Tick Tock, the pesky clock!
How do you increase your focus in meditation, I asked a friend? “I use the tick tock of a pesky clock in my home which could be a distraction, but because I integrate it into my practice, it becomes a tool. My way of dealing with it is to count the ticks until they become too fast for my slowing down mind and I miss a count. "When that happens I start counting again, and again I'll skip a tick when my awareness is slower than the clock's ticks. This usually happens around count 50. When it does, I start again. After a while I reduce my counting to every 3rd tick, and then to every 4th tick. By the time I get to landing on every 5th or 6th tick, I have the sensation of launching off one tick to float through time till I touchdown on the next one, just like an astronaut playing on the moon.”
Increase Focus Through Contemplating A Passage
Beginning tomorrow, select some time to sit quietly. Choose a time that you can commit to daily. Select a space that will be available to you each day for your practice. When your mind has quieted down and its planning, sorting, and analyzing activities are at peace, then words of inspiration, such as those provided below, can act as a doorway to the inner area of insight and wisdom that is present and available to you at all times. No unusual effort need be exerted to access this wisdom. No special skill or talent is required— just the willingness to sit quietly and experiment with stillness will be sufficient to open you to a splendid world within where quietness is nourishing, inspiring, and helpful. It helps to have no predetermined results in mind so that your practice can unfold without expectations. Think of meditation practice as the time you set aside for listening. Approach it with the assurance that what you need to know, in order to live a fulfilled life, is available to you.
This week, before
you start your mind-quieting, have this free booklet close-at-hand to use the
recommended text for each day of the week. When you invite your body to relax
and to become still, your mind will also begin to slow down to stillness in
response. When you feel quiet, read the
text assigned for the day. Read it silently to yourself, slowly and with no
effort. You may wish to read it two or three times, allowing the words to sink
deeply into your consciousness with no effort to memorize or retain them. When
you feel complete with your reading, allow your thoughts to drift through your
mind with no attachment to them. Be cautious of any tendency to drift into
planning, controlling, or assessing while contemplating the words. You may want
to set a timer to alert you when a certain amount of contemplation time has
passed.
If you are new to
contemplative practice, you may find that 5-10 minutes after reading the
passage is adequate.
Advanced practice
suggestion: After reading the passage, devote some time to memorizing the last
part of each day’s reading so that you can repeat it mentally throughout the
day. If you have difficulty remembering
it, change it to suit you or write it down on a piece of paper to carry with
you in your pocket.
Free Meditation Guide Here
Complete Body Scan Meditation
How do You Practice Meditation?
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