Posted by: Tanoro
- January 05, 2007
Intro
In the occult, there are many different tools one
uses to manipulate the subtle energies to make magick work. However, the
most critical tool you'll need is your mind. Just like the rest of your
tools, it will require constant maintenance to keep it in shape for the
tasks ahead. Meditation is the most effective method for building your
mind to manage greater measures of power. At least 80% or more of people
believe meditation does absolutely nothing, therefore is not important
enough to waste precious time on. To use a classic cliché, "you
should never judge a book by its cover." Many people who attempt meditation
for the first time discover just how hard it can be if your mind is weak.
There are literally many different methods for meditating. I'll only highlight
the more general methods here. It's best to pick the one that works best
for you.
Meditation can do many things for your mind. Such
benefits include building patience, relaxation, capacity for remembering
details, concentration, focus, and much more! Meditation can also help
you by forcing your mind and body to simulate certain events or conditions
for the purpose of self-benefit. This skill can help you lose weight, quit
smoking, reduce stress and depression, heal yourself, will away pain, warm
or cool the body, and much more. Meditation even makes you more receptive
and sensitive to outside energies, thus making you more intuitive and psychic.
Meditation is truly a miraculous skill and, sadly, most people forsake
it because they think it does nothing!
Most people think that meditation is nothing more
than sitting cross-legged on the floor quietly and chanting "ohm" to yourself.
Beneath the surface, there is much more going on. The word "ohm" is nothing
more than a mantra which puts the mind into a rhythm. Most people don't
use them nowadays. As far as the proper position, it can be anything that's
comfortable for you. Most people find sitting on the floor to be uncomfortable
if they are not in excellent physical shape, but this doesn't really matter.
You can sit down in a comfortable chair, lay down in bed, or sit on the
floor. Pick any position you like, but be sure the position you choose
won't make it too easy to fall asleep during your meditation.
Preparation
The first step to learning meditation is to learn
how to control your breathing. This may sound simple and meaningless, but
it usually isn't if you haven't practiced it before. When your body is
in a relaxed state, you'll find yourself controlling your breathing much
more consciously and you don't want this to happen. You want your mind
totally focused on the meditation and not your breathing. Practicing the 2/4
Breathing Method is great for building intuitive breathing.
Many people like using other tools during meditation
like soft music, candles, and incense. All
of these are quite suitable and you should choose each one appropriately.
However, you don't have to use them if you don't want to. Candles are simple
to choose. Just pick a soft color like blue or light green. Music is a
little more complicated. You must pick something pleasing to the ears but
not powerful music like heavy metal or rock. Meditation music should contain
a melody only and never lyrics. Usually, harp music, wind instruments,
and soft guitar solos work well. Choose music that won't distract you.
Incense is simple to choose but takes some preparation on its own. Choose
incense that is pleasing and helps you relax, but take care that ventilation
in the room is good. If the incense smoke builds too quickly, you'll find
yourself coughing through your meditation session.
Relaxation
This is where the meditation gets tricky. Once you
have assumed your chosen position, prepared your tools, and begun 2/4 Breathing,
you must begin to let your body relax completely. Every muscle in your
body should be as relaxed as possible. It helps to start at your feet and
tense up your muscles as hard as possible for several seconds, then release
them. After your feet, move up your legs to your calf muscles, then your
thighs, your hips, abs, chest, etc. Eventually, you will reach your face
and the top of your head. Don't forget your arms as well. This step will
be a little lengthy the first few times you do it, but you will get the
hang of this very quickly. Once you are well relaxed, you can begin.
Methods
Once your body is relaxed and out of mental focus,
your mind comes into clarity. You can practice meditation in several ways.
The first is to build mental clarity. This is done by clearing the mind
and forcing it to stay perfectly clear. Do not think of anything and don't
let your thoughts cloud your clarity. This greatly builds will and concentration.
This is also among the most relaxing exercises when it's mastered. It'll
take some effort to perform this exercise at first and you may feel bored
from it. Do not let boredom set in, this will distract you as well. You'll
probably realize rather quickly how this exercise helps you build will
power and concentration.
The second method is to build visualization. This
helps you build mental images much clearer and without interference. You
do this by giving yourself a simple picture to keep in mind. It can be
of anything; a personal symbol, a religious symbol, a person, etc. At first,
it is best to keep the image simple and easy to picture. After that, move
on to more complicated pictures. I like using a large gold pentacle in
my visualizations. Make it as wide and clear as possible. After some practice,
you can try giving it color. After that, animate it by making it rotate
or move around. You can even visualize yourself touching the object with
your hands and you can visualize how it would feel under your sense of
touch. You will be very surprised to see how real it'll begin to feel after
you've had some practice. Remember to keep your mind on the task and not
let it wander.
Conclusion
Now you have an idea of how meditation works and
how to practice the basics. This is an exercise that should be performed
everyday, preferably either when you get up in the morning or before you
go to bed at night. It takes a lot of dedication and time before noticeable
results begin to take place, but I can't stress how great the benefit is.
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Article Posted by: Tanoro
