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Mastering the Power of Concentration · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  There are any number of ways to develop concentration.
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  Concentration is also developed progressively such that the
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  power to concentrate increases with practice and continued use.
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  In their writings, both Fioro, Gundo and the mother describe a
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  number of ways to develop the power of concentration.
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  They leave it to each individual to determine what method or
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  methods work best in any individual case.
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  There is no one-size-fits-all form of developing
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  concentration. It is also generally true that
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  the same individual may find that different methods need to
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  be applied under different times or circumstances.
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  What is quite clear is that concentration comes with the
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  development of a quiet mind. When an individual first
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  attempts to achieve a quiet mind, they tend to try to exert
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  force to still the thoughts. They generally find, however, in
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  short order, that the method of suppression does not work.
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  One can look at the methods as having both a negative aspect
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  and a positive aspect when it comes to learning the art of
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  concentration. The negative aspect is to
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  withdraw the mind from distracting thoughts and
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  occupations. This can happen quite naturally
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  if one can for instance go out into nature, for instance a
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  forest, and let the quiet of the forest permeate 1's being.
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  Some people bring quiet to the mind by spending time by the
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  ocean or outdoors at night with the vast starry sky above.
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  Reduction of use of electronic devices can also aid the mind.
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  On the positive side, there is the focus on a subject of
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  intense interest, whether it be mathematics, art, science,
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  reading or some other form of study.
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  Some people use the method called Tratec, which involves
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  focusing the attention on a candle flame or other intense
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  light to the exclusion of all else until the awareness shifts
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  into another domain. A widely utilized technique
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  involves various forms of pranayama, the management of the
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  breath. Some people move their awareness
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  into certain areas of the being, such as between the eyebrows,
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  above the head or behind the heart, and open to the forces
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  and energies that are active in those ranges.
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  Some people find that they need to take the quieting of the mind
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  in stages, particularly when the thoughts are very active and
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  overwhelming the awareness. For such individuals, the use of
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  a mantra is frequently recommended.
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  Focusing on the mantra and its inner meaning, or at least its
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  sound body, they are able to occupy the mind and drive away
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  the chaotic traffic of thoughts that otherwise prevent
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  concentration. Some individuals develop the
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  power of surrender and rely on the divine grace, which gives
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  them peace and a quiet mind as the basis for their ability to
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  concentrate. Swami Vivekananda and his Raja
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  Yoga does a masterful job of describing the normal state of
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  the mind, the status of achieving stillness of what he
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  calls the mind stuff, and the methods of attaining
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  concentration. For those who are suited to
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  follow such a path, he has set forth a comprehensive
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  methodology. The Tibetan Buddhist tradition
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  uses, among other techniques, a method of visualization combined
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  with prayer, mantra, and various postures to focus the mental
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  attention. Many individuals incorporate
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  some form of visualization into their practice, for instance,
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  moving their awareness to a place that naturally holds quiet
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  and concentrated energy with which they are familiar, or
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  moving their awareness to an experience they had of an
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  intensely concentrated state. There are times when
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  concentration develops, and other times when the mind needs
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  to let go and relax and recharge, so to speak.
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  Eventually, the seeker can appreciate the wave and through
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  of the concentration process. He does not begrudge the times
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  of rest between periods of concentration, as in the
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  development of physical culture through various forms of
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  exercise, weight lifting, et cetera, which sets forth an
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  optimum regimen for effort and then the relaxation of the
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  muscles to achieve the best result over time, So too, the
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  development of concentration has its own cycle of what may be
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  termed a process of ascent and integration, the mother writes.
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  Quote. There's a way of reducing the
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  time necessary for doing things by increasing the concentration
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  considerably. Some people can't do this for
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  long. It tires them.
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  But it's like weightlifting, isn't it?
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  One can get accustomed to it. And then if you can succeed in
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  mastering this power of concentration and in making your
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  mind absolutely still, for this indeed is the first condition.
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  And if in this quietude you concentrate it, concentrate,
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  concentrate, concentrate on the point you want to make, on the
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  work you have to do or the action you have to perform.
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  Well, you can. It comes like a kind of
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  extremely quiet but all powerful force of propulsion, and you go
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  forward with one movement without hesitation.
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  You can literally do in 1/4 of an hour what would otherwise
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  take one hour. And so this has the great
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  advantage that it gives you time and that after this, instead of
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  going from one activity to another, from 1 agitation to
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  another, you can relax completely for some minutes and
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  have a total rest. This gives you time to rest and
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  in this repose, naturally, as you are relaxed, all that could
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  have been a little too tense is relaxed and put in order and
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  this puts you back in a condition in which you are once
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  again able to make another concentration.
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  End Quote. Reference Srioro Bindo and the
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  Mother Powers within Chapter 4 Concentration, page 44.