Most people assume a quiet mind is the baseline state meditation returns you to. In practice, it's the opposite: sitting still is often what first reveals how busy the mind already is. In this 10-minute class, David Magone teaches Single-Pointed Gaze, a candle-focused concentration practice used for centuries to train attention before it can settle.

David walks through the mechanics that make this practice accessible even for first-timers: where to place the candle, how to soften (not fix) your eye position depending on whether you tend toward drowsiness or distraction, and how to let your gaze rest on the flame without forcing anything. From there, he guides a short seated practice: hands folded, eyes gradually opening onto the candle, attention repeatedly and patiently returned to the flame each time it wanders.

This is a foundational practice for building concentration, and a good one to return to often because it becomes a quick, honest read on where your mind is on any given day.