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Ekagrata: Mastery Over Our Outer and Inner Worlds

Before the COVID-19 pandemic took over and plunged the world as we knew it into chaos and despair, there was another pandemic which was prevalent. This pandemic has existed for years, even centuries, and continues to be on the rise.

With the advent of the digital age, it is especially present in Gen Y and Gen Z – the no-focus pandemic.

Do you know the average attention span for a human being now is only 8 seconds? That’s less than the attention span of a goldfish which is 9 seconds! With the sheer volume of information that our brain is forced to process on a daily basis, it is only natural that our attention would become divided and scattered.

In the time that it has taken me to type the above paragraph, I have paused to quickly Google and read an article on attention spans which is where the goldfish fact came from. I have opened my email tab to see if any new emails have arrived. I have taken a big gulp of water, adjusted my hair and my eyes have darted around the screen a dozen times – primed to receive information even when there’s none. And all this just to type out three sentences.

This is the average work experience on a daily basis for the average human – we are incapable of singular focus.

Like with every issue or problem though, there is a solution.

Ekagrata, in Sanskrit, means ‘single-mindedness’. In other words, it means ‘concentration’.

Even in today’s overloaded landscape, being able to concentrate is possible. Focusing on one task for long hours is doable. All it takes is some resolve on our part and a willingness to learn how to improve concentration. Just like it takes a resolution to exercise and stay healthy, it requires a commitment to build our ekagrata. There are different ways to do it as well.

Attaining ekagrata is but one aspect of leading a focused, mindful life. When we achieve mastery over it, a whole new world opens up to us – the inner world of complete concentration is a vast universe. Not only will we have complete control over our days, but also such attuned concentration allows us to have control over our mind and body in ways we never dreamed possible.

Similar practices like mauna, shravana, sankalpa and ekanta are all highly recommended in meditation. Not only do they help us lead a simple, balanced and disciplined life, they also open us up to prana energy and the different types of prana energy – the more subtle aspects of living.

These practices help us slow down, pause and appreciate what it is to live in the moment. This allows us not only to enjoy life more but also get a whole lot more done than we otherwise would. One of the most incredible aspects of ekagrata is that we discover how much time we actually have to get things done! What would have earlier taken us 30 minutes now only takes us 10. By being aware of every passing second, we are actually saving ourselves time!

Ekagrata gives us the best of both worlds – control over our outer world in the form of our daily routine and control over our inner world in the form of our emotions, thoughts and actions.

Are you ready to practise it?

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