“One day, a yogi and his disciple arrived to the big city. They had no money with them, but they needed food and a place to stay. The disciple was sure that they were going to beg for their food, and sleep in the park at night.

“There is a big park not far from here. We can sleep there at night”, said the disciple.
“In the open air?” Asked the yogi.
“Yes”, responded the student.

The yogi smiled and said: “No, tonight we are going to sleep in a hotel and eat there too”.

The student was amazed. “How?”
“Come and sit down”, said the yogi.

They both sat down on the ground and the yogi said:
“When you focus your mind intently on any subject, it comes to pass.”

The yogi closed his eyes and started to meditate with full concentration. After about ten minutes he got up and started to walk, with his disciple following him. They walked through several streets and alleys, until they arrived to a hotel.”

Read the whole story

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“I cannot concentrate on things, and I get some things in my mind which really come again and again while doing things, and this makes me very sad. Please help.”

What you focus on grows. If you keep focusing on worries, you only encourage those disturbing and distracting thoughts.

Acknowledge, without letting this worry or discourage you, that you have a problem with concentration, and resolve to do your best to solve it.

Tips on how to overcome disturbing and distracting thoughts:

1. Get enough sleep at night. Some say that one needs 8 hours of sleep, but this is an individual matter, as some people require only 5-6 hours of sleep, and wake up energetic and refreshed.

2. Whenever possible, without avoiding your duties and responsibilities, stay away from what stresses and worries you.

3. Believe that you can change the situation. It is just a matter of dedication, desire, inner work and time.

4. Read the article about concentration at:
www.successconsciousness.com/index_000004.htm,
and then start practicing the first concentration exercise at:
www.successconsciousness.com/index_000005.htm

5. When you can perform the first exercise as required, move to the next exercise.

6. When thoughts disturb or distract your mind, try focusing on what you are doing more attentively. Don’t use force or fight the thoughts, just pay more attention to what you are doing at the moment.  If these thoughts persist, analyze them, see what they are, and acknowledge that they are just thoughts, and there is no reason in the world to be controlled by them. If you can treat them with disinterest and detachment they will go away.

7. Keep positive, and don’t get discouraged if you fail to practice these instructions or if the disturbing and distracting thoughts persist.

Peace of Mind in Daily Life

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Basic Meditation Technique

In this meditation technique, you will focus on your breath to develop an unconscious connection so the positive feelings of relaxation, peace and well-being will be established within you and you’ll be capable of retrieving these feeling whenever you wish. Do not rush this process or hold unrealistic expectations of fast results. It takes time to train your mind to exercise basic control of your thoughts before you can direct the mind toward specific intentions.

Level 1:
The first stage of meditation is actually a technique in concentration. Once relaxed, focus on your breath for a few minutes. After you find yourself completely relaxed and at ease, focus on the sounds around you. Try not to form thoughts about the sounds but rather just listen and let your mind flow around and through the sounds without clarification or judgment. Do this exercise for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, releasing your attention to the sounds and focusing on your breath as you begin to be more aware of your body.

Repeat this exercise until you can easily follow known sounds, expected sounds and unexpected sounds with the same calm, focused attention.

Read the complete article Basic Meditation Technique

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Here is the reply:

Concentration, meditation and the development of inner detachment help clear the mind of thoughts, making room for inner peace.

There is no instant inner peace. In order to attain and enjoy inner peace, work and effort are required, but not everyone is willing to invest the necessary time and energy into this project.

Concentration
The practice of special concentration exercise improve the ability to focus the mind on one single thought or subject and reject unrelated thoughts. This ability helps you gain the skill of opening or closing the mind at will to the constant flow of thoughts.
Information on Concentration
Concentration exercises

Meditation
In meditation you use the skills gained through the development of the power of concentration, in order to free your mind of thoughts. There are may forms of meditation, which all help clear the mind of thoughts, and which ultimately lead to the ability to meditate without thoughts.
More on Meditation

Detachment
Without some inner detachment there is no inner peace. You need to learn not to be affected easily by what people say or do, and not let your emotions rule your life. I am not talking about being indifferent and uncaring. It might seem a paradox, but you can be compassionate, helpful and full of love, and at the same time display inner detachment. It is a mental attitude which leads to common sense, better judgement, more understanding and inner peace.
More on Detachment

You can find in-depth information, instructions and exercises for developing the skills leading to inner peace in my book Peace of Mind in Daily Life.

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When you try to stop thinking, do really stop thinking, or do you just hold to the thought that you are not thinking, which is itself a thought?

Who and what it is that orders the mind to concentrate or get silent?

Can the mind concentrate itself, or is there something higher than the mind that focuses or silences it?

Concentration exercises and meditation eventually awaken something inside, some kind of silent consciousness, and it is this consciousness that focuses the mind on any chosen subject or object, and it is this consciousness that is able to cleanse the mind of thoughts and silence the mind.

This Consciousness-Awareness, Higher Consciousness is the Inner Self, and is beyond and above the mind. It is always here, but sort of hidden behind the thinking mind. There is too much focus on thoughts and sense impressions coming through the five senses, so that this Consciousness, “forgets” itself, and tend to “get involved” with the mind and the impressions coming through five senses. This is what makes it so difficult to focus the mind.

In time, as concentration gets stronger, one is able to cleanse the mind of thoughts, but this takes time and a lot of work. At this point you don’t say to yourself, “I am silencing my mind”, because this is itself a thought. You just stop thinking, but something else is there that stops the thinking. At this stage, when you stop thinking, there is no vacuum or the thought that “you are trying to stop thinking”. There is just Pure Consciousness, joy and inner peace.

From this perspective, concentration becomes simple and easy, and you are able to focus your mind easily on anything, a thought, a point on the wall, a flower, an inspiring quote, prayer, or on your work, studies, reading book or any other activity, or just enjoy being conscious, but without thoughts.

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