I put them in the same order Vadim, intensity, frequency and duration.
For me, doing a practice in the right frame of mind and determined to learn about it and succeed with it, is the most important, because if I do not approach it in the right way I do not succeed with it and can go on doing the same practice for months without moving forwards.
Yearning to learn and to succeed is paramount.

Doing practices relatively frequently to build up a momentum is important for me too, otherwise I lose track of things and slip backwards.

Duration, not so important, you need pratices of a certain length of course, but even 5 minutes done everyday and with the right intensity works much better for me than an hour once a week.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Ahona,

I've tried to develop this idea in another thread -"Start the practice on the right foot."

For some reason I can't reply on the other thread, so here goes. I think that one of the most important things is to be flexible about practices. If you are serious about them, this flexibility will force itself on you as you understand things in different ways.
I think that for concentration, persistence is necessary. Intensity implies to me effort, and it should not be effortless, but intent. You have to be flexible because otherwise persistence will turn into routine. If you take a practice as a new thing every time, and try not to focus too much on results, I think it will be most successful. Then, when/if you fail, you must be willing to drop disillusionment and immediately begin again without reservation.
Those things you list are good tools for if you can't get out of a particular rut, but I think that taking a practice as new, being persistent, and accepting failure are critical components.
-J

Hi Julian,
thanks a ot for your feedback!
Good points.

For me, the flexibility with practices is very important as well as the good overall structure.

I find that it comes a lot to the constant adjustment to acheive the right balance between the two.
Too much structure and rules kills all the initiative, makes things dead and stagnant, boring and they just don't work. It doesn't make sense to force a human being to be like a crystal.
From other side, an absence of any structure means lack of goals and direction,and some times even absence of meaning. A different impulses come with a different goals and while there is always a new activity, it doesn't lead to the consequential results and efforts get wasted. I think that "totally natural" means to reject the marvelous power of a human mind.
It is another extreme.

So, I always look for a balance here and it's quite challenging in some situations.

I agree that when you do a practice, it is the best just to focus on the practice only and not to think about its results in the same time. Otherwise you are not concentrated. Otherwise the practice won't work properly.

Yes, seeing a practice every time as something new, not getting stuck in the past...but still learn from it, accept that progress is made gradually and persist with what are you doing, because you know what you want from the practice, you know how to get there and you want to get there strong enough to be persistent.

Thanks for this post Vadim!

For me I think I to often do practises, just because - that's what I do, because it's good, if that makes sense. I feel that practises work best for me when I really decide before starting to really try to go deeper into the practise then last time, to learn from it and really make a commitment to try my best to concentrate and not just do it half-heartedly, which I think I all to often do.

I've also found that my practising is best when I plan ahead a base plan for my practises for the week or at least the next few days. If I have mroe time to practise great! but at least do those and to continue injecting something new, a practise I haven't done in a while, so that I don't become stagnant... Which I think I have... I have to review the way I'm going about practising and my vigilance.

Much strength all!

James N. Chambers, Jr.

HM, SOME GOOD IDEAS

My biggest problem is staying focused. But I think this is going to improve.

The three priorities look like they are going to be very helpful.

Have a great day!

Hi Dean,

Thanks a lot for your feedback!
Yes, probably the constant review can really help to evaluate both the obstacles in the practices and the optimal ways to overcome them.

Recently, I was rereading Belzebuub's "A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams" about concentration on the heart.

I've found that I never tried progressive relaxation of the heart. Perhaps it can be a great approach regarding the points you have mentioned: go every time further, have a plan and add up a new things!

I am planning to do it with visualization of the place too -let say, one day to explore only one room, then add up the second...well, the house is too boring for me, I should find something more interesting to explore!

Much strength all!

Hi James,
thanks so much for your feedback!

Staying focused is a big problem for me too and for many people. One popular problem can be a lot of mental chatter about how to concentrate, are you really stay focused, what are you gonna eat soon, etc.

Instead of simply staying focused.

Another one, can simply be a lack of practicing the skill of concentration properly and sufficiently.
Currently, I try to improve it using the following techniques.

1) Catch up myself during the day when I am lost and concentrate for 10-30 seconds on whatever I can.

2) Investigate the signs of losing my concentration and the ways to act preemptively.

3) Investigate the tricks of an ego to disrupt the practices. It can be a primitive urge to stop the practice or something "making sense", like: "Oh, I better go drink a bit now, my throat is sore", "Well, that's enough for now. I need to sleep", "It just doesn't work tonight because I am tired, not prepared, hehe, will I see her tomorrow, and it was a good movie yesterday, and my mind is too active" etc., etc.

4) Investigate the activities where you are never able to concentrate and the ways to concentrate on them.
I try it with eating now, treating it as the practice in the centre, very seriously. I've found amazing results -I eat less, I feel better in a spiritual sense and just more healthy. My daily steps backwards hopefully will become soon the steps forward!
Well, I wanna get somewhere one day.

5) Finally, a bit of a hardcore approach.
You can set up your alarm on a short time period of time and do your concentration practice.
If you catch up yourself daydreaming during that time, reset the alarm and do it again.
if you succeed, you can try it another time again - for the same period of time, or maybe add up a bit time and increase the attractiveness of the challenge.
I can suggest to start just with a few minutes and go gradually in baby-steps to 5, 6, 7... 10, etc.

I wish everyone to have a great day, all the strength in the practices and in the time between them!

Hi,

For me I would add FERVENCY to the parameter list. That coupled with INTENSITY seems to be the only factor that has anything to do with "sucess" as I define it.
Doing one thing too many times and getting the same result is counter-productive and a new angle needs to be taken and then give a practice a retry. To continue doing the same thing and expecting a different/better result, we all know, is insanity!

For me, I can practice something when it "feels" right to do so.
I pop in and out of lucidity in the day, so in those moments where the "I" is completely detached from me, that is a good time to do stuff.

!

Hi Apakhana,

Yes, I agree.
That model is over-simplified and too narrow.
It just something to give a few ideas, a possible starting point for a more detailed analysis.

Definitely, fervency can contribute a lot to success and is very important. I will put it in the first place with intensity.
Catching up a right time to do something what you feel right to do, coupled with the efforts of doing it, can certainly put some fire into a practice!

Probably I can rephrase it into DIVINE ASPECT, how well the practice is aligned with what is the most important from the spiritual perspective.
For example, Divine Mother can help a person to see a certain defect in a dream to work with...but that person can keep working on something else, ignoring the true priority.

All the best for everyone!