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?

In sorcery I was taught meditation is key to controlling the mind, and by extension magickal prowess. The first thing I leaned was single point awareness and even now I can focus for hours. It started simply, just a few moments when ever I had a chance, in some months it was minutes, then latter hours. Much more difficult is letting all thoughts go allowing them to play out to the end. I still have trouble with this. The mind collects a lot of junk as you live and it takes maintenance to keep it under control. So part of my daily practice is to let a single thought play out until completion. This has the rather practical result of me worrying less.

I'd like to learn more about what sort of meditation you do, and also:

I had for some time been practicing esoteric Taoism for the gross manifestation it offered

What sort of manifestation do you refer to here?

I'd like to learn more about what sort of meditation you do, and also:
What sort of manifestation do you refer to here?

My primary meditation is aimed at stopping mundane thoughts- the random crap floating around in your head. If it is not truly important, I let it go, and allow things to work themselves out. Another part of my practice closely related though it is, it's not meditation per se, but it is about listening and watching... mindfulness I guess. It is not only being mindful the world around you but also the inner world. All under heaven is available inside you and the trick is to feel it out. Therefore mindfulness for me is to associate the inner with the outer, watch as changes in the outer world happen and insuring that my inner world changes with them. In this way I can remain unaffected by the world.

More traditional forms of meditation follow the Zen or Deity branches. Zen meditation is well known, but Deity meditation is the practice of meditating on what it is like to be an aspect of Hindu / Buddhist gods, or avatars. Starting from some god one personalty identifies with and moving to others until one imagines the supreme God (Hindu) or Buddha at which time you're one with all things. I also do any number of internal alchemy excesses that require meditation.

Now that I list it out it must sound like I spend most of the time in a meditation on one form or another. To be fair, mindfulness is only sort of a meditation, so it is rely only a few hours a day.

The manifestation I was looking for were rather spectacular- a long 200 year life, glowing balls that held my organs so I could do internal message, transmuting various things, exceptional speed when running. The list of things Taoist wizards are said to do is quite long. My self I was only able to achieve a few of these as the dedication required was beyond me at the time. It has been some time sense I worked with this stuff, but I still cringe at it. If your interested, you might read Opening the Dragon Gate: The Making of a Modern Taoist Wizard by Chen Kaiguo.

This post has been edited by fatherjhon: Aug 12 2010, 08:22 PM