Attention is not the same as concentration. Fr John points this out in much of his teaching. He said it is not about sitting there furrowing your brow, and really trying hard to say your mantra even if it is going to kill you. That is not attention. In fact, it just increases your stress. And you know, some people say, ‘Oh, I get very stressed when I meditate. My neck gets very tight and, you know, I can’t move…’ We have to make clear there is this distinction between attention and obsessive concentration.
( Attention and Love 1 by Laurence Freeman OSB )
