Concentration Meditation Techniques - Discover 3 Amazing Techniques for Enhancing Concentration, Memory & Intelligence For Extraordinary Success in Life!

Concentration meditation techniques are among the most well-known and common of all meditation techniques.

They serve as the foundation for deeper meditations such as the insight meditation, which require a high degree of concentration to be effective.

Here are some of the most common and highly effective concentrative meditation techniques -

1) Breathing meditation (Zazen)

Zazen or breathing meditation is a Buddhist meditation technique where concentration and awareness are placed on the breathing process. It is among the most basic and effective meditation techniques to gain mastery over the mind.

Breathing meditation involves taking a seated posture. Then we begin counting the flow of our breath from 1 to 10. We count each inhalation as 1 and exhalation as 2 and so forth. We repeat again when we reach back to 1.

This helps to anchor the mind and make it more focused. It prevents the endless drifting of the mind from one thought to another.

As the ability to count 1 to 10 and 10 to 1 in an unrestricted manner develops, we can then advance further to counting each breath cycle, rather than inhalation and exhalation as a separate count.

So, now one cycle of inhalation and exhalation is counted as 1 and the next full breath is counted as 2 and so forth - till the count of 10. After reaching 10, we return to 1 and repeat the meditation.

The advanced forms of Zazen drop the counting of breath altogether and just involve your breath awareness. You should be vigilant not to progress to this level, until you have mastered the previous two.

2) Breathing Meditation in Vipassana

Vipassana meditation or insight meditation involves focusing one's awareness from the breath towards the sensations arising in the body. Through self observation, we can get an insight into the thought process and the working of our mind.

3) Concentration meditation on an External Object

These are among the most common concentration meditation techniques that help to build concentration. The object for concentration meditation can be anything such as a flower, a candle flame, any external sounds, a point in the ceiling, etc.

A few examples of concentration meditation on external objects are candle flame gazing (Tratak) and Sacred Spaces meditation.