We are all overwhelmed with technological input in our daily lives – whether it is our mobile phone ringing, our Blackberry bleeping or emails that pour in endlessly – we are all becoming hyperstimulated and unable to switch on (concentrate) or switch off (relax) because we’re all on permanent standby. As a result, we have lost the art of concentrating properly. Luckily, this cutting edge personal development book is here to help readers navigate their way through the deluge and provides the tools we need to learn how to concentrate and focus. Rooted in scientific fact and research, it includes a detailed look at how your brain works, what inhibits brain function and concentration and covers things such as lack of down-time, distraction, poor lifestyle habits and stress. Featuring techniques and exercises to help improve concentration, it is guaranteed to help us all improve the way we work and the way we live our lives.

This guide for actors and directors develops a valid method for training performers to act from their core--whether they are cold reading, auditioning, or performing for film or television. This book teaches actors how to achieve and respond to believable and honest emotions before the camera, and it maintains that the key to a successful performance lies in how the actors relate to one another and to the circumstances. Exercises, including script examples, throughout the book give readers an easy resource for practicing the principles outlined. The Art of Film Acting applies a classic stage acting method (Stanislavsky) to the more intimate medium of performing before a camera, teaching readers to experience an emotion rather than to indicate it.

This perennial best-seller by a distinguished educator assembles 36 mental and physical exercises for taming the natural drifting of the mind. Newly designed edition of a practical manual for success.

A beginners guide to meditation and mental mastery.

How to concentrate in a world of beeping smartphones, channel surfing, live-tweeting, pop-up ads, and other distractions. We are in the midst of an attention crisis—caused in large part by our smartphones. There's a constant stream of information that we are powerless to withstand because it shows up in our notifications. More and more of us are finding it harder and harder to concentrate. In this book, attention expert and cognitive psychologist Stefan Van der Stigchel explains how concentration works and offers advice on how to stay focused in a world of beeping smartphones, channel surfing, live-tweeting, pop-up ads, and other distractions. The good news, Van der Stigchel reports, is that we now know more about brain and behavior than ever before, and he draws on the latest scientific findings in his account of concentration. He explains, among other things, that the battle for our attention began long before the digital era; why our phones are so addictive; the importance of working memory (responsible for executing complicated tasks) and how to increase its capacity; and why multitasking is bad for our concentration, but attention rituals help it. He describes the 2017 Oscars debacle (when the Best Picture presenter was given the wrong card) as a failure of multitasking; argues that daydreaming can be good for our concentration; and shows that the presence of a passenger in a car reduces the risk of an accident. He explains the positive effects of taking “tech breaks” (particularly in natural surroundings), meditation, and even daydreaming. We can win the battle for our attention, Van der Stigchel argues, if we have the knowledge and the tools to do it.

This is How You Unlock Freedom, Joy and Satisfaction.Learn the art of working less and accomplishing more. Have more free time for your passions while aggressively chasing the life of your wildest dreams.Today's world is one of constant hyperactivity, fresh information, and yes - distraction.With all the news and social media applications constantly buzzing in your ear, it's no wonder that you can't get anything done.Did you know that the average human being has an attention span of only 8 seconds? A significant drop from the previous 12 seconds in the year 2000. The world is becoming more and more distracting.This isn't necessarily your fault. Your brain is hard-wired for distraction to stay alive, remnants of predators randomly choosing to attack you. This only leads to procrastination. Although it might not be entirely your fault, the time lost is valuable, and it is you who suffers.With 12 simple steps, you can gain control of your life and achieve ultimate satisfaction.In Ultimate Focus: The Art of Mastering Concentration, you'll discover:How your mind is limitlessHow to raise your IQ with scientifically proven real-life exercisesHow to shift your daily habits into ones that mindlessly generate successHow innovative technology is your greatest tool, not the enemyMental minimalism hacks to fuel productivityScientific insight for optimizing your life for the deepest focusThe #1 way to clear brain fog that is slowing you downHow "pleasure fasting" will set you free? and much more.Ultimate focus is the secret to cherishing the journey of fulfilling your life purpose.What will you do with all your extra free time? Pursue a crazy new hobby, travel more, watch a sunset with old friends, and skyrocket your bank account balance. The choice is yours.Now with just minutes a day, using the science of concentration, you can take back control of your time and achieve new heightened levels of ultimate freedom.

A practical guidebook for meditators interested in achieving the states of bliss and deep focus associated with the Buddhist jhānas One of the elements of the Eightfold Path is Right Concentration: the one-pointedness of mind that, together with ethics, livelihood, meditation, and more, leads to the ultimate freedom from suffering. So how does one achieve Right Concentration? According to the Buddha himself, the jhānas—a series of eight progressive altered states of consciousness—are an essential method. But because the jhānas can usually be achieved only through prolonged meditation retreat, they have been shrouded in mystery for years. Not anymore. In Right Concentration, Leigh Brasington takes away the mystique and gives instructions on how to achieve them in plain, accessible language. He notes the various pitfalls to avoid along the way and provides a wealth of material on the theory of jhāna practice—all geared toward the practitioner rather than the scholar. As Brasington proves, these states of bliss and concentration are attainable by anyone who devotes the time and sincerity of practice necessary to realize them.