Short Article for youngest brother, comments/suggestions?

[karnautrahl]

Hi folks, I hope some of you could help me a little please? I've chosen to put this here as many of you are far more experienced in your areas than myself.
I am writing for my 15 yr old brother a booklet on effective study based on numerous books I have read and used. There is a specific reason I'm doing it this way, partly because I need to coach him here at my place for a week and partly because he won't read "recommended" books to help himself when he's alone. Long story but he's really bright but right now emotionally flat, bored and tired a lot. I live a fair distance away and he has 3 other brothers who have all left home now. He's alone a LOT, way too much. Anyway I've been considering putting together a booklet containing a combination of the best techniques and principles I've ever used or come across and I realised a short meditation could be used in a structured study/review strategy. So would anyone care to comment on the following and perhaps suggest improvements? I'm trying to focus on brevity, clarity and effectiveness. Nothing more mystical than using this to temporarily rest the brain is the game. I will be writing the other sections over the next few days.

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The short meditation technique.

Introduction

I've included this technique because it is helpful to know a simple conscious step you can take to give your mind a few moments to really rest-even in the middle of an exam!  Needless to say it is a practiced skill and to start with you may find it a little hard.  After the following description I will explain for those who are interested a little more as to why this can help with studying, exam taking and work.

Technique

   Posture
   If you are used to any kind of meditation involving the lotus position, then sitting on a chair straight backed should be easy enough. If you've never tried this before it is well worth practicing on a dining chair or similar. Especially if this is for a school or college exam. I do not suggest that the exam itself is the time to practice this as a new skill, but once you are familiar with doing it for short periods then it can be applied at need.
               One final posture note. It is possible to balance the head so that you can enter a trance or relaxed state even though you do not have full support of the head in a lounge chair or similar. This is something you will have to experiment with to find the perfect position. Revision sessions are the time to practice this when you do mini breaks every 25-30 minutes.

If there is sufficient time and you have got used to performing it, go through the muscle relaxation described earlier, alternatively use one of your own. The more frequently you practice both skills the easier and faster you will do them at need.

Now, start to focus on your breath, the mechanical actions and sensations of breathing in and breathing out.  Follow, if you can the leading edge of the air entering your nose and flowing into your lungs.  If you wish you can add the ideas of white light, heat etc but it is unnecessary.

Try to put all of your thought onto the act of breathing, attempt to stop all other thought whilst you do this.  It will appear to be impossible but the very attempt will yield some benefits mentally.

After about a dozen breaths start to imagine a loud "om" or humming sound, if possible make it sound like it's echoing through your mind and being sung by many Buddhist monks perhaps. Make the sound fill your mind drowning out all other thought.

Attempt to hold this sound and the concentration on your breathing for several minutes. The longer the better of course, but even a few minutes will rest your brain for a short time.

You may find it helpful to have an alarm, vibration alarm on a mobile or something similar to remind you to wake up if this is used in an exam situation and you are genuinely tired.




Explanation

This particular technique has been taken from several sources, one of which is Robert Bruce's work "Astral Dynamics" (The leading edge of breath idea), and the other is a more common mantra type idea used in various practices and traditions.  
My aim in teaching the idea as a short technique is simpler that long term meditation training. When you are concentrating hard parts of your brain are producing what you could call beta waves.

The prefrontal cortex is working fairly hard during study as are other areas of the brain, producing mainly beta waves (these definitions are clear cut alone, you produce most frequencies at differing amplitudes or strengths all the time).

By dropping into slower frequencies you get a small respite or rest effect. During some kinds of sleep memories are being sorted and cleaned up. If you succeed in dropping into a useful state quickly within a few minutes you can find your attention span and concentration on coming back out of the meditation state is better.

Also if you have scanned ahead in an exam at all at the questions using previously described techniques, this priming will be more effective and you may find previous amber questions becoming green and so on.