Concentration & Longevity

3 years ago By Yogi Anoop

The link between concentration and longevity

   Today, I shall talk about concentration, a meditative mind that is so focussed that it may actually lead to longevity. In some of our previous blogs, I talked at length about the impact of experience on the mind. The more vivid and rich a person's experiences, the better it is for the mind. The more focussed a person is, he/she is not easily wavered by small or trivial distractions. Such people are also almost immune to mood swings and are not easily distracted.

The deeper a person's experience level is, by that I mean, the more focussed a person is in and during his/her day-to-day activities, the better it is for the mind. It is said that one should live in the moment, be completely focussed on the 'here and now' - this is only to help a person focus on what is present and immediate, thereby increasing the focus and concentration and readying the brain against distractions, unwanted thoughts and overthinking. 

Our brain loves deep focus and concentration. You can see this for yourself, whenever the mind is not distracted, when it gives undivided attention to something, it feels relaxed and at peace. We enjoy the most when we are engrossed in a gripping movie or a nerve-chilling cricket match, or while making love to our partner, or listening to music - it is because, during all such activities, the mind is deeply focussed, the level of experience is greater, deeper and undivided. In such a situation, the mind is not busy thinking about something else. 

It is worth mentioning that concentration of the mind brings positive changes in the nerves of the mind and body. Here, the forces of the mind give direction to the mind and body. In fact, the person is so focused and centred that the ebbs and flows of life do not have much of an impact. Such a person is neither too sad in his/her sorrows nor too euphoric in causes of happiness. They are almost always able to easily win the battle against anxiety.

On the other hand, a person with a weaker grip on their mind is easily impacted by circumstances, they are easily distracted and suffer from extreme mood swings and anxiety. As a result, the processes and bodily activities also begin to work in reverse, giving rise to a host of lifestyle ailments. 

Hatha yoga primarily originated and is extremely beneficial for such people, it talks about the first change in the body and the senses and then the conceptual change of the mind. It aims at purifying the body first and as a result, the mind and thoughts also get purified. 

Expanding the circle of concentration is very useful not just for cognitive well being but also for overall health and wellness.

Those with a shorter concentration cycle or the ones that easily get distracted keep dissatisfied and always live in doubt. On the other hand, people with a deeper level of focus are like indomitable warriors in the face of the gravest of adversity. Look at the animal kingdom, those with a shorter attention span, low level of focus tend to live shorter - such as rodents, cats, dogs - whereas animals such as turtles and elephants tend to live longer. The sense of stability and focus can be gauged in the eyes of such animals. 

Therefore, the intricate link between the mind - its state of meditativeness, sense of calm and focus can - and longevity can be established. By changing one's own mind, one can easily purify the body and lead a healthy and long life.

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