Do You Want Better Concentration and Sharper Focus? Try These Yoga Techniques

We live in a hyperactive world. Everything moves at a fast pace, there are visual stimuli and tons of information everywhere. Maintaining focus and concentration in such an environment becomes next to impossible.

There’s a solution for your problems and this solution is known as yoga.

While yoga is a pretty general term, it does refer to an array of practices that can help you deal with external distractions, maintain your concentration throughout the day and ace whatever it is that you’re doing.

What’s the Best Yoga Practice for Concentration?

Pranayama techniques tend to deliver some of the best results in terms of improving your concentration. In essence, these are breathing methods you can use to slow down your heart rate, calm yourself and regain your focus.

Nadi Shodhan pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) can be used to “clean” the vital energy channels and regain composure. The effect is soothing and the central nervous system calms down.

Bhastrika pranayama is another good choice because it contributes to some alertness, even if you’re handling a very, very, very tedious task.

On top of pranayamas, you can also try mudras – various hand gestures that can be used to change the flow of energy through the body. When it comes to concentration, brahma mudra and gyan mudra are two of the best choices. The first one is a powerful stress reliever. The second one relaxes the mind, allowing it to reboot and tackle challenging tasks.

The Best Yoga Asanas for Concentration

On top of the techniques already mentioned, you can also opt for various asanas or try couples yoga in an attempt to boost your concentration.

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

 

The tree pose is a great choice for beginners because it ranks among the simplest asanas. To do the pose, you’ll need to go through the following steps:

• Stand straight, keep your hands by your sides
• Bend your right knee and place the foot as far up the left thigh as you can (when you do the pose correctly, the sole of the foot should be pressed tight and flat against the thigh)
• Find your balance, take a deep breath and raise your hands above your head, palms touching each other
• Remain in this pose for as long as you feel comfortable, taking long and deep breaths

While it is simple, the pose requires focus and concentration for you to balance. The more you do it (even at the office!), the better you’ll get and the longer you’ll be capable of remaining in that position.

Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)

This is a more challenging asana that requires a lot of concentration to be performed correctly. Here are the basic directions:

• Start from mountain pose
• Shift your weight onto your right foot and lift your left leg up (bent at the knee)
• Keeping your torso upright, reach back with your left hand and grasp the ankle of the elevated leg
• Stretch your right arm forward and use it to balance
• Hold the pose for as long as you feel comfortable, return your leg to the floor and repeat on the other side

Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

This is another balance point. A variation of the standard plank, it features one arm and one foot contact with the ground. To stabilize and align your body properly in order to do the asana, you will need to concentrate really hard.

Here’s how to accomplish the side plank (medium difficulty asana):

• Do a traditional plank
• Maintain your balance and keep your eyes fixed on one stationary point
• Stack your left foot on top of the right one
• Tilt your body to make your left arm leave the floor and point towards the sky (use your thighs, your core and your pelvis to do the side rotation)
• Keep the pose for as long as you feel comfortable, return to plank and repeat on the other side

Diamond Pose (Vajrasana)

This pose is another great choice for beginners. The focus here is on breathing and the best aspect of the diamond or thunderbolt pose is that it can be practiced anywhere.

• Sit with your back straight and fold both of your legs at the knees and underneath your body
• Your buttocks should be positioned on the hollow spot created by your touching heels
• Keep your spine straight
• Hold the pose, take a long breath in, pause for a few seconds and exhale

People who have knee or ankle problems should refrain from practicing the diamond pose. If you don’t feel comfortable doing the pose, you may want to put a blanket or a yoga mat under your legs.

These are just a few of the yoga techniques to rely on for better concentration. If you’re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, however, you can take a short break and do any other favorite yoga practice. Chances are that you’ll go back to the task at hand much more focused and determined.


Author’s bio. 

Cathie Watkins is a freelance writer, and a yoga enthusiast that enjoys sharing with others, both her knowledge and her skills. The ease at which she rises to a new challenge and how good she is at teaching others what she knows are among them. Cathie consistently works to improve herself using her natural passion and diligence.