Why do you lose concentration when doing Meditation?

Question

I did Yoga for a year and then I stopped for a year. I wanna get back into it but I have problems concentrating. I don't know why it seems so difficult. Why do you lose concentration? How do you gain back your concentration?

Answer 1

Until you feel a joy from your meditation, your mind will not get attached to it. Meditation is not properly taught in Yoga or any other religion but Buddhism. Meditation involves 37 factors to maintain its effectiveness. 7 of them is called "Saptha Bojjhanga" in Buddhism. Those 7 factors helps you to maintain your concentration to complete the Noble Eightfold Path; mediation is one way of doing it. Further, if someone is seeking advance meditation for the purpose of attaining Nirvana in Buddhism he should take a look at the 37 factors of enlightenment in Buddhism. http://buddhism.2be.net/Seven_Sets

So basically, unless you are not a Buddhist, the simple reason for your problem is the nature of the mind. Our mind is not made to meditate, it usually wants to deal with sensational and troublesome feelings. So until you keep on doing it with courage, and till your mind feel relax from the meditation, it want concentrate on meditation. What you can do is keep on trying it with a positive attitude until you improve.

You may want to take a look at the following websites if you are a Buddhist and interested in the factors that helps the meditation.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/piyadassi/wheel001.html

http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/b_f/bojjhanga.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_factors_of_enlightenment

Answer 2

Constant practice and determination is the key. When you were a child, you start walking by leting your hands hold on to something either a chair, or a walker. When you were done with the walker, you started to walk freely yet still wobbly and for all you know you did not even walk for more than three steps and you already cried and called your mom to carry you. It took a while before you really become comfortable to walk and when you did, you also started to become a pain in the neck because you will always try to sneak out of your mom's sight.
Meditation is like that specially hard for an adult because the mind have already stored so many things and to clear it is like removing all the clutters in an undisciplined boy's bedroom. You can only clean it with patience and determination to achieve it. Discipline yourself most importantly with your breathing sequences. Make it your normal way of breathing at all times. Then in meditation, try not to be expecting anything, ignore anything that may come along the way as you silence yourself. Do not be conscious about how long you have been sitting. Try not to think of anything. Avoid imagining things even if you see what you thought is a light. A group leader may set a time for you to end or if you are doing it alone, you can set an alram clock.. Do not mind so much if you fail, just keep on doing it. Happy journey. Practice makes perfect.

Answer 3

This is really simple and it comes from experience. My experience is with Zen medication but it is similar to Yoga.

When you start medication the goal at least in Zen is no-mind. In the beginning, you most likely are not able to be in that state. You listen to your breathing as a means to achieve brief moment. The more you practice the longer you be in that state.

When you say you cannot concentrate, what you really are saying that you have not reach the state when you stopped. You are comparing your journey not at the beginning, but to the place you last stop.

If you want to be where you left off, you just have to start at the beginning. Fortunately the time it takes to get to where you were will be shorter. The important thing is to relax and enjoy the moment.

Answer 4

On of the ideas of meditation to some extent is to loss concentration. Concentration is self-guided, but discovery is often in another way. So learn a new way, and then put them together.

Answer 5

Repeated practice. I study Japanese Sword Drawing(Iaido). It a mental discipline that requires concentration. When you can focus out all things around you. You have achieve your goal. Maintaining this mental level is hard but time and practice it will improve. I have been studying (Iaido) for eight Yrs. now and I can focus out for only fifteen minutes. I am trying to go for an hour. I wish you luck.

Answer 6

It's natural- our minds work on hyperspeed. I was taught that when things come to mind, casually observe them pass by, not focusing on them. It works pretty well instead of just fighting it, which has never worked for me. Things that tend to stick in your mind once you get good at it are things that are really important, or ephiphonies or things like that.

Answer 7

Instead of focusing on your center, you've allow yourself to accept the outside forces to intervene on what your sole purpose was in the beginning...

Answer 8

try going freeform--just let whatever wants to run through your brain run through and don't try to control it--you have to release these things you have pent up inside of you before you can move on

Answer 9

Practise.

Answer 10

natural you have alot on your mind , best thing for you would be more sleep not yoga , after all your just paying for silence