Concentration can be defined as the ability to focus your complete attention on a specific topic or task at hand while ignoring the surroundings and happenings around you. Focus can be classified into two categories; external and internal. While external focus deals with the awareness that a sportsman maintains of all his team members as well as the position of his opponents, internal focus is the actual act of immersing oneself in a specific topic or activity. The brain functions at various wavelengths each associated with a specific brain activity; beta waves are responsible for the intense level of concentration and focus that you experience in the morning. Fortunately, it is possible to put your brain waves in the beta frequency at will through meditation. Here is a look at some yogasanas and meditation techniques that will help you to significantly improve concentration.

Tips#1: Concentrate on your breathing: This is the most basic yet a remarkably potent meditation technique. Start in the shavasana (dead person) position or you could use the traditional position of legs crossed over each other in a sitting position with the gyan mudra assumed. This is when your arms are extended out; palms facing upwards and you touch the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb, exerting gentle pressure as the other three fingers are kept straight and extended out.

Now, while in this position, make a conscious effort to expand your abdomen and chest cavity as you inhale and pull the abdominal muscles in while exhaling. Start with a deep and prolonged intake of breath and then continue breathing deeply ensuring that you only inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This is the correct way to breathe as recommended in the yogic tradition and will help you to achieve a relaxed and calmer state of mind, as you provide more oxygen to your body while purging the carbon dioxide out of your system.

Tip #2: The shavasana position can be assumed by lying on your back, feet apart and arms at your sides with palms facing up. Close your eyes but try hard to not fall asleep. This is a deep meditation technique, so it will be incredibly relaxing and you might doze off which should be avoided. Now, breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth like in the previous exercise. However, this time you should concentrate on the sensation that you feel in your nose as the cool air enters the pulmonary system and the warm air exits out of the mouth.

Tips#3: Another way to concentrate on your breathing and achieve a heightened state of awareness and alertness which in turn will aid in improving concentration is through the use of the sound of ‘aum’. In the traditional sitting position of meditation, start by breathing in as you say aum, take a deep breath that fills your lungs with air completely continue to say ‘aum’ till you can no longer inhale. While exhaling, use the word ‘rheem’, exhale out slowly till you run out of breath. ‘Aum’ and ‘rheem’ are both words found in ancient Sanskrit scriptures; their recitation is known to bring about total relaxation of the mind and the body and make you feel at peace and at one with the divine.

Tips#4: This meditation technique is not only very simple but can be learnt in a matter of five minutes, yet it is incredibly potent in relaxing the mind and the body. Start by sitting with your spine straight, in a taut posture. Your feet should be flat on the floor as you sit in a chair or you could fold your legs backwards with your heels and sole facing upwards and your body resting on your calf muscles.. Your arms and palms should be turned upwards and placed at the joint between your torso and your thighs.

In this exercise you endeavor to systematically relax and tense up the body to achieve superlative relaxation. Inhale sharply through the nose; go for one short inhalation followed by a long exhalation. Now, tense your body, every muscle from your face to your toes. You should feel the energy vibrating through your skin. Hold your breath and the body position for 5 seconds before forcibly exhaling the air out of your system with one quick exhalation followed by a long slow breathing out. Feel the tension being thrown out of system with the air, repeat several times

Tips#5: While in the shavasana position, increase physical awareness of everything around you. With your eyes closed imagine moving around the room barefoot, feel the floor or the carpet on your feet, visualize every aspect of the room in precise detail as you imagine yourself taking a leisurely walk across the area exploring every nook and corner. In the beginning, you will find it difficult to imagine things accurately, including their visual and physical feel but as your focus and concentration level increases, you will be able to see the colors of the various items distinctly and even feel their texture on your finger tips all as you lay down on the floor.

Tips#6: In the next technique, you will take long deep breaths as you try to nourish your brain and relax your body and mind with more oxygen. This technique is known as measured breathing and should be done three to six times. Start by breathing in as you count to eight, you will need to continue the inhalation till you reach the number eight, follow this by exhaling to the count of eight. Without pausing to take a break go into an inhalation right after the exhalation counting to eight for each. You can vary the count according to your breathing capacity. You will find that in the beginning you may only be able to reach a count of three or four.

Tips#7: You can also raise your physical awareness by imagining various sensations in different parts of your body. For instance, while in the shavasana position, try to imagine cold water dripping on your feet, or the feel of a soft rug on your soles. You will need to concentrate hard to imagine the actual feel of water or the rug.

Tips#8: A slight variation of this exercise is to sit in a comfortable position with a rose placed in a glass in front of you. Look closely at the rose, noticing every fold of the petal, the shades created due to the light and shadows. Imagine how soft the petals will feel on your finger tips as you touch the rose while looking at it. Now, close your eyes and concentrate on visualizing the rose as you saw it. You should be able to distinctly see every petal and even feel it on your finger tips. In the beginning, your mind will wander to the other things in the room or another thought process all together. However, you will need to teach yourself to concentrate hard on the rose. This will not only help you to calm your senses but will enhance your concentration abilities immensely.

Tips#9: Finally, trataka is another technique that works very well when used to improve concentration. Sit in a sparsely furnished room with a lighted candle placed about three feet away from you in your line of sight; that is, you should not have to tilt your head to see it. Now, look at the flame for as long as you can without blinking your eyelids. When you can no longer hold the urge to blink, close your eyes and shift the image of the flame to the center of your forehead where your eyebrows meet, keep your eyes closed and do not open them as long as you can visualize the flame and its brightness. In the beginning, you may not be able to go beyond a few seconds or a minute but as you practice, you will be able to continue the visualization process for twenty minutes or longer.

You will find that these techniques and yogasans will not only help to improve your concentration but will also prove effective in helping you relax in the most stressful situations and will aid in enhancing enhance mental wellbeing. We hope that this has answered your question on how to improve concentration with meditation techniques.

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This book was originally published in 1925 and is part of a rare reprint book collection. The book covers topics that are surprisingly relevant, even when Bush talks about what is happening ‘in the times.’

The book is a definite read, as it provides very simple exercises to improve concentration. The exercises for improving concentration are also not all physical, Bush is also keen to include mental exercises to improve concentration. Overall Bush defines 31 exercises that can be used to improve concentration. I think what is most important about this book is that it is time-tested – the book was written during the roaring 20’s and still holds true even today.

I recommend picking up a copy at the link above.

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Having a high degree of concentration isn’t something that most people are born with. In fact, it’s more natural for various priorities to constantly compete for mental attention, resulting in a good deal of distraction at any given time. Eastern religion and traditions, however, have spent centuries training followers to become more focused. In general, this is thought to be a spiritual issue, as it’s hard to be in tune with deity without clearing the mind. However, even those who have no religious tradition, or one quite different than a Hindu or Buddhist faith, can benefit from the eastern techniques to improve concentration power.

Yoga
Most people utilize the discipline as yoga as a form of exercise. It is, in fact, a very effective way to work your body. Yoga is a mind-body type of movement, providing a strong mental focus, coupled with challenging physical expression. As a result, concentration is necessary to properly perform yoga moves. To those looking on, yoga seems ridiculously easy; it isn’t until you attempt the moves yourself that you begin to realize how challenging the art is. Yoga brings balance to the physical and mental aspects of your concentration, increasing focus and training your brain to balance the mental and physical. You might be surprised at how well this translates into better memory and concentration power.

Meditate on It
Think of any eastern culture and one picture will certainly come to the front of your mind: someone sitting cross-legged, holding their fingers together, with their eyes closed. Meditation is a major part of eastern health. Meditation is designed to clear the mind and bring a hyper-awareness to the present moment. Concentration is a huge part of the meditation process, so it makes sense that practicing this discipline would train your mind for targeted focus. Meditation is an art that is closely connected with eastern spirituality. It is integrated into worship and self-awareness rituals of eastern faiths. As someone who resides in the west, you can gain many of the same benefits, even if you don’t share the faith behind the practice. Two types of mediation are particularly useful for improving concentration power. The first is a type of meditation that focuses on breathing. This draws your concentration to an internal point-of-focus, bringing clarity of thought. Proponents claim that meditating on breathing helps with self-discovery. Another common meditation technique focuses on an object or environment to hone in concentration. This also helps the brain become more aware of a single thought or object, increasing the capacity for concentration.

Oriental Herbology
As a complementary health discipline, herbs have always been integrated into eastern culture. In fact, many of the most effective herbs come from oriental cultures. This includes well-known plants such as gingko biloba and ginseng. Surprisingly, both of these substances have been studied in relation to brain function, memory and concentration. While few medical doctors will openly admit that these are effective for concentration, you might be surprised at how many professionals use herbs themselves to gain a boost. Eastern techniques have been used for centuries to improve concentration power. While each person is different, there are many people who find herbs, yoga and meditation to be a huge help in boosting their ability to function daily. As someone who needs a bit of a pick-up, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try these eastern techniques to boost concentration power.

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What to Eat?

When it comes to concentration, there are a good number of foods that you should be regularly including in a balanced diet. Most people recommend that a high-protein breakfast start off every day. This prompts your brain to start activity and awakens the portions that deal with memory and concentration. In addition, protein provides the fuel necessary to continue performing as your day progresses. As lunch time looms closer, keep a balance in what you are eating. Consuming too many carbohydrate-rich foods can cause a mid-afternoon drag to take over. This is because carbs provide a quick boost of energy, followed by a slump. Instead, try eating a salad, topped with nuts and meat. Finally, as a general rule, whole foods are always better for concentration and memory function. Specifically, look for those items that have an antioxidant effect. These substances can actually reduce cognitive damage, improving my concentration abilities permanently.

Moderate These Items

There are some foods that have the ability to improve short-term concentration or even boost your focus for the entire day. However, they are often overused, creating dependency and a backlash of lowered energy. This category of foods includes caffeine, found in things like coffee or even green tea. Some coffee can certainly improve concentration. However, don’t use it for a crutch and keep your consumption to well below a reasonable level. Besides the obvious, there are other foods that have the ability to harm your brain function. While these may not be a problem for everybody, more people than ever suffer from food allergies. Consuming foods that cause allergic responses can overload your body, causing poor memory and decreased concentration. If you suspect that you have allergies, get tested to determine what foods you should avoid.

Stay Away From It

For those that are concerned about concentration, there are some foods that should just never see the inside of your kitchen. These are the most obvious culprits that parents of ADHD children report as causing or exacerbating concentration problems. The most commonly cited problem food for focus is sugar- most especially high fructose corn syrup. For improving memory and concentration, stay away from sugar as much as possible. Instead, favor natural sweeteners, such as honey or stevia. Another problem area is synthetic food colorings. Children with ADHD are often extremely sensitive to artificial color, especially red dyes. Other artificial additives, such as MSG, can lower concentration. What you eat forms the basis that your brain builds on. Whole foods, high in protein and full of energy, feed good concentration. In addition, fat makes up the matter that your brain is built on, so don’t neglect healthy lipids! Finally, if you can’t read it, or don’t know what it actually is, just avoid those foods altogether.

These are just some of the ways I have used to improve my concentration and hope that that you can also find some benefits.

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1. Capture Your Thoughts
On a daily basis, the average person has dozens, if not hundreds, of useful thoughts and ideas that filter through their brain’s short-term memory. Anything can trigger an idea or thought, from your environment, to recalling a memory to experiencing a wave of emotion. In most instances, however, these quickly fall out of your conscious memory and you can lose concentration or useful thought. In order to increase concentration and retain those things that are useful, it’s a good idea to capture those thoughts as they happen. Many people tout keeping a notepad handy, where you can jot down things that you want to remember or use for later projects or situations. Once written down, you can mentally let these things go, freeing up room to concentrate on items that are immediate priorities.

2. Play Mind Games
Your brain is optimized to play games. All types of games feed brain health, from card, board and word games. While regularly engaging the game-loving portion of your brain can increase general concentration, you can actually target games that will directly improve memory. If you are unsure of where to start, think back to when you were a kid and had to ride for hours in the car. Did you ever spar with your siblings to see who could remember the longest chain of items? Maybe you started with an item beginning with ‘A’ while your brother added a ‘B’. Before you knew it, you were straining to remember dozens of items. This game is still great for concentration. In addition, you can play this independently just as easily. Create a mental list and challenge yourself to beat your record each time you go through this exercise. Of course, with thought, you can create other mind games that will help memory and concentration.

3. Track Productivity
It is hard to know what areas you are weak in unless you are aware of what your habits are. If you don’t know that your concentration is fading, you won’t be prepared with techniques to boost focus. Keep a record of what your work or study habits are. Make a note of when and why you feel distractions occurring. This will help you to recognize what your habits are and what is and isn’t working for you. You may find that varying a routine helps keep concentration high. Other people, however, may always perform better when a distinct routine is maintained.

Everybody is different, so being in tune with your own strengths can help you improve your concentration. While there is always certain suggestions that can prove helpful, don’t be afraid to buck the trend, especially if you aware that doing so works better for your unique personality.

Meditation
One of the most widely used eastern techniques is meditation. This is a powerful tool for concentration and memory. In addition, it is free and can be learned by anyone. There is no need to go see an “expert” in the field or get specific training. For this reason, it is a highly-recommended tool for increasing your focus. Meditation is simple to practice. It is the basic technique of focusing on an object or thought in a concentrated way. Many eastern disciplines recommend that certain positions and breathing techniques be employed. However, these are largely mental cues that trigger your brain and body to slow down and get into the moment. You can meditate in any situation and under any circumstances. While sitting cross-legged may make the technique more effective, it isn’t entirely necessary to gain the benefit. There are two main eastern techniques that are used to meditate. The main difference is what you are focusing on. Some people find that it is most effective to pick a number or a simple object and keep their focus centered on that item. When you find other things crowding in, push those thoughts and worries away and return to the object. Another common technique to improve concentration is to meditate on a particular mental picture. Create a mental environment and keep yourself firmly planted in that picture to improve memory and concentration. Focus on deep breathing to maintain your concentration.

Yoga
Yoga is so popular in the United States that many people forget that this discipline has eastern roots. Yoga is both a physical and mental experience, strengthening both body and mind. Yoga not only trains your brain for concentration, but also increases physical performance as well. Yoga only looks easy; once you have tried it, however, you quickly realize that it is serious exercise! Finally, keep in mind that physical activity releases endorphins, a chemical that boosts energy, making it easier to concentrate.

Herbs
No study of eastern techniques is complete without discussing the value of herbal care. Herbs have always been a part of eastern medicine. There is really an herb that is suitable for every priority, including memory and concentration. Ginseng is an eastern herb that is highly used to promote healthy brain function. Skullcap, valerian and gingko biloba are also recommended to increase concentration and focus. Most herbs are completely safe to use; however, it’s always best to check for contraindications and possible side effects before beginning an herbal regimen to improve concentration.

Memory and concentration can be elusive. However, eastern techniques have been promoting good mental performance for centuries. Using eastern techniques to improve memory and concentration in this area of your life makes sense. The recommendations are consistent and there is research backing up the use of these techniques.



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#1 Go the Extra Mile
It’s not always those who know the most or are more skilled than others that end up on top. Rather, it’s the ones who keep going when everyone else throws in the towel. If you find yourself frustrated, lacking focus and ready to give up, tell yourself that you will do just a little bit more and try just a bit harder. This tip will improve your concentration and give you the boost that you need to get over the hump. Just like when exercising, doing just a little bit more at any given time can add up to a big mental boost.

#2 Compartmentalize Your Brain
We each have habits that either lead to positive or negative results in our life. When it comes to concentration, bad habits can really harm your efforts. Most people find themselves distracted by worries and concerns that spill over from all areas of their day. While at work, you can be experiencing stress and concern about bills or other household responsibilities. This interferes with your ability to perform at your best. Give yourself strict instructions to separate the various things that are vying for your attention. If you can’t do anything about your bills right now, shut the door on that worry until a more appropriate time. Mentally tuck things away that are getting in the way of your best concentration.

#3 Should You Procrastinate or Not?
Procrastination is the death-knell to concentration. It can knock down an otherwise productive day faster than almost anything else. Of course, procrastination is nothing more than putting off until later what you could easily accomplish right now. While it can be hard to get going, it’s a well-known fact that productivity and concentration snowball. In most instances, once you get going, the momentum will carry you well beyond what you thought you had in you.

#4 Develop Mental Cues
The brain is an amazing tool. In fact, that is so much the case that scientists barely grasp your full capabilities. What is known, however, is that your brain can be trained. When you find yourself in a situation where you need more focus and concentration, develop a cue that will kick yourself into high gear. This may be something as simple as going through a routine, such as opening your laptop and getting a cup of coffee. This cues your mind that it’s work time, shutting out all other distractions. Be aware, however, that you can also train your brain in the opposite direction. If you find yourself winding down on a social networking site, for example, your brain may be trained to turn off concentration when that happens. Be aware and use these cues in your favor.

#5 Live in the Moment
There are many reasons why living in the moment will help to improve concentration. When you are thinking about the past or anticipating the future, your mind is going in dozens of different directions. Stop and remind yourself that right now is the only time that is really yours.

Concentrate on what is surrounding you; not only will you perform better, but you will find more joy in what you experience.

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Exercise #1 – Work on Crossword Puzzles

One of the exercises to improve concentration is to work on crossword puzzles. You can find them in the daily paper, print off free options online, or buy books full of fun crossword puzzles. You’ll find that these puzzles are a whole lot of fun, which means you can enjoy yourself while working to make your concentration skills better. These puzzles can help you to increase concentration because they require you to solve questions and rely on long-term memory. Take about 10-15 minutes a day to work on these puzzles. If you have a few free moments, keep some crossword puzzles with you so you can work on them in your spare time. You’ll find that you quickly increase your concentration levels when you constantly exercise your brain in this manner.

Exercise #2 – Try Doing Sudoku Puzzles

Another great option to try if you want to do exercises that help improve your concentration is Sudoku puzzles. This is a great exercise that really works on the brain and they take focus and concentration. These puzzles are logic puzzles that have to deal with number placement. Many people find these puzzles to be very challenging. You can find them online, in books, and in the newspaper. Try solving one of these Sudoku puzzles every day. No doubt you’ll soon see a big difference in your focus and concentration in other areas of your life.

Exercise #3 – Word Counting

Something as simple as word counting can be a great exercise to give your concentration skills a boost. How do you do this? Take a paragraph, whether it’s in the newspaper, an article online, a magazine, or even a book, then take the time to count the number of works that are in that paragraph. Once you count the first time, count again. Make sure that you counted right the first time. When you start finding that counting the words in just one paragraph is becoming easier for you, start counting words within a couple of paragraphs at a time. Then move on until you can count the words in an entire page. Do not use your fingers – just use your eyes as you do the counting. You’ll be surprised how much concentration this takes, and as you move up in difficulty, you’ll be building up good skills in concentration and focus.

Exercise #4 – 5 Minutes with No Thoughts

Another of the best exercises to improve concentration includes you going for five minutes without thinking a thing. Take five minutes, set a timer if you have to, and focus on not thinking anything. This is difficult, but you can work up to it. If you have a hard time with five minutes, start out with only one minute at a time. As it becomes easier, work your way up to five minutes. It will take some time to accomplish this goal, but working to go for a period of time without thinking a thing can help you to improve concentration. It’s tough at first, so don’t give up.

Exercise #5 – Counting Backwards

Counting backwards can be an excellent exercise that works on boosting your concentration skills too. Start at 100 and then count backwards, all the way until you get back to one. At first this will be pretty tough for you. However, once this gets easy, then work on counting backwards from 100, but do it by threes. For example, start with 100, then 97, then 94, then 91, and so on. It gets more complicated when you try doing it by threes. You’ll be slow at first, but as you continue using this exercise, you’ll get faster and your concentration will get even better.

Exercise #6 – Change Up Your Routine

Simply changing up your routine can be a great exercise to improve your concentration. Often you get used to doing things a certain way and you are not really paying attention. Change the routine on a regular basis and do something that isn’t within your regular comfort zone. This helps to increase your ability to solve problems and it can help make you concentrate more as well. One simple way to do this is by simply taking another way to work on a regular basis.

Exercise #7 – Begin a New Hobby

Last, if you are looking for exercises to improve concentration, try beginning a new hobby. This allows you to expand the interests that you have and it also makes your brain have to learn something that is totally new to you. It expands the way that your brain thinks and challenges the brain, increasing the concentration skills that you have. While it helps you improve your concentration, it also will be a whole lot of fun as well.

These are just a few exercises to improve concentration that you can begin using in your daily life. Of course, take it fairly slow in the beginning. It may be difficult when you start out, so do your best. Don’t expect to do these exercises perfect at first. Build up the brain and you’ll soon find your concentration skills improving.