Regular Practice Options

Here we have representatives of different disciplines. I primarily practice Qigong, or at least I do Qigong exercises daily. Other members may have another form of practice, be it some form of meditation, making offerings, the Middle Pillar, LBRP, etc. It requires self discipline and motivation to begin or to maintain. There are armchair magicians of course, but this is considered somewhat insulting to be called an armchair magician. Practicing regularly and building up practical experience is a key part of developing as a master or adept. Yes, some people are naturally gifted but it only takes you so far, sorry. You still have to practice. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dumbells.gif)


What I was thinking is that we post some tips about what works for you. Tell us how you began a regular practice (if you do so), and how you manage to maintain it. You might want to post something that inspired you to continue or to start. I am hoping that there will be some constructive suggestions that will be useful to others. I will add my two cents, but I thought I would let someone start off; how do you do it? What works for you?

Regular practice doesn't necessarily mean daily practice; it might be three times a week or every other day. Whatever works for you and your schedule. My teacher used to say that three times a week is fine, daily is better. Some of what I am going to say is specific to Qigong practice, but most could be applied to most magical practice.

I teach a Qigong class once a week so I can at least count on getting a couple hours worth of practice then. Also I take a kungfu class three times a week that contains a strong Qigong element to it. I have short practices by myself. I generally do regular ritual work or at least offerings or a meditation. I used to be very self-motivated and could practice by myself, but now I find it easier to have company to lean on their self discipline. All that I have to do it manage to get to class and the teacher provides the motivation, or I am the teacher and know that the students are depending on me. But it is nice to have playmates.

A lot of my practice has become incorporated into my daily activities so much that I'm just used to it. Generally this involves performing some repetitive task with my hands while maintaining a focus on the work at hand. Or it may simply be increasing awareness of something, or noticing certain things. I try to maintain a more aware, awake state of consciousness rather than doing things as much on autopilot. One of my teachers used to say that most of us spend most of our waking hours essentially sleepwalking.

Starting a new practice is often a hurdle initially. But as they say, do something regularly for a month and it will have become a habit. There seem to be stages in people's practice. There is the starting up phase, perhaps with a lot of enthusiasm (hopefully anyways). Then the enthusiasm wears off and you have to slog through the practice. It becomes a grind. But I would suggest that if you manage to push through this phase then you will go onto an easier phase. People often quit before this next stage, but after a time you look back and take stock, and see that you have made progress. You come to realize that you have skills that you didn't possess before. It provides you with additional motivation because you now realize that if you practice more you will develop even more skill with experience. Over time even small steps can travel great distances. It does become easier. Honestly I find that if I skip practice more than twice in a row I feel that there is something missing.

Another saying that I use a lot is that practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. In other words don't get sloppy or you will learn the wrong way of doing things then you will have to re-learn it the right way --which will take up a lot of time. It is just easier to learn it right the first time than to have to fix it later. Yes it sounds a bit anal retentive, but it actually saves you time and effort in the long run, so it is a lazy man's way to learn.

Hmm what else? I don't practice meditation in bed because I'm likely to fall asleep, unless falling asleep is the goal of the meditation. I find it easier to practice at the same time of day or evening. With me I usually practice between 7 and 8 PM, then I can relax and watch TV or goof off. There isn't anything good on TV then anyhow. Traditionally Qigong is done either at sunrise or at sunset, but there is only so far I am willing to go to follow tradition. I figure that if I had to get up at 5 AM to practice I would have quit long ago. I'm not a morning person. I prefer to practice Qigong outside, generally in the park. People going by often stare at me, but while I used to get embarrassed now my attitude is 'f%*! 'em." Performing Qigong in a natural setting is traditional, but more importantly gets better results. Some practices require solitude, You may have to turn off your phone or go somewhere in which you won't be interrupted. Interruptions at the wrong time can throw you right off so that you have to start all over again. Rituals I normally schedule according to the moon phases so I look up the information and write in in my planner. Having it written down means that you are less likely to ignore it or skip it. Writing is a small magic in that way.

I also take breaks from regular practice every so often. You can get stale and taking a break will allow you to come back at it with renewed enthusiasm or a new perspective. Sometimes you may be forced to take time off, just to digest the lessons you have just learned.

Besides having practice partners to help you keep motivated, networking with locals who share your interest just perhaps meeting for coffee can keep you going. Sometimes books, workshops, videos and other media can inspire you or give you fresh ideas. I like to change my practice around a bit. I sometimes add background music, or practice a skill I haven't done in awhile. I have a core of about ten exercises that I do most often, but I often add something I used to do in the past or something new. It keeps things from becoming stale.

These are a mixture of general tips that work for most people and a few that are personal for me. We all have our own idiosyncrasies and quirks; maybe what works for you is different from what works for me. But I should emphasize that even a small amount of practice at a time done regularly builds up. A lot of what I do involves between ten and twenty minutes practice. Also keep in mind that you can practice too much. Physical exercises can be tiring and one author I have read suggests a 70% rule; you only work up to 70% of your maximum. Sometimes too much meditation can be harmful to one's health, for example. In countries in which these practices are common (Mostly Asian countries) healthcare professionals have had to learn to treat things such as Qigong related psychosis. Find out what is the optimal amount of time for you. Just as you can overdo it in the gym and develop wear-and-tear injuries so can you damage yourself overdoing meditation or performing yogic type/energy work exercises for too long at a time, too frequently (or improperly).