Learning to meditate is like learning to drive. It feels like the mind wants to accelerate the process, hurry it up and make the session “productive”. The body tries to settle in and relax itself to become more open to inner guidance. But aches, lack of sleep and distraction pull energy and attention away from the time allowed to relax. Focus on the other hand seems to be achieved by letting go and allowing the mind to race and jump into a more calm state. Before inner peace is possible, the rest of the self, including the heart presence, an another type of mindfulness, presses us to pay attention to what our hearts desire is.
With so much demanded of us all at once , it is no wonder that the process of being mindful and meditation in general seems only possible for “masters”. But not so. There is a way to master your attention by training your mind to jump into a neutral space and rest. Here it is possible to achieve a natural, pure state that you can create anything from, including laser focus.
Discovering Calmness.
A calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.
Bryant McGill
There is a lot of popular discussions about calmness and mindfulness. But they aren’t the same. A state of being is a completely different experience than making a deliberate decision to become more present. Some might even go as far as to say that calmness and mindfulness are polar opposites energetically in the quantum space.
If being aware and paying attention determine what we observe, being calm might tilt our attention or help us shift out of and away from something. Calmness is a state of being that enables us to “reset” our mind and deliver more focus. It is the precursor to mindfulness and a high performance state.
Capturing the feeling of calm.
There is a distinct feeling and energy to calmness. All thoughts that are inviting stress are gone. There is no need for flight or to fight. All boundaries are down. We are able to rest in the moment and relax deeply. The mind chatter subsides and we are able to sit quietly in our own energy and check in with how we feel.
Paying attention to Calm.
In its own way, the state of calm calls us to pay attention to and focus on it. We recognize how it feels. And, it asks and points to what we need. If we are pulled away from it by our sense of “time”, we can drift back in by shifting our attention to how calm feels.
Breathing in Calm.
Breath can be used to calm us down. We can deliberately slow down our breaths by breathing deeply and allowing the body to expel and release pent up energies. This can be used consciously to direct us back into a more calm state if we feel pressured or stressed. It is a recommended tactic for anyone who has panic attacks and anxiety. But it is an essential empowerment tool for everyone.
Calm as a High Performance State.
Calmness invites patience. Learning to allow calm, to adjust your breath and body to that state even when you are busy is a gift. There is a sweeping victory of inner peace that be felt, regardless of where you are. What might seem as a mental sliding or retreat of sorts, is actually a movement toward a high performance state. Allow the mind to reside in calm. Fill yourself up with your own mental sanctuary of inner peace. Let others wonder what you are doing to be not bothered by aggressive attempts to knock you off balance. Sail on.
Creating Inner Peace.
Inner peace can be created and cultivated through meditation practice. Just like finding the state of calm, inner peace is another layer and level of perception. It is a result of creating energetic boundaries, stepping into an energetic state and imprinting the ideal image of peace through visualization.
Setting Energetic Boundaries.
It is challenging to create inner peace while being energetically bombarded by other people’s energetic baggage. Every person is carrying a cloud of thoughts, energies and experiences with them that transmit a signal. Some might broadcast friendly, happy and loving energy while others might be chronic complainers, angry and sour on life or competitive and difficult. The vibe will let you know what the theme could be.
Regardless, letting people occupy their own vibe and reality is empowering. Acting as a neutral observer is empowering. It naturally creates boundaries that enable you to protect your own inner peace and move forward without being dragged down or impeded.
Stepping into an Energetic state.
Stepping into the energetic state of inner peace is strengthened with practice. Taking time out to feel more peaceful will enable you to create it when it is needed. Even, in high stress environments. Take time to unplug from the world and reconnect with your divine, higher self. Bask in peacefulness every chance you get. It will heal, restore and enable a deeper appreciation for so many things.
Imprint Peace through Visualization.
Visualization can be used to create the neuro-chemistry of inner peace. When we imagine something we want to live and experience, the mind creates it first, as an image, then as a memory and as a feeling. You are imprinting it by using your imagination to step into that state. Learning to experience the feeling will enforce it and create the affects in your own brain chemistry. Inner peace becomes an imprint, the feeling can be re-experienced as simply as recalling a memory.
Laser focus, reinvented.
Laser focus is a high performance state that can be created from a neutral mind space. When we are able to feel calm and peaceful, the decision to be fully present automatically sharpens focus. The key is being interested in something in the present to focus your attention on and the second, is to learn how to train the mind to sharpen its ability to notice detail.
Becoming more Present.
In earlier blog posts I talked about two types of mindfulness practices. One focuses on calming the mind chatter and the other, engages the presence of heart to become more aware. Since the magnetic energy of the heart is 50x more powerful that the mind, I encourage you to explore your heart and what you love when you relax and become more present. Thinking this way will shift your presence to another state altogether. Here you will be very focused and in a very powerful position to select, discard, shift into and away from, switch, steer and remove your attention from anything you choose.
A breath technique to sharpen focus.
Just as breath is used to create more calm, the type of breathing techniques you use can help you regain mental clarity and sharpen focus. Navy seals for instance use the Box Method to instantly sharpen focus. This is a simple method where the count of 4 is used to :
- breathe in
- hold
- breathe out
- hold
- repeat.
Train your mind and body to be receptive to flow states and high performance . Use meditative discipline to become more present while you learn how to sharpen your ability to focus. Take any object and observe it. Close your eyes and try to recall details. Open your eyes and look again.
Short bursts quicken focus and recall.
Short bursts of focus along with being present enable faster and improved recall. Laser focus can be enhanced with simple “sensory” layering. This means when you are present, you notice the sounds, colours, smells, the lighting, the temperature, something happening in the background etc. You add the details of the experience to what you were focusing on in the moment. Knowing more, enhances your experience of being alive and present. It also grooms you to observe in more detail and create laser focus.
It is possible to experience a calm mind, inner peace and laser focus at the same time. While each can be understood and learned independently, the natural progression will make sense to you if you meditate on a regular basis. Use your breath to create physical and mental calm, find a peaceful state with inner imagery, happy thoughts or a memory and step into a space of laser focus by being present and engaged.
You can also defy the expected pathway of meditation and disrupt it with repetitive movement. Use fluid, repetitive movements as a meditative practice to eliminate stress and help you switch into a more calm and peaceful state. Not all of us can sit still! Being able to create a pathway that is happy and restful that suits our nature is important for sharpening our minds and healing over-stressed bodies.
Contrary to popular belief, high performance includes a calm mind, inner peace and laser focus. All three work together to expand mindfulness, the feeling of being completely present in the moment, and creates a new peaceful, energetic understanding of “flow” empowerment. If you can learn to merge all three, you will realize that capturing and mastering your own attention is your secret weapon for moving beyond your own limitations.
Have an incredible week!
Why not use short visualizations to your advantage? Sharpen your focus. Expand your memory. Relax in shorter time frames. Accelerate your recovery [ healing] and ability to step into a high performance’ flow state” with deep relaxation. Listen to sound clips in SOUND CLOUD or visit Lightspeed’s Store for MP3’s.