first mental exercises

["Patrik" <patwe77@...>]

Dear Rawn

Despite of some initial work and progress with soul mirror and 
transformation (again and again strengthening commitment and also 
self-love), realising also a general tendency to scatter, I came to 
the conclusion that I did neglected the mental exercises and 
therefore, being scattered - often felt as dull feeling within the 
Ajna-Chakra - I assume, the "scatter-problem" must be less a question 
of soul work but rather (lacking) of mental discipline.

Many systems do suggest beginning first with concentration on 
breathing or focusing on an external single point, candle etc. If I 
do (have practised) this, it's quite easy for me to concentrate right 
a way anytime quite quickly.
Bardon does first begin with observing thoughts, and concentration 
(although internally) is just the third step - are there specific 
reasons why Bardon did not begin with concentration?

Concerning the first Bardon mental exercise (1) - observing thoughts -
there are times (similar as Dustin wrote recently) when settling 
down my mind happens fairly quick, my mind quite clear and the 
exercise is not difficult for me.
Then, there are other times when my mind and Ajna feels really dull, 
scattered and it takes a lot of time and effort to do the exercise at 
all, far away of mastering it.

Now, my two questions: 
a) Would you suggest (without any external focus exercises) that 
*intensifying the amount of times* practising only the first mental 
exercise, if possible even three times a day (at least twice 10 
minutes as Bardon requires, of course) is enough breaking through 
that blockade of the Ajna Chakra?

b) And provided that I will successful with (1), the concentration 
part afterwards, is it important then, only to focus on daily 
concerns (2) first and *not* doing any specific exercise of observing 
thoughts (1) anymore or internal focus exercise (3) *meanwhile*, till 
there is a well mastered all daily time focus?
Coming to to (3) one day, of course, I see that one is only focusing 
on this exercise then. Just the *crossing or transition* from 1 to 3 
is not yet clear to me, because I am anxious losing the intensity of 
(1) when doing only (2) for months, not practising any "specific" 
mental exercise else in the meantime.

With Best regards
Patrik