A Year and A Day Path: Meditational Breathing

One of the first things that we lean about within the pagan/wiccan religion or path is about meditation. The connection to oneself. The first Key to Meditating is breathing. It's funny how something SO simple, can be so important.  Magical ceremonies usually start and end in the direction of Air, so it's just fitting to start the journey on this path with air, and breathing. Powerful breathing is the first step to a thriving magical practice.

"Good, deep breathing has healthful benefits. It helps you to relax. A good breath contributes to sustaining the body by nourishing the blood supply and the cells with oxygen. In essence, human live needs air." ~Timmothy Roderick "Wicca: A year and A Day"

To form a "Correct" breath, you need to breath slowly, and focus on drawing the air in and down. You really want to think about your belly filling with air, and your back expanding at the same time. When you exhale, think about letting it go naturally, but just as slow as the inhale. 

Today, I am taking the time to focus on my breathing. I know that it is important to understand breathing and how it works. It is the first part of meditation, which I want to become very strong in, as it is one of the cores to a strong magical practice.  I plan on spending quite a bit of time today taking deep, powerful breaths. This way, I can prepare for strong, good meditations. 

~Love and Light!

A Year and A Day Path: Meditation

Meditation

When Most people hear this word they think of a few things. Someone sitting outside under a tree saying "OM" over and over again. Maybe they see a bald monk in robes. But, In reality, there have been many incredible studies showing that Mediation is incredibly important in our every day life. It promotes overall good mental, and physical health. Meditation is also KEY to the Magickal path of life, and the way we live every day. When thinking about Meditation there are a couple of very strong different veriations, or methods, but of course, don't feel confined to these. Everyone has their own way of feeling and doing. It's all about finding comfort in who you are and what you want to be or do. 

Eastern Methods

Our roots of Meditation come to us from the ancient East. Particularly Japan, China, and India. The main idea is to lead the practitioner into or towards mental and physical stillness. Allowing your internal perceptions and external perceptions of the world align. This is supposed to result in the ability to see within us the unity of life, and the imminence of deity. 

Western Methods

In the west, we like to think about the right now, and the "what's happening next." unfortunately this tends to take away the time required along with the teachings of the East. Although we have benefited very strongly from them. A lot of our Meditations are guided by imagery that is worked to invoke some response from your internal conscience. By using strong images, we can learn from ourselves in a unique way, possibly guiding our minds to show us our inner truths. 

My Year and a Day teachings, have asked me to think about which method resonates stronger within me, and to think abut which one I feel closer with, or which might help me a bit better with meditating. I definitely feel with the western method. I know that the eastern is important though, and that it highly affects how we see meditation now. But, I also think that if i were to just sit in silence, I may not find anything. I have so much on my mind all the time that I know all of those thoughts would seep in. So, sitting them aside and just focusing on specific images might really help me. I feel like Maybe I can guide my self conscious to telling me what's going on within, and getting to know myself better.