so conditioned to think that sitting still is "doing nothing" or a waste of time. However, meditation is actually one of the best ways to regroup and find the quiet space in the mind where energy can be gathered and laser-focused.

Studies have shown that meditation results in identifiable improvement in cognitive abilities. Participants in one recent study who meditated regularly were given concentration tests. The tests were mundane in nature and required almost no room for drifting or distractions.

Regular meditation practice proved to pay off in spades. Study participants blew away those that had not meditated regularly in these types of concentration tests. Simply practicing mindfulness and putting all distractions out of one's mind for as little as five minutes per day has shown great benefit.

Herbs That May Enhance Focus

Perhaps the most well known herb that may be able to enhance your mental sharpness is ginkgo biloba. The herb is derived from the leaf of a tree by the same name. It is heavily prescribed for dementia and Alzheimer's patients in Europe today.

There is conflicting data on whether the herb works to help restore memory loss. However, millions use this herb and swear by it effectiveness in making them think more clearly. Studies have shown that regular supplementation with this herb does appear to increase the circulation of blood to the brain. The most effective dosage of this herb is roughly 240 milligrams per day.

Ginseng root is another herb that may support improved focus. While it is primarily known for boosting energy levels, it also may be used to enhance mental and physical performance and easy anxiety. All of these benefits combined usually also result in an enhanced ability to focus and concentrate.
By Danna Norek

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/035053_focus_concentration_improvement.html#ixzz1pLcglFiT

What 10 Days of Silent Meditation Taught Me

Recently I had the privilege of attending a ten day silent meditation retreat at the Vipassana Meditation Center in Massachusetts. Although I have meditated on occasion, I had never done anything like this before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The process was grueling - physically and emotionally - yet the benefits were outstanding. Here are a few lessons I learned from silence. 

1. Meditation is a way to release all that is buried in your subconscious and in your body. When you allow yourself to have time dedicated to quieting your mind and turning inward, an array of thoughts and feelings that were buried in your subconscious mind and trapped in the cells of your body arise. It's essential that these items arise to the surface because that is the only way to release them. Observe the thoughts and feelings that arise without judging them. Soon thereafter, they will pass away. 

2. Silence allows you to hear the Divine. You may be in the habit of talking to the Divine a lot - maybe you pray or constantly ask your higher power for things. Meditation is your opportunity to listen to what the Divine has to say to you. Most of the time we are surrounded with noise. The constant hum of the outside world coupled with the incessant chatter in our minds leaves little room for us to hear our intuition or divine wisdom. By getting quiet, you can actually hear the Divine and better harness your intuition. 

3. Everything is temporary. During meditation, there were times when I experienced states of bliss and there were times when I felt physical discomfort from maintaining a meditation posture for an extended period of time. Both the pleasure and the pain lingered for some time, but, ultimately passed. Sometimes, we try so hard to hold on to the pleasurable things and we try equally hard to avoid the uncomfortable things. You can maintain greater equilibrium if you can accept that everything is constantly changing. Relish the pleasant experiences because they will. Remain calm when the unpleasant experiences arise, knowing that it will not last. Everything is temporary. Change is a universal law of nature. The more you can embrace this truth, the easier your life becomes. 

4. Eat mindfully. Until this retreat I had eaten my meals in a distracted way. I'd eat while having a conversation watching television driving, or while thinking about all my to dos. Eating was never the main event. But during this retreat I had the privilege of being fully present while I ate. I used all five senses to enjoy my food. I chewed deliberately and consciously. What I discovered was how much gratitude I had for all the people involved in ensuring that I had this meal- from the farmers who grew the vegetables to the truck drivers who transported my food, to the cooks who prepared my meal. Moreover I realized that I got full a lot faster when I paid attention to what I ate. I ate with pleasure and only for nourishment. When you eat mindfully you completely relish the entire experience and you will eat only to the extent that you feel nourished. 

5. Your breath can heal. One of the unexpected benefits I received from meditation was a physical healing. I had a problem with my knee for approximately two years and developed a pinched nerve in my hip in recent weeks. Within two days of observing my breath, my physical ailments were gone. Moreover, the meditation process allowed for many past emotional hurts to arise to the surface and heal. Our breath has a great capacity to heal. We just need to take the time to observe it and pay attention to what our mind, body and spirit needs. 

I hope you enjoyed these lessons from my ten day silent meditation retreat. I encourage all of you to try something like this at least once in your life. Despite how intimidating it may seem it is a great gift you can give yourself.


By Ann Thomas

Ann Thomas is a motivational speaker, author, certified life coach and founder of Evolving Goddess.Website:http://www.evolvinggoddess.com

Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com. PositiveArticles.Com does not vouch for or necessarily endorse the contents of this article.

Meditation Vs Hypnosis

What is the difference between meditation and hypnosis? Which works better; mediation or hypnotherapy? I get these type of questions quite often so I will do my best to answer it as fully as I can.

I will begin by saying the two factions are very closely linked and can certainly be used in combination with one another. Both techniques involve placing the body into a comfortable and still position then focusing on controlling breathing with the eyes generally closed. In this ‘cocooned’ state of inner reflection the sensations of the body as well as the conscious thinking mind become subdued while the subconscious aspect of mind comes to the fore. This is pretty much where the similarity finishes. Hypnotherapy and meditation do overlap sometimes; visualisations are used in both practices as are differing relaxation techniques such as breathing styles, but the differences are also very clear.

There are different forms of meditation, but generally the practice has the overall goal of achieving a quiet, still mind. This can be gained using many different methods such as the use of repeating mantras (words or sounds), visualisation, or breathing practices but the idea is more or less the same, although some meditations do allow all thoughts and emotions to pass through the mind while in the state of stillness. Meditation has been used for thousands of years because of its known benefits; it brings about calmness, anti-stress, happiness and clarity of thoughts, and is also known to reduce blood pressure and boost all round health.

Hypnosis uses many of the same principles as meditation and usually starts in a similar manner. But once in the relaxed state, the mind is not simply kept quiet. Instead the subconscious is manipulated toward a specific goal through the use of hypnotic suggestions or instructions. This might be to treat depression, gain self-confidence, lose weight or stop smoking – any problem stemming from subconscious activity can be focused upon using hypnotherapy by changing the mind-set of the subconscious by programming it with new ideas. Self-hypnosis is doing hypnotherapy alone but regular hypnotherapy is conducted by a hypnotherapist who will guide their client through the entire process, and make suggestions to their subconscious mind for self- improvement purposes. Self-hypnosis can be considered more like meditation, although again it should have a specific focus with suggestions being made to the subconscious for personal improvement. Meditation can also be done by another person in ‘guided meditation’ but will not include the suggestions for a specific goal like hypnotherapy.

Meditation can take you somewhere calm, quiet and still and you can remain in that wonderful feeling for as long as you wish to, your conscious mind in a state of rest. Hypnosis takes you to the same relaxing state but then goes further in attempting to make therapeutic change for a specific cause. Hypnosis therefore has the same benefits as meditation in combination to being a very fast and powerful tool for changing personal habits or attitudes. Meditation can have great benefits also but perhaps it is not so targeted as hypnosis, but this is not to say the effects cannot be equally as effective.

My personal suggestion would be to try both techniques and see which one benefits you most. If you have not meditated before taking 15 minutes of mind-quieting time can feel wonderfully refreshing as well as mind opening, while if you are looking to alter specific aspects of your life for the better then hypnosis or self-hypnosis is certainly a great way to go about it. 

For more information on meditation practices try these pages:

http://www.how-to-meditate.org/ (free Ebook here)

http://www.project-meditation.org/?gclid=COW91NTMmawCFQaHtgodYnEmPw

http://www.learningmeditation.com/