The world is fighting an invisible enemy at the moment which has not only taken numerous lives but also deeply affected the physical and mental health of people. As such, it becomes extremely important to calm down the body and mind and try to keep stress at bay. One of the ways to do that, as suggested by experts, is meditation.

The power of connecting with ourselves helps to take care of our mental health and physical health. One of the most important ways to achieve this is through meditation, which helps create awareness about our emotions, go beyond and understand ourselves more, said Shashank Lalwani, Mindfulness and Life Enhancement coach at Institute of Nutrition and Fitness Sciences (INFS).

However, when one sits down to meditate for the first time, it can get difficult to concentrate as the mind wanders and certain uncontrollable thoughts float out of the way. In order to combat this, here are some tips on how to begin meditating and build concentration levels, he told indianexpress.com.

Acceptance of thoughts

As humans, it is only natural for us to catch random thoughts when trying to concentrate while meditating or otherwise. However, one common mistake beginners make is shutting these thoughts and assuming they fail to meditate peacefully.

Instead of ignoring such thoughts, one should accept and acknowledge them and move back to concentrating on the meditation session. To achieve this acceptance, begin with setting small goals concentrate for three or five minutes and gradually, with practice, increase the meditation time, he suggested. Acceptance helps in gradually increasing the concentration level.

Visualise

Many people follow a certain guide to building concentration. It is helpful to discover oneself while keeping the mind occupied with a happy memory. Visualising fond memories for a minute or so helps to replace random thoughts and go back to the meditation session, said Lalwani.

Draw a shape in mind

Apart from overall development, meditation also helps in focusing on self-awareness. If one deviates from concentrating during meditation, an important tip is to pick a shape that you may like.

Imagine filling it up with a favourite colour and visualise a ray from the centre of the shape touching the centre of the forehead. This exercise helps collate all thoughts and release others and bring back the focus, opening the blockages in your mind, he shared.

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World Meditation Day: Simple tips to improve concentration - The Indian Express