So often our minds feel restless, scattered, and easily pulled off track. We want to stay present, but distractions, old patterns, and emotional turbulence keep sweeping us away. In this talk, guest teacher Sean Fargo explores how concentration and mindfulness work hand-in-hand—helping us find safety in the body, steady the mind, and cultivate the kind of stillness that brings peace, clarity, and joy.
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Talk: How to Stay Present Longer
Timecodes & main topics:
- 00:01 – Mindfulness & concentration – Two ends of the same stick
- 03:50 – Breath & body awareness – Bringing attention into the belly
- 05:34 – Visual concentration – Candle flame, crystal, or Buddha image
- 07:24 – Refuge in simplicity – From busyness to peace
- 09:14 – Counting breaths – Training the mind with simple focus
- 12:21 – Clarity & perspective – Stillness as a reset for life
- 16:37 – Jhanas & joy – Happiness through concentrated states
- 20:13 – Daily practice – Extending presence into life off the cushion
- 23:58 – Hindrances & antidotes – Working with restlessness, doubt, sloth
- 41:14 – Loving-kindness & grief – Meeting tenderness with compassion
- 48:23 – Patterns in relationships – Attraction, availability, and self-recognition
A Meditation: How to Stay Present Longer
In this gentle meditation, we steady the mind by opening the heart. By recalling moments of goodness and gratitude, we help the nervous system feel safe, which naturally fosters calm concentration. Moving through the breath, sounds, sights, and the felt sense of the body, we rest attention on simple objects—like the nostrils, the belly, or the heartbeat—coming home again and again to a peaceful presence.
Sean Fargo is a former Buddhist monk, Founder of Mindfulness Exercises, and former staff at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. He teaches mindfulness for the E.P.A., N.O.A.A., Mindful Fed, various Olympic Teams, healthcare centers, schools, hospitals, and prisons.
