Throughout my years as a frequent meditator, I’ve heard about myriad ways in which people utilize tools in their meditation practices. Some use crystals; others use candles or aromatherapy to enhance their experience. Even the Monroe Sound Science we use at the institute is technically a tool for moving into more expanded states of awareness. Whatever tool you use will help amplify your meditation for a particular reason. Why is that? Are they powerful mystical items? Are they deeply personal? Honestly, what I’m going to discuss has nothing to do with the origins or information about the tools at all. It has to do instead with your practice and attention. These tools, whatever they may be, serve as a focus for your attention, which, in turn, helps provide the experience you’re looking for. It’s all about focusing attention, one of the main benefits of meditation.

During most meditation exercises, your intention is the most important thing to focus on. What do you want to accomplish? Even if your intention is just to relax and release tension, it takes focus to accomplish this. Even the most ardent of meditators can occasionally have trouble focusing on their intention as they go through their exercises. That’s why many of our Freeflow exercises in onsite Monroe programs have guideposts and sounds to help nudge us gently back to our intentions in case we get a little distracted during the journey. We’ve all been there, after all. Some days we are laser-focused. On other days, we cannot hold focus to save our lives. It happens. When the mind meanders, tools may be the necessary addition to help keep us on track.

These tools, whatever they may be, serve as a focus for your attention, which, in turn, helps provide the experience you’re looking for. It’s all about focusing attention, one of the main benefits of meditation.

Tools can act as a beacon to draw us back to our objectives. Sometimes I will meditate with crystals. When I hold the crystals in my hand, I can feel them periodically throughout my meditation and therefore use them as a focal point to keep me on track. For instance, if I’m looking to manifest something (let’s say I want to see my next book going into publication), holding the cold, hard crystals and using them to send my energy out into the universe helps me keep my goal clear. It gives me a tangible object to focus my intangible thoughts on. It gives me a physical direction to focus my intentions towards, making the meditation more active and less passive. For me, the more active my meditation becomes, the more I can focus on a goal (which is amplified by a physical tool), and the more I am actively engaged in it. When I’m actively engaged in these journeys, I rarely click out or get distracted.

Using tools in your meditation practice can be a great idea. Remember, we’re all different, and what works for one person may not work for another. But I encourage you to try working with tools to see if they help you focus your mind. You may be surprised at the results!