My mother invited me into our study one afternoon as the setting sun bathed the room in a twilight glow.

She didn’t turn on the lamp on the desk, but invited me quietly to sit down and guided me through my first time meditating.

I was 16, and struggling with my high school exams. What I didn’t realize was that doing this simple practice of calming my mind and focusing my attention would allow me to get an A+ on the final exam in a subject I was often in danger of failing—Geometry.

Soon I was teaching my friends how to meditate in our school’s little chapel before each exam, and some form of meditation has been part of my life ever since.

This blog series will introduce you to the Awakened Heart, Embodied Mind sequence of meditation techniques that will be life changing if you follow along. First up: a simple yet powerful Concentration Meditation using your breath to focus your mind and find your capacity for intentional focus. This is the foundation for all other techniques of mental training.

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