Mind All Over The Place for Nitnem

[Guest Jacfsing2]

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh! Any solutions? It happens a lot, don't know how to fix my weak focus. Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

[BhForce 1,855]

Listen to Nitnem done by Sukrit / Guru Nanak Multiversity students.

They take 1.5 hours to do Nitnem (all 5 banis) with musical accompaniment. Here is one Youtube of them:

Unfortunately, this one has a considerable amount of intonation as opposed to  singing in it. There's another version of Nitnem by this same group that's even better (subjectively) than this one. When you listen to it, it's very difficult to lose your focus. You will tend to sing along automatically.

Watch and read the text as well.

If you get Ik Ongkar channel wherever you live, you can watch it on there.

[Guest Jacfsing2]

On 4/3/2017 at 7:13 AM, BhForce said:

Listen to Nitnem done by Sukrit / Guru Nanak Multiversity students.

They take 1.5 hours to do Nitnem (all 5 banis) with musical accompaniment. Here is one Youtube of them:

Unfortunately, this one has a considerable amount of intonation as opposed to  singing in it. There's another version of Nitnem by this same group that's even better (subjectively) than this one. When you listen to it, it's very difficult to lose your focus. You will tend to sing along automatically.

Watch and read the text as well.

If you get Ik Ongkar channel wherever you live, you can watch it on there.

Is this is: 

 

[BhForce 1,855]

Well, that's a different Youtube upload of the same recording.

If I find the Youtube address of the other recording, I'll post it.

Anyways, this one is about 75% as good as the other recording.

I'll tell you the difference:

#1 In this recording, there are long periods of a single speaker intoning Paath, such as this:

https://youtu.be/az-Xpsb5P3w?t=5m53s

#2 But in the second recording, much more of it is singing of this sort, at 6:29 in your video:

https://youtu.be/az-Xpsb5P3w?t=6m29s

Also, in the second recording, the beat is more catchy (not filmy, though).

In no way do I mean to disrespect the effort of this recording, only to praise the second one because for such Kaljugi Paapis as me, you have to have the accompaniment of music to keep the mind from wandering.

[BhForce 1,855]

Btw, the second recording I'm referring to can be glimpsed at 49 to 55 sec. on this Youtube:

The girl in the turban is the lead singer, and she has a very nice voice.

[MisterrSingh 8,529]

What type of things does your mind wander to? By identifying certain common thoughts that distract you, you can begin to find solutions to those problems. I think i read on this very site that one of the reasons for our mind wandering during prayers, is due to us not being familiar with the definitions and meanings of what we're reciting. If you're aware of what you're reading, then your mind focuses on the meaning instead of faltoo things.

[Guest Jacfsing2]

12 hours ago, MisterrSingh said:

What type of things does your mind wander to? By identifying certain common thoughts that distract you, you can begin to find solutions to those problems. I think i read on this very site that one of the reasons for our mind wandering during prayers, is due to us not being familiar with the definitions and meanings of what we're reciting. If you're aware of what you're reading, then your mind focuses on the meaning instead of faltoo things.

Sometimes I think of Kaam thoughts or whether I did everything I was suppose to, (school and work), other times I would think about my future; (which I know I have no control over), and finally about my own "Sikh pride",(I don't know if it's really Gurmat, but it's not exactly about Vaheguru and mostly myself).

[MisterrSingh 8,529]

That's pretty standard stuff to be fair. Nothing to be too worried about. You've just got to work through it; feel what you're reciting, not rattle through it like it's a chore.

[BhForce 1,855]

1 hour ago, MisterrSingh said:

That's pretty standard stuff to be fair. Nothing to be too worried about. You've just got to work through it; feel what you're reciting, not rattle through it like it's a chore.

This. People like tend to want to race through Nitnem like we're on a Forumula1 raceway. Of course one's mind is going to wander if you do that.

But Guru Nanak Ji did one great favor to denizens of Kaljug: They composed Bani in poetry. This immensely helps wandering minds to focus, but only if we swim the current, not against it. And that's why the 1.5 hour Nitnem I referenced above is so useful for wandering minds. Your mind just stays naturally within the bounds of the music/beat, thereby not straying far from the Shabad.

[Guest Jacfsing2]

Watched the first video, I thought they skipped the very beginning of Japji Sahib: (I don't have a Gurmukhi keyboard, so that was the best I have), unless they seem to have said it; I didn't notice.

[BhForce 1,855]

15 minutes ago, Jacfsing2 said:

Watched the first video, I thought they skipped the very beginning of Japji Sahib: (I don't have a Gurmukhi keyboard, so that was the best I have), unless they seem to have said it; I didn't notice.

Hmm, you're right. The second recording (which I'm sorry I'm unable to give the link for right now) isn't similarly cut.

[BhForce 1,855]

Btw, the link you gave (of the same basic video) does not have the first part of Japji Sahib cut out. The link that I searched for and gave has the first 2:19 of the video cut off.  I don't know why.

 

[Ranjeet01 3,909]

The mind is supposed to wander, that's what it does.

However, the mind must be disciplined.

If you keep doing it and long enough, it will settle down.