How to Balance Mantra and Mindfulness for Optimal Meditation

The meditation zone is about both peak performance and well-being. To illustrate the zone we're going to use a ping-pong analogy to briefly describe the two key participants (ping-pong players) in this feedback process - the mind and the brain. Simplified, the mind interprets what the brain processes. For example, now your brain is processing - reading - these words while steering the accompanying necessary motor functions (e.g. eye movement, finger scrolling the mouse button, scratching your head...). Your mind interprets the meaning of the words. Some researchers call this a first-person (brain)/third-person (mind) interaction. For our purpose, let's refer to the brain as the center for mantra/concentration (attachment to any point of focus), and the mind as the potential center for mindful (detached) interpretation and how you feel about the points of focus. Now let's illustrate this interaction through our ping-pong analogy. Your brain is responsible for the physical movements and the raw data you process while you're playing - seeing the ball come at you, the physical movements into proper position, hitting the ball... Focusing on it, "hit the ball" is your mantra. Your mind, since you love playing ping-pong and therefore are passionately and completely engaged in the activity, is presently thriving, at one with the ever-processing brain. You are in the meditation zone. This zone is the center of meditation and the center of peak performance. The peak performance zone is thus a perfect meditative state of mind. But how do you make it last? It's obviously harder to stay in the meditation zone when you're sitting still because your mind is used to activity. It tends to create activity if there's no engaging physical action going on. That's when you easily fall out of the zone. Let's see how that happens. Back to the ping-pong zone... You're completely lost in the game, loving it, and then... you miss a shot. Dang! Now your mind interprets what went wrong, possibly giving negative feedback on your shot, or possibly, if you've had a string of bad shots, projecting that negative feedback onto your entire performance. Perhaps it's even screaming that you're a "complete loser!" Mindfulness now detaches your self from such negative, harmful interpretations. Instead, you gently return your attention to the game at hand. If you failed to become mindful, your mantra would probably become "Complete Loser" instead of "Hit The Ball." Not so good for your peak performance and well-being... You see how powerful and wise mindfulness is? Especially for goal-oriented people, mindfulness is crucial. Missing a shot, a person balancing his focus with mindfulness remains calm and learns from mistakes. So, a mind/brain is interacting, adapting to itself much like two people united in marriage. And as in a marriage, there's ample space for conflict and there's also potential for peaceful, loving unity. Mindful detachment from conflict leads to a shift in perspective, less fear and anger, less stress, and a re-adjustment in focus (mantra). Practiced over time this leads to a more intimate relationship. You learn to show compassion for yourself. In turn you're able to show mindful and focused love and compassion for other people. The meditation zone involves a powerful balance of unconditional love and compassion. This emotional, mindful relationship is obviously with you wherever you go, whether you're sitting still meditating or playing a fierce game of ping-pong.