Concentration

skullchin

I've been meditating for about 17 months, and usually when the timer goes off I'm at least partially in some thought. I'm worried I'm not developing concentration. Any advice/wisdom?

aaki

The time between your meditation sessions is called in-between sessions. In-between sessions and the actual meditation sessions make up the thing called meditation.

In other words you have to act skilfully off the cushion as well. If you blow up at somebody, or become arrogant with someone on the net, or inundate your physical senses, you will not be able to meditate for a good number of days. The same is true of subtle disturbance and emotional noise if it becomes constant and/or is always ready to lead you to unwholesome thoughts.

Furthermore its hard to stick to meditation if you don't know much about it. Because one will not know where they are going or how they will get there, they cannot set intentions, monitor specifics, etcetc.

For learning about meditation: COURSE 3: Applied Meditation

fivebells

How quickly do you realize you're thinking?

skullchin

aaki wrote: »

The same is true of subtle disturbance and emotional noise

What do you mean by this?

skullchin

fivebells wrote: »

How quickly do you realize you're thinking?

I could be 5 minutes. I don't really know how quickly I realize I'm thinking. The other day I think I spent the whole "meditation" lost in thought.

Brigid

skullchin wrote: »

I could be 5 minutes. I don't really know how quickly I realize I'm thinking. The other day I think I spent the whole "meditation" lost in thought.

This is perfectly normal, Skullchin. Don't worry about this at all. It takes time to develop muscles when lifting weights and it takes time to develop concentration when meditating.

Just keep going, keep bringing your attention back to the breath. The act of doing so is just like lifting a weight; it builds strength where you want it.

If your mind wanders a million times, bring it back to the breath a million times. Your concentration will develop.

fivebells

Brigid's advice is good.

Kikujiro

Brigid wrote: »

This is perfectly normal.

Brigid wrote: »

This is perfectly normal.

Brigid wrote: »

This is perfectly normal.

Deshy

I think Brigid and aaki both gave some excellent advice. As Brigid says, careful practice is important. So keep doing it.

Also, it is important to be mindful of meditation when you are not actually meditating as aaki says.

I have noticed that a lot of times, when my day to day life at work is chaotic, meaning, I got annoyed with a co-worker, I got annoyed in the bus, I felt sad for some reason etc. then when you go home with a vexed mind, you find that it is almost impossible to meditate.

However, if I practice present moment consciousness during the day, if I act friendly towards others, if I practice metta (compassion) during the time I am not meditating then when I come back home my mind is already calm. Meditation is easier that way ...

So be skillful how you develop the environment for your practice. Remember what the Buddha said, effort is not just enough, "right effort" is important

aaki

skullchin wrote: »

What do you mean by this?

For example if you sit in a chair all day at work this will have a subtle and gradual negative impact. Likewise if you hang around negative people, or someone you dislike, day after day, your mind will constantly be subtlety flavored by these subtle sensations they inspire.

That's why ethics is important. Take care of your body and develop compassion based on understanding for others, and these kinds of subtle disturbances that ruin your mind (and meditation) cannot occur.

Another big boost for people who have been meditating for a while but are sort of stuck is to study meditation so that they have an intimate picture of it.

skullchin

Thanks for the helpful advice everyone