8 tips for students to improve concentration with meditation
For the young buds who are looking to improve their performance and at the same time learn, rather than mug up the syllabus, here is an interesting fact: meditation can help you perform better.
Including meditation in daily routine is the magic potion for boosting concentration and memory. In fact, a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania showed that even a few minutes of daily meditation can help improve focus and performance dramatically.
There are many tips on how meditation can be your savior during these critical times when you need to be extremely attentive. Here, we are listing 8 tips along with meditation to help you score those extra grades - minus the stress.
1. Love your subject
This is a secret. When you love a subject, it loves you back. So, if you dislike any subject, for a day, drop the hatred. Simply tell your mind, “Today, I shall read this with a lot of love.” Try it and observe the difference. Do you make an effort to concentrate on a cricket or soccer match or while watching an interesting movie? You are attentive just naturally, isn’t it? The same holds true for your studies. Like it and you will be able to concentrate better. The result: better grades.
2. Sleep well
Those late-night chats and hangouts might be ‘cool’ with your buddies, but it is a bane for your memory. The brain needs sleep and seven to eight hours sleep is a must. During your preparation time, it is possible that you may have too much to do and too little time. In such times, it is a good idea to meditate. A good 20-minute meditation every day, preferably in the morning or before lunch, sharpens the brain cells. If you are regular with meditation, then it also increases your gray matter.
3. Eat healthy to avoid a restless mind
You are what you eat. Sweets, chocolates, ice creams and other junk food might be tempting, but consuming them results in a restless mind and lethargic body. Naturally, your mind wanders, affecting your attention span. Simple connection, right? So, choose what you eat carefully. Avoid food with too much spice or sugar and reduce the intake of fried and junk food. Include more fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, and salads in your diet.
Note: Ayurvedic medication can also boost concentration. Sri Sri Ayurveda’s Deva Vati and Brahmi tablets are a big help too. Please consult a Sri Sri Ayurveda doctor for more guidance on Ayurvedic diet and supplements.
4. Practice yoga daily to keep boredom away
Do Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) and shoulder stand (sarvangasana). These help increase blood circulation to the brain. As a result, there is an increased alertness and awareness. Your mind does not digress from the task you are doing and you are also able to perform better.
5. Want to have fun too? Do pranayama
Can you believe that a two-and-a-half-minute pranayama can help retain and improve concentration for three hours? Yes, the concentration pranayama, taught at The Art of Living youth courses does just that. It helps improve memory and retention power as well as reduces the time taken to finish your studies. This will allow you to have more time for play and fun with friends. Join the YES!+ program to learn this fun technique.
6. Practice Sudarshan Kriya daily
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar gave the world a powerful breathing technique, the Sudarshan Kriya. It cleanses the body, mind, and aligns the body with rhythms of the Universe. It is a one-stop solution for a good mental and physical health. Practicing this breathing technique daily will free your mind of all fears. You will be confident to tackle any subject. It enhances clarity which will aid you in taking any decision and make you venture into anything new.
7. Meditate everyday
You can meditate in school, at your college campus, at home or even with friends in a park. In fact, meditating with friends has a better impact. You can beat the exam blues with a few minutes of meditation, it will help you gather your thoughts and give clarity of mind. Enhanced concentration and focus are also the byproducts of meditating daily.
8. Attend the Intuition Process Workshop
Intuition is your sixth sense, your gut feeling and you were born with it. Children inherently have a sharper intuition than adults. The education system today teaches you to rely on your intellect more and hence, in the long run, you forget to listen to your inner voice. You might go wrong with decisions made from your intellect, but your intuition will never fail you. It has been observed that people who use their intellect to follow their intuition excel more in life.
This amazing Intuition Process does just that, it helps you to get in touch with your inner voice. This suddenly makes difficult subjects a child’s play. Maths and numbers become exciting, Chemistry and carbon atoms appear more friendly, Political Science more interesting and dates in History easily accessible from your memory. Fear of examination vanishes and you can even preempt portions that should be studied better. And the best part is, you learn all this in just two days.
Try the Intuition Process.
Meditation just happens. Don’t concentrate while meditating.
It’s time to break a common myth which says meditation is concentration. On the contrary, meditation is de-concentration, and good attention and focus are byproducts of daily meditation.
When you meditate every day, even for a few minutes, your wandering mind (which loves to go off on a trip, especially during those boring lectures in class) starts settling down and focuses more on the task at hand.
Bhanumathi Narasimhan, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation teacher, often says, “Meditation makes a wandering mind into a wondering mind!” Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks.
