basic meditation techniques (2)

Magickal Exercises & Meditations

The exercises should preferably be performed on a regular basis, every day if your schedule allows this, if not at least several times a week, even if you can only afford to spend 1/2 an hour or less on them.


Meditative Breathing

Rhythmic breathing is one of the most basic and important aspects of meditation, and one of the least explained (most books on the subject assume that you already know how to breath in the correct manner, which is frequently not the case).
Firstly, you must not strain while breathing, especially by constricting your throat. There must be no forced effort.
The air should be taken in to the bottom of the lungs first, by the simple method of pushing the abdomen out (i.e. the diaphragm down - a common technique to those trained in acting or public speaking).
This causes the air to be sucked naturally into the lungs until they are filled to the top. Be concious of the air passing up and down the upper throat rather than through the nasal passages.
The air should be retained by holding the diaphragm down and the chest wall out, and if the chest is tapped sharply it should cause part of the air to be expelled, providing there is no barrier in the throat or mouth.
To breath out, suck the abdomen in (i.e. the diaphragm up) so that the air is dispelled naturallt and is felt to leave the top of the lungs last of all. Keep the breath held out by use of the diaphragm and trunk muscles.


Motionlessness

Sit in a comfortable and relaxed position. Slow your breathing and don’t breath heavily. Try to move as little as possible. Perform this excercise with your eyes closed as this means you won’t have to blink. Try to swallow as infrequently as you can manage. Remain motionless for as long as you can, however uncomfortable the position that you are in may become.


No-thought

I find it to be easier to achieve this state if you work into from medatative breathing. Attempt to clear your mind completely. Think of absolutely nothing.
Try to get rid of all the little thoughts that give constant mental commentary on what is happening to you. It is an achievement to even have a few seconds of no-thought, and from there you can work up to longer periods.
If you can manage no-thought for more that 5 seconds you're doing well. A trick I've used when experiencing difficulty in the achievement of no-thought is to let myself feel all the messages my body is sending to me, but not to continue thinking about them - focusing the mind purely on immediate sensation as opposed to anything else.


Object focus excersise

Concentrate your full attention on an object. You can use a dot on a wall, or the centre of a candle flame (this is apparently bad for your eyes kiddies), or whatever. Focus on it unwaveringly, and don’t think of anything except the object you are concentrating on.


Visualisation

Visualisation can be done with they eyes closed, or with the eyes open, against a blank wall or similar surface. Eventually you should be able to visualise almost anything anywhere. I find it easier to begin with closed eyes.
Pick a simple shape such as a square, circle or star, and try to visualise it with your eyes closed. It must remain steady and should not vary in its size or location. This is another one where practice makes perfect, and it has a number of practical magickal uses.
I usually visualise my shapes in glowing octarine. (Octarine, the proverbial colour of magick, is different for everyone, but it’s usually florescent.)
If you find a simple shape to be awkward to fix in your mind, some (myself included) find it more conventient to visualise a concept, a landscape, or another such complex shape.
From this it is possible to focus on parts of the larger visualisation leading on to the focus on a simple shape.
Large scale visualisations are also effective precursors to astral workings.


Mantric repetitions

Pick a mantra such as ‘om’ or ‘ahhh ehhh aiyyyy ohhh ooooh’ (I like ‘Zazas Zazas Nastatana Zazas’, myself) and repeat it over and over again. Vibrate every word of the mantra, and breath from your stomach. The mantra will become an automatic pattern quite quickly to the point where you will hardly have to put any thought into it.


Death Posture Meditation

Death posture meditation involves sitting in front of a mirror at a distance of between about 6 inches and 2 feet, staring at the centres of your pupils in the reflection, and emptying your mind totally.
Perform slow meditative breathing during this excersise, and keep your eyes open and unblinking. The mirror should be propped up somewhere not too far from your face.
As you stare at the mirror, colours start to change and all the images distort, however this effect generally vanishes if you try to focus on the distortions. The method will, however, induce an altered state of conciousness, which can include hallucinations.
Don't do this cross legged. It give you cramp, as you tend to loose track of time.


Death Posture Blackout Technique

''Standing on tip-toe, with the arms rigid, bound behind by the hands, clasped and straining the utmost, the neck stretched - breathing deeply and spasmodically, till giddy and sensation comes in gusts, gives exhaustion and capacity for the former.'' - 'The Book of Pleasure', Austin Osman Spare
This position causes exhaustion and passing out fairly rapidly, and, like the above meditation, will cause altered states of conciousness. All muscles should be kept tense while performing the death posture. Some recommend holding one's breath while performing it.


Kat's Short 'n' Sweet Aura Trick

Hold your hands, open and relaxed, about 5 inches part from each other, with the palms facing.
Slowly bring them together, concentrating on what you're doing. At a couple of centimeters away from each other, you should feel some resistance. It can help if you move your hands slightly.


Catharisis

Set aside a period of time when you'll be alone for at least an hour, but will not be particularly tired or distracted.
Start by performing a no-thought exercise, and then begin thinking objectively and honestly about yourself.
When you either get stuck for further inspiration (this doesn't happen that frequently, I find), or get overwhelmed by the experience (and it can be overwhelming), stop.
Take a long leisurely bath or shower, cleansing yourself of any depression you may have built up, watching it wash away in the water. Remind yourself that once something has been acknowledged, it can be changed.

there is also the Middle Pillar technique.
start out by sitting or lying down
move your consciousness to the top of your head.
visualise a brilliant white sphere,
vibrate the divine name''EHEIH'' a number of times
until you can feel it vibrate on its own.
visualise a white shaft of light descend to the bottom of your
throat.visualise another brilliant white sphere as before
and vibrate the divine name ''YHVH ELOHIM''.
bring the shaft of light down to the next sphere at your heart center and vibrate the divine name''YHVH ELOAH VEDAATH''.
bring the light down to your pelvic sphere and vibrate the divine name''SHADDAI EL CHAI''the CH in this name is a gutteral sound.bring the shaft of light down to your feet, THE MALKUTH SPHERE vibrate the divine name ''ADONAI HA-AHRETZ.
when done circulate the light by breathing to the count of four
as you do so bring a shaft of light up the righjt side of your body from MALKUTH to KETHER,and then down the left side of your body back down to MALKUTH.do this for four turns and then do the same for the back and the front.then bring the light up from MALKUTH straight up the shaft of light in your body to KETHER,out the top of your head.visulise a shower of brilliant white light falling back down to MALKUTH.when done concentrate on the white aura for as long as you like.
this meditation produces its own results if done daily.