Maintaining Focus

This exercise will help you develop your focus and concentration.

First, choose an everyday object for your meditation. This can be a pencil, a glass, or anything else lying around your house. Once you have your object, find a comfortable position, keeping the object visible. Close your eyes, spending a few moments becoming aware of your breathing. After a bit, open your eyes and focus on the object. Observe your mind’s attempts to distract your attention. Whenever you notice your attention drifting, gently return your focus to the object. Continue doing this exercise for two or three minutes.

With practice, you will be able to increase the length of this meditation as your mental discipline improves. When you have completed this exercise, journal about the things you became distracted by. You do not have to tell what distracted you, but please keep track. You will notice patterns that you need to address.

This exercise is from 1001 Meditations - How to discover peace of mind by Mike George. This exercise is worth 25 points.