Meditation Tip #3: Keep the attention “not too tight” and “not too loose.” Traditionally, this is sometimes likened to a musical instrument. For instance, if you are playing a stringed instrument the strings should not be too tight or two loose.

Your concentration is the same in meditation. It should be neither too loose nor too tight. You can play with this right now as your reading this. Stop, and simply observe your awareness. Purposefully make it too tight and focused. It may feel like there is a lot of effort here, and facial muscles might become engaged etc. As many of us are tightly wound, this may not feel that unfamiliar. Now, allow your concentration to be extremely spacious and relaxed. It may be completely unfocused and feel very relaxing. Now, look for a state that is a place of balance between these two extremes. Find a state the calmly focused, along with as sense of spaciousness and relaxation. In short, we are aiming toward a balance between precision/focus and relaxation.