Exercise
1. Do not do the following exercises in bed until you are used to the technique, as it is likely that you will fall asleep.
2. Have a soft, dim lamp or a lighted candle behind you somewhere, as direct or overhead lighting can be very disconcerting.
3. Seat yourself comfortably, either in a straight-backed chair or against a wall, with your hands, legs, and feet uncrossed.
4. Begin (with eyes closed) by taking several deep breaths, filling your lungs to capacity and then exhaling totally. Be aware of breathing by counting your breaths.
Take no fewer than ten to begin.
5. Allow your breathing to become natural again.
6. The aim now is to allow yourself to drift into the velvet blackness of nonthought.
You will initially find that your mind will want to function in overtime; it will trick you into thoughts that seemingly enter your mind of their own volition.
Gently, but firmly, push them out again, always aiming for that state of velvety blackness and nonthought.
You can utilize either active or passive silence, understanding that if the active silence tool is music, it should be almost inconsequential, like baroque music played in largo.
A similar tool is a metronome set at sixty beats per minute (active silence is of enormous benefit if you have distant sounds of traffic that disrupt you).
7. Allow just a few minutes the first time, and remember not to apply force against your unwanted thoughts, just gentle pressure.
The aim is to still your foreground.
Your center is somewhere within that velvety blackness.
When you have reached a state of nonthought, you will have reached your center, which is a state of tranquillity.
8. Allow yourself to drift there as long as you like or as long as nothing interferes.
When you have done this, repeat the deep breathing to rejuvenate yourself, stretch fully, like a cat, and focus on maintaining your sense of tranquillity beyond the exercise.
Continue this process daily, even if only for a few minutes.
Give yourself the gift of making time.
You are doing three things:
disciplining your will;
discovering the sublime silence at the center of your being and activating that center;
preparing the ground for active and intentional magic.
You will find this technique invaluable when you get down to more specific magical workings, so it is truly desirable to continue practicing and to begin all future exercises with the meditative process.
