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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, we're going to talk about building concentration in your meditation practice and also in your life. So it's interesting to see how, when we try to focus in meditation often, very quickly, something comes along and pulls our attention. A lot of the time, it's a thought, but it can also be an emotion or a sensation in the body. Other times what distracts us is maybe a sound and quite frankly, for me, sometimes it's my cat.
When I first learned to meditate, I would often settle into the meditation, feeling very, very focused and very connected to my breathing. But then if any distraction would come up, I'd get pulled right into it and then I'd feel really disturbed by it. So I'd start to feel irritated. And then I would kind of try to force my concentration back to the breath and block out the distraction, kind of by brute force. What I learned, very quickly actually, is that not only is that really exhausting and very stressful, but most of the time, it just simply doesn't work.
So a more effective and a more simple and easeful way to cultivate concentration is to notice and gently mentally name any distraction as it arises. Then without any judgmental force, we just land attention back on the breath or whatever the object of meditation is. So there's a real sense of fluidity and ease and grace to the practice. So if your mind starts worrying about something, then you can simply mentally name it, or you might note, just thinking. You acknowledged the thought, you bring attention back to the breath.
And then if a little while later, there's a loud noise outside, maybe a noisy neighbor, plane going overhead or a barking dog, no problem. You simply mentally name it. And so you might note to yourself, ah, sound. You acknowledge the sound, bring your focus back to the breath. So you might do this kind of naming of distraction, ten, twenty, a hundred times during a meditation.
No problem at all. Each time you just do the same thing with an easy warm and compassionate attitude. You just notice the distraction, name it, come back to the breath. The more you practice in this way, the more that your attention becomes more stable, clear, and focused during meditation. And each time you get distracted, you just very efficiently, with no fuss, come back to mindful awareness.
Not only that, but you're just more at ease, more relaxed and more calm throughout the whole practice. So you're much more likely to finish the meditation feeling really refreshed and revitalized. Of course you can also take this practice, this kind of focus into daily life as well. So if you find yourself getting distracted while you're writing an email, cooking a meal, connecting with someone you love, you can maintain more focus and concentration by noticing and naming any distractions and then choosing to come back to what really matters in that moment. So this is the invitation for practice to build concentration in this way.
And as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. Let's now settle in for today's meditation.
Building Concentration
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, we're going to talk about building concentration in your meditation practice and also in your life. So it's interesting to see how, when we try to focus in meditation often, very quickly, something comes along and pulls our attention. A lot of the time, it's a thought, but it can also be an emotion or a sensation in the body. Other times what distracts us is maybe a sound and quite frankly, for me, sometimes it's my cat.
When I first learned to meditate, I would often settle into the meditation, feeling very, very focused and very connected to my breathing. But then if any distraction would come up, I'd get pulled right into it and then I'd feel really disturbed by it. So I'd start to feel irritated. And then I would kind of try to force my concentration back to the breath and block out the distraction, kind of by brute force. What I learned, very quickly actually, is that not only is that really exhausting and very stressful, but most of the time, it just simply doesn't work.
So a more effective and a more simple and easeful way to cultivate concentration is to notice and gently mentally name any distraction as it arises. Then without any judgmental force, we just land attention back on the breath or whatever the object of meditation is. So there's a real sense of fluidity and ease and grace to the practice. So if your mind starts worrying about something, then you can simply mentally name it, or you might note, just thinking. You acknowledged the thought, you bring attention back to the breath.
And then if a little while later, there's a loud noise outside, maybe a noisy neighbor, plane going overhead or a barking dog, no problem. You simply mentally name it. And so you might note to yourself, ah, sound. You acknowledge the sound, bring your focus back to the breath. So you might do this kind of naming of distraction, ten, twenty, a hundred times during a meditation.
No problem at all. Each time you just do the same thing with an easy warm and compassionate attitude. You just notice the distraction, name it, come back to the breath. The more you practice in this way, the more that your attention becomes more stable, clear, and focused during meditation. And each time you get distracted, you just very efficiently, with no fuss, come back to mindful awareness.
Not only that, but you're just more at ease, more relaxed and more calm throughout the whole practice. So you're much more likely to finish the meditation feeling really refreshed and revitalized. Of course you can also take this practice, this kind of focus into daily life as well. So if you find yourself getting distracted while you're writing an email, cooking a meal, connecting with someone you love, you can maintain more focus and concentration by noticing and naming any distractions and then choosing to come back to what really matters in that moment. So this is the invitation for practice to build concentration in this way.
And as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. Let's now settle in for today's meditation.
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Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
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I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
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Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
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Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
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- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
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I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
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