How to Develop a Focused Mind – Learn the Path of Raja Yoga

By Jola @YolaYoga | January 19, 2021

Are you constantly distracted by your cell phone or social media notifications?

Would you like to be more efficient and productive at work?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you may consider learning about the path of Raja Yoga – the ancient yogic way of cultivating concentration via meditation. It can teach you to settle your mind, heighten its focus, improve your attention span, and increase your willpower.

Learning to focus our minds is one of the most important skills we can develop in our lifetimes. In this article, I will share a technique that helped me hone my own ability to focus.

How I started on Raja Yoga path

Starting down this path was crucial to my happiness and well-being.

I began the practice of Raja Yoga in 2009 after losing my job and finding myself deeply worried and easily distracted. Deciding to pursue the practice of yoga—which includes concentration and meditation as daily disciplines—changed my life! It took only two weeks for me to see the beneficial results of the practice. Soon, I could more easily focus my mind and accomplish the tasks necessary to move forward in my life. Eventually, I even created a successful business doing what I had always wanted!

This article explains:

what Raja Yoga is
why focus is so important
the benefits of concentration and meditation
how to develop a focused mind

What is Raja Yoga?

Raja Yoga is the path of concentration and meditation. It is based on ethical principles and practices (8-limbed Yoga) that help us gain control over the mind. Raja Yoga aims to make the mind focused, clear, and calm. When this is accomplished, we experience our True Self—a peaceful state that is our true nature (Samadhi).

Raja Yoga is a practical guide for gaining control over the mind. This wisdom is contained in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – the first text on Yoga, which dates between 5000 BC and 400 AD. Yoga Sutras give the complete science of Yoga, including its objectives, practices, obstacles that may appear along the way, how to overcome them, and the promised results of serious practice. It is a complete philosophy and psychology of Yoga, conveyed in a straightforward and systematic manner.

Why is focus so important?

These two pieces of wisdom from the great Swami Vivekananda suggest an answer:

“The difference between an ordinary person and an extraordinary person lies in the degree of concentration.”

“The very essence of education is the concentration of mind, not the collecting of facts. We should develop the power of concentration and detachment, and then with a perfect instrument, we can collect facts at will.”

Anything that we do requires a degree of focus and concentration—however, very few people demonstrate more than an ordinary ability to concentrate. Though, those who do are almost always very successful, whether in their lives, their work, or frequently both.

We live in an extraordinary time of technological advancement. Computers, cellphones, and social media can have an overwhelming impact on us—often a very negative one if we do not know how to control our attachment to them. That is why learning concentration is so important, and practices like Raja Yoga are so helpful.

Benefits of practice of concentration and meditation

Researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center discovered that concentration and meditation can:

Increase focus and ability to learn
Improve memory and attention span
Strengthen our immune systems and build greater physical/psychological resilience
Promote better sleep
Reduce stress and anxiety
Increase self-awareness

The study suggests that if we practice concentration and meditation, we will certainly achieve better efficiency, productivity, and learning ability.

How to develop a focused mind?

Your mind is like a muscle—it will grow and become stronger through repeated exercise. This means it is best to develop a routine for practicing concentration. The more we practice, the stronger our focus becomes.

One technique that helped me to develop a focused mind is called Trataka. Here are its steps:

Sit in a crossed-leg position and maintain a straight, elevated spine. If you are not comfortable sitting on the floor you can sit in a chair.

Choose a focus point. Fix your vision on a single point in front of you. This point of focus could be the flame of a candle, a flower or any symbol that is meaningful and positive for you. You can also close your eyes, if you prefer, and focus your mind on the midpoint between your eyebrows.

Keep bringing the wandering mind back to the focus point. When you notice that your mind or vision is wandering from the focus point, gently bring it back again and again to the chosen point of focus. Bringing your attention back to the point of focus is what develops the power of concentration.

Do practice for at least 10 minutes twice a day for 21 days to establish this good habit.

After practicing for an extended period of time, your mind will become clear, calm, and focused. For the best results, it is recommended that you also practice yoga stretches (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama) and that you eat a proper diet and practice a code of ethics (Yama and Niyama). Remember—absolutely everything you do will affect your mind! And focusing on your mind will, in turn, affect everything in your life for the better.

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