Improve Concentration & Creativity in 15 Minutes!

Did you know that the frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for concentration and creativity?  And when we meditate the pre-frontal lobe is activated?  It's true.  It's like plugging in your electric car for a recharge---when  you meditate, you are recharging the battery of your brain power!

The amazing thing is that if you can manage to meditate just a little bit every day, your concentrate is greatly improved for other tasks.  Not only that, with improved focus it's easier to accomplish more in less time.  Your brain is literally able to process information more efficiently.   Suddenly, you can accomplish in one minute what used to take ten minutes.  The hardest part, though, is finding that extra 15 minutes in your day to meditate.  Below are a few tips followed by a simple practice. 

Get up 15 minutes earlier.

Take a walk at lunch and find a quiet place to sit alone.

Go to bed 15 minutes later.

Ask a friend, parent, or other family member to help with the kids or other duties so you can have 15 minutes.

Two things to help you get started and stick with it:

Stick with the same time every day (commit to 2-3 weeks).

Create a routine that you can easily repeat.  Having a set routine helps because you don't have to think about what to do.  You just show up and practice the same as you did the time before (hopefully within the past 24 hours).

Simple 15-minute routine:

Walk in place for a minute or so.  This helps get your blood moving and reenergizes you so you don't feel sleepy when you sit.

Upon sitting:

Find a comfortable seated position.  Take several deep cleansing breaths.  Behind closed eyes bring your attention to your forehead.  Don't cross your eyes, but just hold your attention here.  Imagine with every breath the front part of your brain is being activated, turned on.  Hold your gaze in this area (behind closed eyes) throughout the practice.  At first it may seem hard, but over time your eyes will just settle in to focus here.  Just relax your eyes, your gaze, looking out and "through" the middle of your forehead, just at the point between the eyebrows.  Imagine a flashlight showing you the way.  Look up and ahead, through, this point.  This practice helps to awaken the pre-frontal lobe (where you gain focus and creativity).

Pranayama:  Practice even count breathing.  Do 3 - 5 rounds of "even count" breathing.  Inhale to a count of 8, retain breath to a count of 8; exhale to a count of 8.  The more you do this you can let go of actually counting; the process will just become intuitive.  You can adjust the count, less or more, as you like.

Watching the breath:  After the even count breathing, resume natural breathing for several breaths.  Then begin to simply "watch the breath" as you inhale and exhale.  Don't control the breath, just let it come on its own accord.  After about 2 minutes add a mantra:  Silently affirm, "I am" on the inhale and then "Peace" on the exhale.  Instead of "watching the breath" transition to "feeling" the breath ...feel the essence of peace.  If your mind wanders, come back to watching the breath and your mantra, "I am Peace."  Practice for five minutes and then transition from watching to just being, feeling, peace, stillness.

Sit in the stillness.  As you sit quietly, feel the energy of peace washing over you.  Gently, imagine the warmth of peace, as if being showered by a gently flowing tropical waterfall.  Feel the peace wash over your face, your heart, your entire body.  Like a sponge, absorb this feeling.  Know it as peace.  Sit in this pool of peace.  Bask in the peace washing over you. Practice for five minutes.

When you're ready, deepen your breath, to help become more aware of the body as you complete your practice.  Come out of the silence by wiggling your toes, fingers, and a few deep breaths.

End by humming or chanting three oms:  Bring your hands in prayer position at your heart center.  Give thanks for this gift of peace.  Now, briskly rub your hands together, feeling the heat, the energy in your palms.  Feel the connection in your heart with your hands.  Open your hands and face them forward as you chant om three times.  Imagine energy radiating from your heart center, through your arms, into your hands, out into your fingertips.  Feel the vibration reaching out to others.  Share your gift of peace as you go about your day.

Take a challenge: Try it for a full week!  See if you notice any "aha" moments, gain clarity or get things done more easily.  Notice if you feel calmer.  Just experiment.  Adopting the above practice (even just a few minutes) before going into a stressful situation (meetings, speaking, etc) helps you to remain calm, collected, focused!