Meditation, which is another word for concentration, is one of the best tools for personal development. Enhanced concentration is the main benefit meditation gives me. To bring one’s attention to a center, a particular object, and to be able to keep your attention there is a very useful mind skill to have. Scientists have proven the benefits of meditation include less stress and anxiety with greater calm and emotional empowerment.

The skill of concentration can be developed by having a regular meditation practice. The use of a mantra or symbol, using this as a focus for your concentration and attention, your personal development can attain great heights. I love having the skill of being able to concentrate. It allows me to do so many things. Writing a blog article like this one takes concentration and many of our daily activities also use this valuable skill. You can practice by using concentration exercises which build up this mental muscle. In personal development this skill is at the top of our list so let us spend some time looking at this wonderful faculty of the mind and how we can develop it.



Mind Watching

There are many meditation techniques. A simple concentration exercise is to sit in a quiet room, be silent, close your eyes and just watch your mind. Imagine you are an observer, standing to one side, observing your thoughts. Watch your thoughts quietly with interest. I like to do this concentration exercise with my eyes closed. My ever changing and running thoughts amaze me! It seems as though the mind likes to jump from one thought to another without staying on any particular one for any length of time. You might find the same. It is a common experience.

I call this the jumping mind. It is a natural habit of the mind. Most of the people I talk to who begin meditating have a similar experience. Now, dear reader, we have before us a contradiction. There is an apparent obstacle in our path. On one hand we wish the power of concentration and on the other we have an undeveloped natural faculty.

Our minds have enormous power, enormous potential, but this power will remain potential and not applied unless we do something. You know a wild horse is very beautiful. It has grace, a wild beauty about it, and running freely in nature. But it cannot do anything. No rider will it accept on its back. No field will it ever sow. The wild horse has no applied powers of effort. The mind of beginning meditation practitioners is just as wild. If we want the ability of focused concentration we can have it. Once we apply ourselves.

When I do this concentration exercise I notice my mind likes to jump around in the beginning. After a little while it slows down. My thoughts actually begin to slow down just by watching them! It seems they get tired of jumping around and come to a resting position. This is a good sign and the beginning of enhanced concentration. This is known as a mindfulness meditation.



Enhanced Concentration

After the mental activity of my mind calms down, from jumping around, I move onto the next concentration exercise. Sitting in my quiet room I pick an object, a vase or mirror will do, although lately I have been using a drawing of a Reiki symbol, and use it for my exercise. Each time my thoughts drift away from my object of concentration I pull my mind back to focus on it. The loss of focus occurs not once, not twice, but many times. Nevertheless I notice that each time I do it my duration to keep my mind at attention becomes longer and longer.

This is a sure sign your power of concentration is growing. Where attention goes energy flows. Where energy flows growth occurs. We are growing our powers of concentration. It means our personal development program is going well. Now once you have developed your powers of focus new worlds will open up to you. Your ability to do things in general will increase and you can apply your mind power of concentration to any task you desire.

Personally I have gained much by learning how to concentrate for long periods of time. My ability to get things done, to be active, is on track. Previously I used to begin a project but not have the focus to finish it. My life was filled with half completed projects. Now this problem is solved. Thanks to my skill of being able to concentrate.

One of the blessings you gain with increased concentration ability it to select what you want to bother you! If certain people get under your skin now it is easy. You just take your mind away from thinking about them and put your thoughts on something else. It works like magic. What used to upset you emotionally has lost much of its power. Is it really this easy? Yes. It is with a disciplined mind, one that has some training in concentration.



Meditation Techniques

I mentioned before there are many meditation techniques. You have meditation music and guided meditations. It is not a matter of which meditation technique is best. It is MORE LIKE ARE YOU PRACTICING MEDITATION ON A REGULAR BASIS? Daily meditations are the best way to develop.

The other benefit I gained from regular meditation practice is increased self confidence. Do not confuse bravado with self confidence. Bravado belongs to the ego and is superficial. It is when you want to do something, usually over estimating your powers of accomplishment while self confidence is a quiet inner knowing. You know you can do it and you do not have to tell the world since your accomplishment speaks for itself.