15 April 2009

MEDITATION

My Door For Manifestation...

Health and Greetings!

Confession time: My meditation and "formal" practice have been virtually non-existent for the last, oh, four years or so. It's been a period of letting marinade the book knowledge and Mystical collectiva, imbued with go-with-the-flow Willings and acute observation. Cyclic. Winter.
But...

It's TIME again...
Too potent a punch of that ever-prevalent balance of Beauty and Beast bullshit has taken seed in my life of late to deny otherwise.

I'd venture that 90% or better of my 'magic' work is done via meditation. (The more subtle needs of the past quatro anos aside, since they've been sans said...) That would include 'Ceremonial', healings, affirmations, and visualization.

Visualization is the Grand-daddy of Magic. The cornerstone, if not the entire foundation... but I sense digression-- a sure sign to earmark a word for future post fodder, then carry on the here and now...

There are four primary 'styles' of , or exercise in, meditation which I advantage.

  • the Zen approach, or No-THING (stilling the mind)
  • River of Thought
  • Mantra
  • Concentration
The Zen, the blanking of the mind, is impossible. The hardest of all, it is also the most epiphany-revealing state.

River of thought is not so far removed; it allows the 'presence' of the unconscious or sub-conscious images, but asks you do not grab and focus on any particular one. Watch them flow by, like the water massaging the banks in its passing...

In reverse, Concentration meditation's goal is to pick ONE thing-- a dot, a mandala, a sunset-- and focus intently on that to the exclusion of all else. Hold it. Mind wanders? (And it will!) Gently but firmly focus it back on the issue.

Everyone's familiar with mantra, right? This can be one simple word (the most known being the "OM" of om mani padmi hum notoriety...), or a phrase, or... well, you got the jist.

[Looks like I might have to series this topic, because each of these four deserve expounding on!]

I always let the night, or the aether, or the Source-whatever steps in-- dictate the direction of the remaining session. But only after... [Bum bam BAAAHM!]

Watching the Breath...

THE FOLLOWING IS ONE IN and OUT BREATH:

Inhale through the nose... see the air move all the way down the chest, the abdomen, the groin, the thighs, around the knees and into the calves, then ankles, then into the feet.

That's the IN breath...

Out follows the reverse; I like to visualize (SEE?! HA!) the Breath leaving the feet, then ankles, then... because doing this BREATH will learn you to imbibe it with the Power to carry out Will-- essentially akin to muscle-memory training athletes do: even if unconsciously, you are learning to focus and concentrate all your power into that Breath, hence send it to do as you so Will.

Now, when I'm 'in shape' and meditating nightly, I start my session with TEN of these breaths. In fact I've had nights where naught else was done but breath-gaze. Shigata ga nai, neh? But whatever-- when i start Sitting again, it might only last three counts. Depends on concentration.
And, it really IS a training thing... endurance will build as nights pass to dawns pass to twilight to...

You'll be amazed...

I have been. To the point of literal prostration.

I need sleep People.

Thus I go. [Alone, Alas! where IS She who is Yin?!?]

Hmmm.

Probably everywhere...

Har!

Hail and Farewell, Folk!

Cygnus

16 comments:

Livia Indica said...

Hey Cygnus, yes you should write a series about this. I know next to nothing about meditation and am intrigued to learn that what I've always considered daydreaming might be river of thought meditation.

Anonymous said...

You're mantra for today Cygnus is:

Cheeks.....

Now focus on Cheeks...

Stop smiling...

Focus!

Cheeks......

You're still smiling....

Maybe later....

;-)

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Livia, YOU GOT IT!

I worried a bit today that my subject matter might be a bit "meditation 101" to so many seasoned Pagans. Glad for the feedback; I got a LOT of stuff on med... I mean like, a Book lot...

Hmm...

THANKS, Liv... if the series seems beneficial, maybe, just maybe...

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Sweetie Cheeks! WHAT?? I can't smile AND focus on cheeks?

If I recollect, the last time I was intently focused on Cheeks, I was smiling the hole-- um, whole time...

Anonymous said...

..."upside my melon."

I am Hysterically Giggling!

:D

OK...If you say so...I'll believe you can smile, chuckle and focus on the hole...um...whole. I suspect you won't achieve calmness, but you might achieve something...
I shall work on this with you!

;-)

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Something, Yes...
Followed by a giddy calmness,... so, SEE?

I'm starting to like your slight discrepancies...More so than a few seconds ago...:D
Exponential expansion.

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh....yes...we are in sync!

:0

(That's a kiss too!)
Sweetie

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

I like Kisses...
Especially well-placed on Cheeks...

SunTiger said...

The blanking of the mind, is impossible??? Phlllllbbbbbbbt. I could swear my husband does it ALL THE TIME. LOL.

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

WHUH?

SunTiger said...

The light behind his eyes go completely "blank" while I'm talking to him. {Sorry . .. should have explained better.}

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

No, lady... my misread. I was feigning my mind going bla

Renee of the Fae said...

My trouble lies not in the meditation, but rather the grounding beforehand. I can do it, but I prefer the flight. *^_^*

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Before-hand grounding-- this one is new to me... I always used the breath entrance to the session as the Grounding... and always was so charged after I ground again...

I'd love to hear more. Do you mean getting calm enough to "sit"?

That i can see... Thanks so much for the input, Renee of the Fae! Always a pleasure to hear from a 'new' (to me) voice!

So, maybe the fight IS your pre-grounding... :D

Renee of the Fae said...

Well, I need to ground because my meditation buddy likes to travel and she insists on bringing me with her. While I would love to just go, she wants me to be protected and not just floating around where any old energies could screw mine up. Meditation by itself is difficult for me if I'm just sitting and breathing. I find it more likely to reach a worthwhile experience (for me) if I'm doing something, i.e.: walking in the woods across the street, sweeping/working on the farm, having lunch outside. All of these seem to work as meditation for me, as long as I am alone and able to keep to my thoughts, or lack thereof. *^_^*

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

AH!! MOVING MEDITATION!!! Makes more sense, now, a pre-grounding...

Even my seated sessions generally have some mind-focus bent-- whether just "Watching the Breath" or "Descending the Steps" or my fave the "Blessed Isle Visit"...

I allow naught else to enter...

But i also hear you on the activity as meditation angle... I suppose I do it all day, being a Labor Hand with mindlessly menial but Physically Demanding work (my fave, BTW!!).

Sure produces a lotta good writ materials! HA!

Thanks for the feedback! this should be a fun series for me...

Thanks again, Renee...