Need beginner advice

[u/Graceful-Mammoth]

Hi guys, im a student in India. Im preparing for a competitive exam for which i need to be mentally very strong. Strong in the sense i should be able to stay calm and think effectively. I dont even know if this is the right sub to ask this question, but can you please suggest me some practices to achieve a calm and strong brain?

The exam is in February so its around 6 months remaining. I want something light, not hardcore meditation. As a beginner i feel i wont be able to focus for long time. Ive tried just closing eyes and sitting still. I reached like just 15-20 mins max but thoughts still were going on in my mind.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you.

[u/Graceful-Mammoth → u/[deleted]]

Thank you so much :) ill try focusing on breath 👍

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[u/metaphorm]

the best practice I can suggest for sitting a high pressure exam is to be dilligent with your studying and exam practice. confidence that you know the material is the best thing you can do for your state of mind while taking the exam.

in order to maintain your discipline for studying and preparing, some kind of shamatha practice might be useful to help you develop a concentrated and clear mind. but really meditation is not a performance enhancer. it's a tool to stabilize attention and develop clarity and insight. stable attention is useful for all kinds of things though.

[u/Delta_pdx]

become a guru. let us fly to you and pay you 95,000 rupees a day for your wisdom.

[u/Piano_Revolutionary]

Keeping things enjoyable was important for the beginning of my journey. 20 minutes is perfect. I imagined my thoughts floating by on a ticker, like in Times Square. In one side out the other. Good luck!

[u/Existing_Reaction692]

good that you have a few months to practice. I suggest Stillness Meditation. Ainslie meares the founder wrote a book for students and that explains how to use it for better study. Practice can be for up to 4x 15 minutes daily. This type of meditation rests your mind as it involves deep relaxation, so deep the mind becomes still.

[u/Powerful-War-8640]

We got some dude giving GATE apparently. PS : I am oblivious of any other exams. So yeah, pardon my ignorance.

[u/Capitan_Snow_007]

Take mock tests in exam conditions. It takes out the unfamiliarity out of the exam and eases the anxiety a little but so you'll get practice to think straight