Definition
Voluntary attention to a task or object for a given period.
Focusing also means returning after a distraction. The goal is not absolute immobility, but sufficient stability to read, create, pray or meditate.
To be retained
- Define a clear object
- Working in realistic periods
- Return without judgment
- Respect fatigue
Origin of the term and context
Concentrating means gathering towards a center. In yoga, dhāra的ā means the fixation of the mind; in Buddhism, samādhi covers states and exercises wider than the simple modern focus.
Why does it matter?
Sleep, interest, stress and duration of the task strongly influence concentration. Breaks and an appropriate environment are often more effective than will alone.
- Define a clear object
- Working in realistic periods
- Return without judgment
- Respect fatigue
How can it be explored or practised?
- Choose 20 minutes without notifications
- Count ten breaths and then start over
- Cut a complex task
- Take a break before the major drop of attention
Misconceptions and points of caution
- Extreme concentration is not always healthy.
- A attentional disorder does not come to be a spiritual defect.
- Samādhi is not reduced to productivity.
Perspectives from different traditions
- Yoga: dhāra
- Buddhism: Mental stability related to ethics and understanding.
- Psychology: Limited and context sensitive ongoing attention.
To go further
- The Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali
- The attentive brain — readings of cognitive neurosciences