Achieving a lot from a little.

​Dear All,

Some of the best things in life happen when we're not looking for them or not making too much effort. The same is true about your meditation practice. You can achieve a lot from a very little.

Here's the little:

For the next one or two minutes it takes you to read this email, focus your attention at the crown of the head and just keep it there. See whether you can keep your attention at the top of the head for a further 5 minutes as you go about your other activities.


Everytime you become aware that your attention has 'slipped' from there, put it back. You could be walking or talking, it's still possible to keep your 'background' attention focused at top of head.

It's like driving a car or cooking, while having a conversation with someone. Your attention doesn't leave the activity of driving or cooking.

Here's the lot you can gain from this:

If practiced regularly, it helps you to deal with stress and anxiety; it improves your mood; it gives you energy; it helps you solve any immediate problems you may have.

How/Why?

In sanskrit, the attention is called 'chitta'. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, yoga is defined as:

योग: चित्त-वृत्ति निरोध: yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ— Yoga Sutras 1.2

'Stopping your attention from wandering(habitual mental state ) is yoga'

When the attention is 'purified' in this way it becomes indestinct from  'mahata-chitta'  (universal attention), in the way that the river  water flowing into the sea becomes indestinct from the sea water. Such an attention 'Acts' and can change things for the better in an unconscious way.

This is further explained in this 2 minute video clip : The power of meditative attention to solve global problems .

See you at group meditation on Tuesday.