Ruth Ritchie - How to Concentrate - Simple Practical Exercises to Increase Your Powers of Concent

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Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without writtenpermission, subject to the following exceptions:

1) This is an electronic book. Authorised purchasers may store one (1) copy of this file on adigital storage device and/or print out one (1) copy for personal use only.

2) The use of brief quotations for purposes of research and review are allowed.

Direct all enquires for other usage permissions to:

Ruth Ritchie

c/o Ritchie Media208-328 Aylmer St. N.

Peterborough, ON Canada

K9H 3V6

email: [email protected]

Disclaimer:

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to thesubject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author is not engaged in

rendering legal, medical, or other professional advice. If medical advice or other professional

assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The author orpublisher does not accept any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from the actions of any

parties involved.
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How To Concentrate:

Simple, Practical Ways to Increase Your Powers of Concentration

Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................4

How To Use These Exercises..........................................................8

How To Relax ................................................................................9

Getting Control Over Your Body..................................................16

Applied Concentration...................................................................21

Conserving Your Energy...............................................................24

The Road to Good Health..............................................................31

Getting a Good Nights Sleep.......................................................35

Changing Habits............................................................................39

Concentration and Reading............................................................45

Controlling Your Environment.......................................................47

Conclusion.....................................................................................49


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Introduction

Much has been written over the past few years about how to manifest your desires so

that you can live the life you want. Dozens of self-help experts tell you that if you will only

focus on what it is you want, you can have it. But in all the self-help books I've read and all

the courses I've taken over the past ten years, there is one glaring omission.

What if you don't know how to focus? What if you can't hold a thought for more than

a few seconds before a million more come racing in to take its place? Since we know that in

order to manifest successfully, we must first be able to concentrate on what it is that we want,

why don't those experts teach us how to focus?

I got so frustrated with not being able to get started because I couldn't concentrate on

anything for long enough to see a result, that I decided to go searching for someone

somewhere that would teach me how to concentrate. I finally found help in an old book

written almost 100 years ago. It would appear that not being able to concentrate is not

something that is new to our "I want it now" society.

That book is The Power of Concentration by Theron Q. Dumont, and what follows in

this book is a distillation of that old wisdom put in to practical form. About half way through

the book, there is a section filled with exercises that will help you to learn to concentrate --

exercises that are practical and easy to do, and that will, if practiced consistently over time,

teach you how to develop your own powers of concentration so that you can manifest your

desires into reality.

This book started out as just a simple workbook of fifteen easy concentration

exercises. It has grown into something much more. There are steps to learning how to

http://www.howtoconcentrate.com/ 2005 Ruth H. Ritchie

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concentrate, just as there are in any skill we learn. You can't just dive in to the deep end and

expect to know how to do it right the first time. As with any other skill, it takes practice.

After using these exercises for several months, I am confident that they will work as well for

you as they have for me.

Why Learn to Concentrate?

We all know that in order to accomplish any given thing we must concentrate. It is a

skill that, once learned, will be of great value for the rest of your life. To make a success of

anything you must be able to concentrate your entire thought upon the idea you are working

out.

There are many benefits to learning the art of conscious concentration. Stilling the

mind, and allowing us to complete tasks we might otherwise never finish are only the

beginning. The ability to focus consciously is also a key component in creating the lives that

we desire. The reason for this is that we are continually acting on the mental images that we

form. The old adage that thoughts are things is very true. If we dont concentrate on thethoughts we allow into our mind, we run the risk of creating things and circumstances we

would really rather not have in our lives. Without concentration, our lives become little more

than an existence which is ruled by the subconscious.

Consider this... If you allow yourself to focus on negative images you unconsciously

build a negative disposition. You will think of negative attributes such as poverty, weakness,

disease, and fear. And, as surely as you think of these, your material life will express itself in

a like way. What we think, we will manifest in the external world. Wouldnt your life be

better if you could train yourself to only focus on health, wealth and happiness?


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Since this book is concerned with teaching you the mechanics of how to concentrate,

a full explanation of how this works is beyond its scope. However, it is important to

understand the basics

In deep concentration you become linked with the great creative spirit of the universe,

and the creative energy then flows through you, vitalizing your creations into form. In deep

concentration your mind becomes attuned with the infinite, and registers the cosmic

intelligence and receives its messages. You become so full of the cosmic energy that you are

literally flooded with divine power. Once you achieve this desired state, you will realize the

advantages of being connected with the supra-consciousness.

When you become connected to your supra-consciousness, or your higher self, you

become the controller of your human thoughts. That which comes to you is higher than

human thoughts. It is often spoken of as Cosmic Consciousness. Once experienced, it is

never forgotten. Naturally, it requires training to reach this state, but once achieved, it

becomes easier each time. In the course of time you can tap into power which was unknown

to you before. You are able to direct the expression of almost infinite power while in this

deeper state of concentration.

It is when you are in this state of deep concentration that the ability to manifest your

desires is achieved. The exercises in this book are a practical means of helping you to get

there.

Are you ready? Lets get started...


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Chapter 1

How To Use These Exercises

The rays of the sun, when focused upon an object by means of a sun glass, produce a

heat many times greater than the scattered rays of the same source of light and heat. The

same is true of attention. Scatter it and you get ordinary results. Center it upon one thing and

you achieve much better results. When you focus your attention upon an object, your every

action, voluntary and involuntary, is in the direction of attaining that object. If you focus your

energy upon a thing to the exclusion of everything else, you generate the force that can bringyou what you want.

When you focus your thought, you increase its strength. When you have learned to

master your thoughts, you will be able to change them as easily as you change your clothes.

The real requisite of centering is to be able to shut out outside thoughts anything

foreign to the subject at hand. In order to control your intention, you must first gain control

over the body. The body must be brought under control of the mind; the mind under control

of the will.

Your will is strong enough to do anything you wish, but you must realize this for

yourself. The mind can be greatly strengthened by being brought under the direct influence

of the will. When the mind is strengthened by the impulse of the will, it becomes a more

powerful transmitter of thought because it has more force.

The first exercise you will learn in the following pages is how to relax and center

yourself. Following that, Exercises 1 through 5 focus on gaining control of your muscular

movements, both voluntary and involuntary. These may make you feel tired at first, but it


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is important to keep practicing them so that you can train your attention. To get the most

value out of them, you must concentrate your attention on each movement.

The remaining Exercises will give you practical ways to apply your powers of

concentration in order to gain more control of your thoughts with the aim of improving your

health, controlling your senses, giving you a better nights sleep, and eliminating bad habits,

just to name a few.

When you first start these exercises, you will find that your attention does not want to

be controlled, and will wander on to more interesting things. This is the main purpose for

practicing them to control your attention and make sure that it stays focused on the task at

hand.

No matter what you may be doing, imagine that it is the most important thing in the

world at that moment. You are not interested in anything else in the world but what you are

doing. You should make it a habit to do at least one of these exercises every day, and to

concentrate on something familiar and uninteresting -- the less interesting the better, as this

requires much more concentration than if you choose an interesting object. After a littlepractice you will find that you can center your attention on any object at will.


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Chapter 2

How to Relax

Have you ever noticed how most self-help and personal development books put

exercises of some sort at the end of each chapter? The main reason for this is that the best

time to practice concentrating is after reading something that is inspiring. You have expanded

your mind, are open to new possibilities, and are in a mentally and spiritually receptive state.

Its a great time to relax and center yourself, and take action on the new things youve

learned.

Relaxation is the First Step To Improved Concentration

True concentration of the mind means the ability to drop every subject except for the

one you are centered on. But how can your mind be focused on the topic at hand, when the

body is all tensed up? If, by definition, concentration means the focusing of a force energy,

in this case then if tense muscles are also using energy to hold that tension, the force is not

focused where we want it to be.

Heres one simple exercise you can do to get started:

Make sure that the room you are in has an adequate flow of fresh air, and then lie

down flat on your back without a pillow.

See all your muscles as being completely relaxed.

Now, breathe slowly, filling the lungs full of fresh air. Hold this as long as you can

without straining yourself, then exhale slowly in an easy and rhythmic way.


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Breathe this way for five minutes, letting the Divine Breath flow through you,

cleansing and rejuvenating every cell in your body and your brain.

Think about how quiet and relaxed you feel. Think of yourself as getting ready to

receive knowledge that is greater than anything you have received before. Now relax and let

the universe work in and through you, assisting you in manifesting your desires.

Dont let any doubts or fears enter. Just feel that what you wish is going to manifest.

Feel that it already has. In reality it has, for just the minute you wish a thing to be done, it

manifests in the thought world. Whenever you concentrate, believe that you are successful.

Keep up this feeling and allow nothing to interfere and you will become the master of your

powers of concentration.

More Relaxation Techniques

Of course, this is not the only way to relax. Sometimes you arent in a situation that

will allow you to lay down and stretch out. Sometimes even when you can stretch out, you

may not want to take the risk of falling asleep during the above exercise. (Its happened tome. I get so relaxed, the next thing I know, its an hour later and Ive had a wonderful, but

totally unintended nap!)

Progressive Relaxation

In the early 1920s, Edmund Jacobson developed Progressive Relaxation. Jacobson

was one of the first to measure the electrical activity of the muscles. He believed that anxiety

showed itself through tension in the muscles, and he believed that if we could reduce the

muscular response, then we would also reduce the amount of stress in our bodies, as well.


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This is a relatively straightforward relaxation technique and is widely used today. It

requires very little imagination or even willpower. Practicing this technique will quiet a

racing mind or heart and will help you to focus better and concentrate better.

This technique teaches the difference between tension and relaxation as many have

come to associate the tension of every day life to be entirely normal. Many have forgotten

what it is to truly relax.

This relaxation approach involves tightening and then relaxing various muscle groups

throughout the body, a little bit at a time. One group of muscles is worked on and then,

slowly, the next.

It does work best when you can your breathing: inhale as you tighten the muscles, and

exhale as you relax them.

For example:

Tighten your left fist, slowly, inhaling as you do.

Hold the tension now, about 5 seconds, continuing to inhale and focus on the

feelings of tension.

Really focus on what the tension feels like.

Feel the burn, the lightness, the tightness and the restriction.

Label how the tension feels in your mind.

Now just let go, slowly, and relax, exhaling all of the stale tension and air.

Notice any of the relaxation sensations, label those.

Slowly exhale as you name those sensations of relaxation, utter relaxation.

Whatever terms you can think of to label the feeling, and then relax, slowly,exhaling as you do.http://www.howtoconcentrate.com/ 2005 Ruth H. Ritchie

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Repeat the same technique for the right fist.

As you feel the change and are totally relaxed, move on to the next muscle

group.

Do this for about 15 - 30 seconds per contraction/relaxation cycle.

Try doing one entire side of your body and then the other.

If relaxation imagery appeals to you during this technique, go ahead and imagine

what you can to the feelings of both tension and to extreme relaxation.

It is important to compare and contrast the differences you feel from tension to relaxation.

Still Your Mind

Its all very well and good to relax the body as the above two exercises do. But what

do you do when you just cant shut down your mind? Heres an easy way to still your mind,

so that you are mentally, as well as physically relaxed:

Relax your body completely.Take in 4 deep breaths, repeating 4 to yourself as you exhale.

Then take 3 deep breaths, repeating 3 when you exhale.

Now take 2 deep breaths, repeating 2 when you exhale.

Finally, take 1 deep breath, repeating 1 as you exhale.

At the same time, focus your mind on a pleasant image. Imagine that you are a

passive observer of something very relaxing where there is repetitive motion.

For example, visualize relaxing on the beach, watching the waves go back and forth

or lying in the grass and watching as the clouds move by overhead.


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Now you want to cause your mind to go completely blank. As you are focusing on

this repetitive movement, begin to envision a blank form. Think of it as you are standing on

the edge of an abyss where there is no form and all is void.

Focus on the void and remain there as you continue to relax deeper and deeper. Hold

this as long as you can.

Mini Relaxation

This exercise works well at any time. It works especially well if you work in a

stressful environment, or when you need to be able to concentrate on the task at hand. It also

works well if you happen to be standing in line at the bank or check-out, and it feels like

everyone around you is stressed out.

One thing Ive noticed when doing this exercise around other people is that as you

relax yourself, your calm energy has a ripple effect on the people around you. Ive seen it

happen when standing in line at a check-out counter, and the people in front of me had a

screaming baby that they just couldnt get to settle down. By calming myself down, mypeaceful energy radiated outward enough that the baby just suddenly stopped crying. Those

parents were so proud of themselves! They had no idea what had happened to make the baby

stop crying, and I just smiled to myself and paid for my groceries.

Here it is:

Take in three deep breaths.

With each deep breath, imagine that you are inhaling feelings of calm andpeace.

You can also affirm to yourself: I am at peace in this moment.

With each exhale, breathe out feelings of pressure and stress.


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Take time during your day to stop and focus on a pleasant thought or image

(like a baby playing in the sand.) Do this many times a day.

Allow your shoulders and jaw to completely relax.

Do not focus on any stress.

Close your eyes and feel any tension throughout your body.

Picture this tension as water being held in a pitcher.

Feel as the water begins to flow from the pitcher.

You will begin to feel light and weightless.

Stay in this for as long as you can.


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Chapter 3

Getting Control Over Your Body

In order to concentrate effectively, the first thing you must be able to do is shut out all

other thoughts, sounds, and sights. Weve already seen the importance of being able to relax

your body, so that your mind can focus on a single thought. Even so, physical relaxation is

only the starting point. You also need to be able to control your body so that involuntary

muscle movement doesnt get in the way of your mind doing what you want it to do.

The body must be brought under the direct control of the mind. Then, the mind must

be brought under the direct control of the will. In other words, the subconscious must be

controlled by the conscious, which in turn must be controlled by the supra-conscious if we

are to be successful at mastering our thoughts.

These five exercises will get you started in the right direction.

Exercise #1 - Sit Still

Sit in a comfortable chair and see how still you can be.

This is not as easy as it seems. Have you ever tried to really sit completely still? It

takes a lot of concentration to control the body and not make any movement at all.

Heres a hint. The key to this is to relax while youre doing it. Watch and see that you

are not making any involuntary muscular movements.


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Try first to sit completely still for 5 minutes. Once you can keep perfectly still for 5

minutes, increase the time to 10 minutes. Your ultimate goal in this exercise should be to sit

completely still and relaxed for 15 minutes at a time.

Exercise #2 - Steady Hands

Sit in a chair with your head up and your chin out, shoulders back.

Raise your right arm level with your shoulder, pointing to the right.

Turn your head to the right so that you are gazing at your fingertips.

Hold your arm perfectly steady for one minute.

Repeat with your left arm.

When you are able to keep your arm perfectly still, gradually increase the time until

you are able to hold it for 5 minutes.

Tip: Turn your palm downward when your arm is outstretched, as this is the easiest

position to hold it in. By keeping your eyes focused on the tips of your fingers you will be

able to tell if your arm is perfectly still.

Looks easy, doesnt it? This one is definitely not as easy as it looks. When I first

started doing this, I thought I was doing great until I really began to concentrate on my

fingertips. Youll be amazed at how many times your fingers twitch in the space of a few

seconds.


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Exercise #3 - Be Aware of Yourself

Watch yourself during the course of the day and see that your muscles do not become

tense or strained. See how relaxed you can keep yourself. This is a good habit to get into, so

that you always appear self-assured and confident.

Notice whether you have any involuntary habits that would indicate a lack of self-

control. For example, do you drum your fingers on the table, tap your foot, rock backwards

and forwards in your chair, bite your nails, chew your lip, etc. Any of these little nervous

habits will make you appear nervous and unconfident. And thats definitely not a good

thing, especially in situations where your visual appearance may mean the difference

between success and failure.

Once you acquire this control, you will notice how ill-at-ease others around you

seem. Weve all dealt with the shifty salesman at some point in our lives. Its these nervous

habits that make him or her appear shifty, and seem like theyre trying to scam you instead of

sell you a legitimate product. Isnt it much easier to deal with someone who appears

confident and in control? Thats the purpose of this exercise... To make sure you dont givethe impression of being shifty or less than honest, just because youre nervous.

Now that you know what involuntary movements you make throughout your day,

what can be done to stop them? Why, concentrate, of course! You can stop them by centering

on the thought, I am calm. I am confident. I am in control of my body.

Controlling Voluntary Muscle Movement

The first three exercises are intended to give you control over involuntary muscle

movement. The next two exercises will help you gain control of voluntary muscle movement,

so that you train your mind to control body completely.


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Exercise #4

Place your hands on the table, fists clenched. The backs of your hands should be flat

on the table, and your thumbs doubled up over your fingers.

Center your gaze and your thoughts on your fist for a minute or two, then gradually

extend the thumb.

Be sure to keep your attention centered on the act as if it were the most important

thing you could be doing in this moment.

Gradually extend your first finger, then your second, and so on until your hand is

opened flat against the table.

Reverse the process, closing each finger starting with the baby finger, until your fist is

again closed.

Repeat the process with the other hand.

Do this exercise, alternating until you have done each hand 5 times, and gradually

increase to 10 sets per hand.

Exercise #5

Put your right hand on your knee, keeping your fingers and thumb closed, except for

the first finger, which points out in front of you.


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Move the finger slowly from side to side, keeping your attention focused on the end

of the finger.

Do this for one to two minutes, always focusing on the movement of your finger.

Repeat with your left hand.

You can make up a variety of exercises like this for improving your control over your

muscles. The two main things to remember when you are doing these are:

1) the exercise should be simple;

2) keep your attention focused on the moving part of your body.


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Chapter 4

Applied Concentration

In the first section, we looked at beginning to concentrate, and some of the reasons

why it's important to be able to focus your mind and gather your energy so that you are

consciously able to direct its flow toward what you want. In this section we will begin to

apply what you learned to such ordinary tasks as falling asleep, feeling good, and breaking

habits.

As I stated at the beginning of this book, its purpose is to teach you how to

concentrate. By putting the theory and physical exercises into practical applications, it is

much easier to see your results and to know that the process works.

The practical exercises are straightforward and easy to do. I have broken them down

into step-by-step instructions, and added more detail to the originals wherever possible.

A Beginning Exercise

Now that you are starting to learn just how powerful focusing and concentrating on

controlling your body can be, this simple exercise will get you started on the mental side as

well. This is a really good way to mark your progress, as you work through the rest of the

exercises in this book. You should use clock or even a kitchen timer at first so that you can

keep track of your results. The second thing you should have is a notebook to record things

in. You might want to record not only the length of time you are able to do the exercise for,

but any insights that come to you during the time that you are concentrating. (Note: I know

some people really dont like to write things down, so its not mandatory that you do this.)


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Exercise #6

Select a thought and see how long you can hold your mind on it.

For example, if you decide to think about health, you can get a great deal of good

from your thinking besides developing concentration. Think of health as being the greatest

blessing there is, in the world.

Dont let any other thought drift in. As soon as a different thought starts to come into

your mind, make it get out.

Make it a daily habit of concentrating on this thought for approximately ten minutes.

Practice until you can hold it to the exclusion of everything else.

Continuing on with our example of thinking about health, see yourself as you would

like to be, regardless of your present condition.

At first, you may find it hard to forget your ailments, if you have any, but after a short

while you will be able to shut out these negative thoughts and see yourself as you want to be.

Each time you concentrate, you will form a more perfect image of health, and, as you

come into its realization, you become healthy, strong and whole.


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Chapter 5Conserving Your Energy

One of the great benefits of improved concentration and focus is that you will find

yourself wanting to save your energy so that it can be directed towards fulfilling your desires.

When you are able to eliminate the useless waste of energy that goes along with nervous

habits you will find that not only is it easier to focus on what you really want to achieve, but

you will also be more relaxed as you go about it.

The whole process of concentration and relaxation works in a circular pattern. The

more relaxed you are, the easier it is to concentrate; and the easier it is to concentrate, the

more relaxed you become. This is why it is so important to gain control over your body in the

beginning stages, and to apply that control to all of your physical movements.

The following exercises will help you to gain control over any nervous habits you

may have. Examples of nervous habits include nail-biting, drumming your fingers on the

table, and tapping your foot (when theres no music to keep time with). Even frowning could

be considered a nervous habit in some cases.

These nervous habits arise not only from feeling nervous or ill-at-ease, but also from

fear and worry. Now, I know that telling you not to worry is like trying to tell the sun not to

rise, but if you can set your worries aside it really does help. The energy that we spend

worrying about things can be put to so much better use.


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Think of it this way if we spent as much energy focusing on achieving our desires as we do

on worrying and what-ifs, we would have what we want and there would be no need to

worry!

Exercise #7

This goal of this exercise is to stop yourself from habits that arise out of nervous

energy.

Watch yourself to see if you are in the habit of moving your hands, tapping your feet,

drumming your fingers, twirling your hair, etc.

Practice by standing in front of a mirror and observing yourself. Take notice of any

unconscious movements you make. Also, watch your face to see if you are in the habit of

frowning or making other facial movements such as biting your lip.

When you find yourself worrying about little things, focus on the thought for a

moment or two, see how needless it is, and then release the thought. An easy way to release anegative thought or worry, is to quickly state its opposite. For example, if you find yourself

worrying whether you have enough money to pay the bills, quickly tell yourself, I have

plenty of money.

If you find yourself easily bothered by little things, take a deep breath and tell

yourself: I am strong; I am the master of my self. Or, you can use the affirmation from

the Mini Relaxation exercise, I am at peace in this moment.Keep telling yourself this

until you actually do begin to feel strong and at peace.

It wont take long until you will find yourself becoming calm again.


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You should find that by saving the energy that you would otherwise spend on these

subconscious actions, you will have more energy to use toward fulfilling your desires.

A Personal Story

About a year ago, I found myself in the position of being near eviction. The notice

had been served, and I had ten days left to come up with five months worth of rent. I had

gotten myself into the situation by not trusting my instincts, and continuing to work for a

client who suddenly decided he had no reason to pay me for six months worth of work I had

done for him.

An opportunity for a new contract came up, and I had to travel about 400 miles for

the interview. I borrowed the money for a bus ticket, arranged to borrow a friends

apartment, and set off for the interview. All the while, in the back of my head was the

knowledge that if I didnt get the job, my family would be living on the streets, and I would

have no choice but to send the dogs to the shelter. As I was walking down the street on my

way to the interview, I kept telling myself, I have plenty of money. The rent will get paid.

When I got home that night and turned on my computer, there was a message waiting

for me. Some friends got together and raised the funds to cover my rent, and get all the bills

caught up. I had no idea they were planning this, so it was a great surprise and a big relief.

The contract eventually fell through, but just by stopping the worry and focusing my

thoughts on what I wanted to happen, it did. A week later, we started Ritchie Media,

Exercise #8 - Controlling Your Temper

Another great way to conserve energy is by controlling your temper. If you are a

person who flares up at the slightest provocation, stop for a moment and consider whether or


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not losing your temper does any good. Do you gain anything by it? Chances are, when you

really stop and think about it, you will realize that when you blow up at someone or

something, you are again using up valuable energy that could be better used to find a solution

to the problem and to focus on a more desirable outcome.

This is a two-step exercise that will help you notice when you tend to lose your

temper, so that you can apply the concentration and relaxation techniques youve learned in

order to regain control of your energy and emotions.

Step 1. In the morning use this affirmation:

I am going to try today not to make a useless gesture or worry over small things. I

intend to be calm, and I will control myself regardless of the circumstances. I resolve to be

free of all signs that show lack of self-control.

Step 2. In the evening, review your actions during the day and see how well you did.

Write down any instances where you felt like you were losing your cool, what happened,

how you felt about it, and what you did about it, if anything.

At first you will, no doubt, see instances where your self-control could use some work, but

after awhile you will notice an improvement in this area.

Becoming More Self-Confident

As you develop your focus and energy conservation techniques you should find

yourself becoming more self-confident in any given situation. Its inevitable that as you gain

control over your thoughts and actions, you become more self-assured, simply because you

know yourself better, and you can now control your own reactions.


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This is an especially important skill to have when you are dealing with others. It

doesnt matter what the situation is whether youre dealing with co-workers, customers,

your boss, your significant other, or even your children the more self-confident you appear

to the people you are dealing with, the more confident they will feel dealing with you. And

the more confident others are in your abilities, the more confident you will feel within

yourself. Its that whole circular thing again.

Even on the Internet, its important that you feel confident when you are writing and

email or responding to someone in a forum or a chat room. The Internet is nothing if not a

gigantic transmitter of energy, so even without the visual clues that you would pick up in a

traditional face-to-face interaction, your energy comes through loud and clear. And when you

add in the fact that the most efficient human way to transmit energy is through the hands, its

no wonder that many people believe that your energy and intentions are even more

pronounced when theres no other body language to confuse the issue. If you are feeling less

than confident when you type, the other person will be able to sense this.

One of the key components to being self-confident is peace of mind. Its another

reason why staying calm and relaxed is such an important part of mental concentration.When you have peace of mind, you will not feel timid, anxious, fearful, or any of the other

negative emotions that can make you appear less than confident.

It helps to think of this in a spiritual sense. Think of yourself as a spark of the Divine.

When you see yourself in this way, you cant help but feel more confident in your self and

your ability to accomplish whatever you set out to do.

Like everything else we have talked about so far, this also takes practice. If you need

a more focused course in gaining self confidence, Unlimited Confidence by Jason Johns is

really good. (Jason's my confidence coach, so I'm not just saying that. If he wasn't I wouldn't


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have even had the nerve to write this book!) Then, for those times when you need a quick

boost to your confidence levels, you can use this exercise:

Exercise #9 - The Confidence Booster

Stand in front of a mirror, and make two marks on it at eye level. Think of them as

the person you about to interact with looking back at you.. Your eyes will probably blink a

bit at first.

Stand erect and do not move your head. Center your attention on keeping your head

perfectly still. To help with this you can use the Tai Chi visualization of your head being

suspended by a string. This keeps your head and neck aligned, avoids building up tension in

the neck area, and allows for an improved flow of energy throughout your body.

Keeping your head, eyes, and body still, focus on the thought that you are a person

who inspires confidence.

Still standing before the mirror, practice taking deep breaths. See that there is plentyof fresh air in the room, and that you are literally feasting on it. Feel the fresh air filling up

your body as you inhale, and as you exhale, feel all the tension and anxiety leaving your

body.

You will find that as the fresh air permeates every cell in your body, any sense of

nervousness or timidity will disappear, and will be replaced with a sense of peace and power.

You can also use the following affirmations to help:

I am at peace in this moment.


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Absolutely everything goes my way.

The second one is very helpful if you are unsure of the outcome of the meeting, such

as a job interview, medical appointment, first meeting with a client, etc. I have used this one

very successfully at the doctors office when Im waiting to get my blood pressure taken.

Thats one time when its absolutely essential to feel as peaceful as possible!


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Chapter 6

The Road to Good Health

If it is true that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, then the road

to good health certainly begins with a single thought. Namely, I Am Healthy.But, before

we begin this section, I want to be absolutely clear on one thing: This is not medical advice,

and you should always consult with a qualified medical practitioner if you have any health

issues.

With that being said, there are ways to use concentrated thought to improve your

health. Louise HaysHeal Your Body: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the

Metaphysical Ways to Overcome Them deals with this topic much better than I ever could,

and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the relationship between disease and

thought patterns.

I can say, however, that this does work because I have used it successfully on more

than one occasion. The most recent experience was about a year ago, when I was told that if

my white blood cell count didnt go back to normal within three months, I would have to

have a bone marrow scan done to test for leukemia. I was so determined that I was having no

part of either a bone marrow scan or leukemia, that every day for those three months, I

focused as intently as I knew how on the thought that I am Healthy. My white blood cell

count is normal. The result of this was that when I went back after the three months were

up, the doctor said to me, I dont know what youve been doing, but its back to normal. I

just smiled, and didnt say a word, because I know he wouldnt have believed me.

These next two exercises will show you how to scan your body, and give yourself an

energy boost so that you improve your overall feeling of well-being.


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Exercise #10 - Taking Inventory

This exercise is designed to help you take inventory of your body, and to focus on its

inner workings:

Lie down and thoroughly relax your muscles.

Concentrate on the beating of your heart. Picture the blood leaving your heart and

traveling through your torso and legs down to your toes.

Picture another stream of blood going through your arms down to your finger tips.

After a bit of practice you will be able to actually feel the blood moving through your

system.

Did you notice as you were focusing on the blood flowing though your body, whether

or not there were aches and pains, or places where the flow seemed blocked? Did any part ofyou feel more weak or tired than the rest?

One of the benefits of doing this exercise is that you will become attuned to how your

body feels when it is at its best, and how it feels when something hurts or is tired. To take

away the tired feeling, all you need to do is will that an extra supply of blood flows to that

part of your body.

For example, if youve been typing all day and your fingers feel like theyre about to

fall off, you can visualize the blood flowing out from your heart, down through your arms,

bringing extra energy to your hands. The example in the original exercise was that if your


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eyes are feeling tired simply visualize the blood coming from your heart, up through your

face and head, into and out through the eyes. However, when I first envisioned that, all I got

was one of those images from the Friday Night Freak Show of the pasty white face with the

blood pouring out of the eye sockets. Not pretty! I shall find another way to deal with tired

eyes!

. If blood makes you squeamish, you can focus on the following affirmation twice a

day when you wake up in the morning, and just before you go to sleep at night:

Every cell in my body is filled with life.

Every part of my body is strong and healthy.

Another way that you can take inventory of your body is through the process of

scanning for energy blocks. I recently started learning Tai Chi and this is one of the first

things that we learned to do. Rather than looking for actual places of pain, this exercise

teaches you to look for blockages in your energy flow or Chi.

Exercise #11 - Standing Inventory

Stand in a relaxed position, feet slightly apart, with your head, neck and shoulders

aligned. You should have a feeling of being suspended by the head. This keeps your head

straight, and avoids building up tension in the neck area.

Focus your mind, and starting with the top of your head, scan down your body taking

note of what feels good and what doesnt. You should work through the parts of your body in

this order: head, neck, shoulders, torso, arms, legs, and feet.

When you come across places that feel tense or strained, these are the spots where

your energy is blocked.


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Note: I am not a doctor or medical practitioner of any sort. If you have any sort of

medical issues you should consult with your doctor or other professional. Likewise, if you

feel during your self-inventory, that you have uncovered something that feels seriously

wrong to you.

To go any further into non-traditional medicine and its practices is beyond the scope

of this book. However, the above two exercises will start you on the road to better health

simply by making you more aware of your body and how it should feel when everything is

working properly.

If you're interested in learning more about Tai Chi and its health benefits, I highly

recommend you check out Tai Chi Breathing by C. Guan Soo. It's a great resource for

learning how to use Tai Chi not only to improve your health, but also your memory and

concentration.


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Chapter 7Getting a Good Nights Sleep

Many people experience the occasional night of sleeplessness without any

consequences. It is when the occasional night here and there becomes a pattern of several

nights in a row that you are faced with a sleeping problem. Repeated loss of sleep affects all

areas of your life: physical, mental, and emotional. Sleep deprivation can affect your overall

daily performance and may even have an effect on your personality.

If your insomnia continues for a long period of time it can cause problems in your

relationships, compromise your productivity, and perhaps lead to other health problems. It

can become a relentless cycle of worry and anxiety as night after night you toss and turn,

wondering when sleep will come, wondering what is wrong with you.

Insomnia and sleeplessness generally fall into three categories:

1. "Initial" insomnia: where you have difficulty in falling asleep, generally

taking 30 minutes or longer to fall into a sleep state.

2. "Middle" insomnia: where after falling asleep you have problems maintaining

a sleep state, often remaining awake until the early morning hours.

3. "Late" or "Terminal" insomnia: where you awake early in the morning after

less than 6 hours of sleep.


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Insomnia can be the symptom of some medical conditions that may require your

doctor's advice and medical care. In those cases the cause will be treated, not the insomnia.

If, however, your sleeplessness is due to a pattern of not sleeping, or because your body and

mind find it difficult to settle into a state of relaxation necessary for sleep, this exercise will

help you to relax and concentrate on falling asleep easily and effortlessly.

Exercise #12 - Calm Water Visualization

Put a full glass of water on the table beside your bed.

Gaze at the glass of water and think about how calm and still it is.

Then picture yourself getting into that same state of stillness.

Do this for 5 to 10 minutes and you will find yourself becoming relaxed enough to

fall asleep.

Keep in your mind the thought of easily falling asleep. Push away any thoughts ofinsomnia as they appear.

Focus on Breathing

There are many breathing and relaxation techniques that you can learn to use to

promote relaxation and relieve stress. The deeper and slower that you breathe the more

relaxed and sedated you will become. In both of these exercises, focus on your breathing.

This will slow your mind down enough that you should be able to fall asleep easily.


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Exercise #13

Try this breathing technique when you first get into bed:

1. Take a deep breath.

2. Breathe in through your nose and visualize the air moving down to your

stomach.

3. As you breathe in again silently count to four.

4. Purse your lips as you exhale slowly.

5. This time count silently to eight.

6. Repeat this process six to ten times.

The results of this breathing technique are immediate. You will feel your shoulders

and arms relaxing. Your chest will feel less constricted and you will feel less stress and

tension. Practice this breathing technique on a daily basis so that it becomes a natural routine

for you and helps to induce natural sleep.

As well as using breathing techniques to encourage natural sleep you can try severalrelaxation exercises. The goal is to relax your mind and let your body unwind and surrender

to sleep.

Exercise #14

1. Lay on your back on the floor with your feet slightly apart, your hands by

your sides, and your palms turned upward.

2. Close your eyes and concentrate on every part of your body.

3. Begin at the top of your head and work your way down to your toes.

4. Start by feeling your forehead tense, then your eyes, face, and jaw.


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5. Tense and release each muscle group, such as your shoulders and neck.

6. Give attention to each area of your body from the top of your head, downthrough the trunk of your body, down along your legs, and ending at the tip of

your toes.

7. Stay in this relaxed condition for a few minutes. Concentrate on yourbreathing and let all worry and stress dissipate from your mind and body.

Make sure that your breathing comes from deep in your stomach and flows

slowly and evenly.

8. Stretch slowly before standing.

This exercise will tell your body and mind that it is okay to settle down, leaving

behind thoughts of worry, fear, and stress.


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Chapter 8

Changing Habits

Habits make or break us to a far greater extent than we like to admit. They can be

both a wonderful ally (good habits) and a powerful enemy (bad habits). The trick is to

overcome the bad ones while cultivating the good ones. When we do something out of habit,

we are not concentrating on it. It has become a reflex action that we do without even thinking

about it.

All habits are governed either consciously or unconsciously by the will. Most of us

are forming new habits all the time. If you repeat something several times in the same way,

you will have formed the habit of doing it that way. And the more often you repeat it, the

more entrenched it becomes in your nature.

Humans are nothing if not creatures of habit. As we grow older, most of us become

more and more like automatic machines. The habits we have formed during our livesincrease in strength unless we do something to change them. The intellect and the will are

spiritual functions, but they are attached to the body, and every thought that comes from

them corresponds to a movement in the brain. All physical impressions are the carrying out

of the actions of the will and the intellect.

How can learning to concentrate help in changing or breaking bad habits?

Changing a habit is a two-step process. The first step is to train your will to do what

you want it to. The stronger your will, (i.e. the more concentration you


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focus on breaking the habit), the easier it will be to break. The second step is to resolve that

you will do the opposite, so that the new, good habit replaces the old, bad habit.

Easy to do right? Just replace the old habit with the new one, and were done. If that

was the case, wouldnt everyone keep their New Years Resolutions? Lets break it down

into manageable pieces and see just how we can do this, with the maximum concentration,

and minimum stress.

For this I will use the example of quitting smoking since thats a cause near and dear

(or maybe that should be nerve-wracking and detrimental) to my heart. You can substitute

whatever habit youre trying to change in here.

Step 1. Know why you want to change the habit.

I cant stress this enough. If you dont know why you are doing something, your mind

wont put the consistent energy needed into it. So for our example of quitting smoking, we

would decide why we want to quit, and write down reasons such as:

It makes me feel sick.

Id rather save the money I spend on cigarettes and use it for a vacation.

Id like to be able to walk up the stairs without stopping to catch my breath

every few steps.

The one thing to make sure in this step is that the reasons you choose are going to be

powerful enough to motivate you when your focus starts to waver. And believe me, it will

waver in the beginning while youre training yourself to swap the old habit for the new one.


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Step 2. Identify the Pattern

It really helps to know what the pattern is for the habit that youre trying to break.

The best way to do this is to really watch yourself for about a week. Write things down and

watch how often the same things appear. For example, if you have a smoke within 10

minutes of waking up in the morning, after every meal, as soon as you get in your car, etc.

These are all patterns which need to be identified.

InHeal Your Body, Louise Hay says that if you think to say something more than 3

times, its a pattern. Shes talking about thoughts and words, but the process is the same. So

our smoker should be looking for the things he does 3 or more times the same way. I can tell

you from experience, smokers have a lot of patterns.

Why is writing this down important? It shows you exactly what you are thinking

while you are using your bad habit. The whole relation between thoughts manifesting into

things is easy to see when you actually stop and record whats going on in your mind that

leads to the negative behavior. You will be amazed at

how many times you engage in the habit without even realizing what youre doing, until youstop and recognize that youre doing it, and write it down.

So now that youve identified the habits and patterns that you want to change as well

as the thoughts behind them, whats next?

Step 3. Breaking the Habit

This is where the power of concentration comes into play. Once you know why you

want to change or break a habit, and you have identified the patterns that make up that habit,

it will take all your focus to train your mind and body to follow new instructions.


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For example, our person who wants to quit smoking decides that the new behavior

that will replace reaching for a cigarette is going to be to reach for a glass of water instead.

Heres a couple of easy things he can do to make the change easier:

1) Train the body to reach for the glass of water by putting it in the same place where

the pack of cigarettes and the ashtray used to sit. That way when he reaches for a cigarette his

hand comes into contact with the glass instead. This will trigger the mind to remember, I

now have a drink of water instead of smoking. The mind will now begin to transmute the

desire for a cigarette, and the corresponding physical action of reaching for a cigarette with

the new behavior of having a drink of water (which is much healthier for you).

2) Talk to yourself. If you find yourself having a hard time, you can use this easy

visualization to help you:

Close your eyes and imagine that your real self is standing before you.

Give your self a pep talk. You can say something like: You are a strong person.

You can stop this habit if you want to. This habit is bad and you want to break it.You canalso insert your reasons for wanting to break the habit it here, as a means of reinforcing them

to yourself.

If it helps, you can also imagine that someone else is giving you this advice.

One important thing to remember when doing this is to not give in to the temptation

to replace the water with a cigarette. Every single time you resist the temptation to revert

back to the bad habit you are strengthening your control over the subconscious, and

improving your ability to concentrate.


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The second thing to remember is to give yourself time to make the change permanent.

Some experts say that you should do the new habit consistently for at least 30 days to make

sure it becomes ingrained in your subconscious. They say that if you do give in to the

temptation to backslide before then, you will undo all the good work you have done up until

that point.

It helps to think of it like the one day at a time process that groups like Alcoholics

Anonymous use. Count the days that you have been successful at using your new habit, and

if you do give in to temptation, you will have to start over again at day one. Seeing that

success of going for 30 or 40 or even 300 days without indulging in your negative habit will

also strengthen your will to go for just one more day.

If you do give in engage in your negative habit, there is something you can do to help

you start over. When you absolutely must give in to temptation to have that cigarette, or that

drink, or whatever the habit is that youre trying to break, stop what youre doing at really

concentrate on the habit. If its a cigarette, do nothing but smoke the cigarette, and focus all

your senses on the act of smoking.

For instance:

Notice how the cigarette tastes. Focus your taste buds on the tobacco.

Visualize the smoke filling up your lungs.

See the tar and all the other nasty stuff sticking to the sides of your throat and

your arteries on the way down.

Focus your sense of smell. Notice how awful your breath, your clothes, your

hair smell when they are covered in smoke.

This exercise works really well for quitting smoking. When you focus all your senses

on the act of having the cigarette, and really notice how awful it tastes, smells, and makes

you feel, it makes it much easier to not give in the next time.


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Chapter 9

Concentration and Reading

Reading is an excellent way to improve your concentration. By the same token,

improving concentration is an excellent way to get more out of your reading. Its important

not only to be able to concentrate on what youre reading, but also that you be able to

comprehend and retain it as well. This is especially useful when your work or education

involves a lot of reading and research.

In this section I will give you three easy ways that you can use your reading to

improve your concentration, and vice versa.

Exercise #15

Read a short story, and then write an abridged statement about it.

Im probably dating myself here, but do you remember reading comprehension

exercises from public school? They were short stories on little cards, with the story on one

side and the questions on the other side. The idea was to read the story without looking at the

questions, and then the teacher would come along and ask you the questions, and to rephrase

the story in your own words.

This exercise works in a similar way, and still comes in handy for me when doing

research of any kind. Read a page or a section, and then close the book and write about what

you just read.


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Exercise #16

Read an article, and then see how few words you can use to capture its essence.

Reading an article to get only the essentials requires excellent concentration.

The object of this exercise is to distill the article down to as few words as possible. I

remember having to do this in university. We would be told to summarize a 40-50 page

article in no more than 10 sentences, and still be able to capture the authors thesis, main

arguments, and evidence in as short a space as possible.

Exercise #17

Read a book for 20 minutes, and then write down what you have read.

The object in this exercise is to recall as much detail as possible. Instead of just

capturing the essence, write down as much as you can of what you read verbatim. At first,

you may find that you will not remember much, but the more you do this, the more detail you

will be able to recall. The better your concentration, the more accurate your recall will be.

These exercises may seem simple at first, but they can be used to great effect when

you are studying and researching.


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Chapter 10

Controlling Your Environment

Using your newfound powers of concentration to control your physical environment

is a very rewarding accomplishment. And its not as far-fetched as it sounds!

We have seen throughout this book how controlling and focusing our thoughts

enables us to attract that which we desire to have or accomplish. If this is true for material

things, it makes sense that it is also true for our non-material sensations as well. And it isthese sensations how you react to your physical surroundings that you can control by

focusing your thoughts. (You didnt really think I was going to tell you that you could make

it snow in July did you?)

Think about the sensations you feel on a regular basis. How do you feel when youre

hot? How do you feel when youre cold? When youre hungry? When youre thirsty?

Each of these sensations has thoughts attached to it. Those thoughts determine how

our body reacts to them. Have you ever noticed how when you check the weather outside and

the thermometer reads 100EF (38EC) and you know you have to go outside, youre already

sweating before you even get out the door? Wouldnt it be nice to feel cool, while everyone

around you is complaining of the heat?

Heres how you do it:


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Exercise #18

First, think of how you would feel if you were cool, then how you would feel if you

were cold, and finally, how you would feel if you were freezing. Construct these images in

your mind as vividly as you possibly can.

Now, when you step out into the heat, hold this image of how you feel when youre

cold in the front of your mind. I guarantee if you try this, it will work. You will be looking

and feeling so cool, that people around you will wonder what your secret is.

You can do this for any sensation that you can think of. Another example is when

youre hungry, and dont have time to stop and eat at that moment. If you visualize yourself

as just having finished a big meal, and focus on the feelings of fullness that accompany it,

you will find your hunger disappears. Keep in mind that this is not the proper way to diet,

and is not recommended as a weight loss method. It does work really well however, if youre

feeling hungry and have to stop at the supermarket on the way home from work.

Once you train your imagination to do this you will be able to make seeminglyunbearable conditions bearable at will. This will give you an incredible control over the

things that affect your physical comfort.


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Conclusion

Now that youve read this far, you are aware of all the possibilities of concentration

and the important role it plays in your life. And, you also have a variety of easy ways that

you can improve your concentration and focus no matter what youre doing. By using these

exercises, you will already be seeing an improvement in your ability to concentrate over

when you first picked up this book.

So lets take a moment here to review what youve learned so far:

how to relax

how to use concentration to control your physical movements

how to conserve your energy for better focus

how to use concentration to become more self confident

how to scan your body for energy blocks

how focus and relaxation can help you sleep better

how to change or eliminate habits

how to use concentration when reading for improved study and research

how to concentrate and control your reactions to your physical environment

Putting all the pieces together, you now have a powerful ally in creating the life you

choose your mind! When you apply the power of concentration to your thoughts you can

achieve anything you desire.

It is in the application of the processes that you will achieve your successes. As with

anything else, you will get out of these exercises only in relation to what you put into them. I


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could give you a thousand pages of exercises and explanations, but its only in the doing of

them that you will achieve results. And the doing has to be your choice. What will you

choose?

Documents

Ruth Ritchie - How to Concentrate - Simple Practical Exercises to Increase Your Powers of Concent