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    How to practise practice

    I find myself here a lot - trying to get into the habit of practice. I know what it is I want to achieve and do, but I ain't doing it.

    Simple things like centering, building and maintaining shields (personal and property), working with my local vaettir etc, let alone meditation and trancework (all these magnificent other/inner worlds you people speak of). The first ones I can do quite easily, they've always come easy to me, but I know then how much better I could be at them. Others I've never experienced through lack of effort.

    I know the trick is consistency, and all the standard things like 'put aside 5 minutes a day', 'start small', but you know how mental life is. Sometimes we forget to feed ourselves, let alone find 5 minutes to do a thing. And which thing do I do first? Meditate for 5 min? or pray? I'm re-reading Norse Shamanism for the 4th time, but there is just so much to do. I know I should start small, but like weight loss, im impatient, and I know with sufficient effort I can lose 5 kilos in a month if I really tried.

    I'd like to be celebrating the WotY a bit more too. I feel an affinity to the seasons, but I don't seem to care enough day to day to do anything about it.

    So how do you practise practice? What things are you doing regularly? What things were you doing regularly that you're not anymore? What do you wish you were doing?
    ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

    RIP

    I have never been across the way
    Seen the desert and the birds
    You cut your hair short
    Like a shush to an insult
    The world had been yelling
    Since the day you were born
    Revolting with anger
    While it smiled like it was cute
    That everything was shit.

    - J. Wylder

    #2
    Re: How to practise practice

    I started taking a daily walk to the park- it guarantees me an hour of meditation (I can't quit halfway through, because I still have to get back to my dorm). If I have time, I'll sit in one of the trails and read or study something, or work on a small skill. If I don't have homework, I'll watch a pagan vlog or learn a new song while I sit with my laundry. Most of this was at the expense of a social life, but I recently discovered that I don't actually like hanging out, so there's that...

    As for what to start with, I just started walking. I forced myself to get up and walk each day, and once that became routine, I use my walking time to work on whatever skill I feel weakest in at the time. For instance, right now I'm working on shields.


    I didn't start small, though. I have about 5 kilos I want to lose too, so I just up and decided to walk 5 miles. Then I did it again. And again. Then I hurt myself. I am not smart.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: How to practise practice

      Yeah my social life is pretty involved lol. It's about to get too hot here to go walking really.

      And I was using exercise as a metaphor lol, sorry you hurt yourself though!
      ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

      RIP

      I have never been across the way
      Seen the desert and the birds
      You cut your hair short
      Like a shush to an insult
      The world had been yelling
      Since the day you were born
      Revolting with anger
      While it smiled like it was cute
      That everything was shit.

      - J. Wylder

      Comment


        #4
        Re: How to practise practice

        Eh, I'd say it's a part of the learning process, but I never seem to learn lol

        Comment


          #5
          Re: How to practise practice

          For me it's pretty hit and miss tbh. I couldn't tell you the amount of months where one of my monthly aims was, 'get back into the swing of daily meditation' (or words to that effect), because I've fallen off the wagon... again... Then I have to start trying to work out what's getting in my way (and often it's me getting in my own way).

          In fact, it was only in September that I finally realised why I had been struggling to meditate since June. We moved the dining table into the bay window (where I used to sit to meditate) back in June. I started sitting in front of the table instead, but it wasn't working for me. Once I'd realised what was up I found myself a new space in an alcove and this time I have a little wooden altar and a tiny set of drawers to keep incense cones in and other supplies, so it's really cosy and inviting. I've been skipping my meditation much less since. I do skip, and sometimes for a few days in a row, but I generally make my way back to my little space.

          Have you ever heard the supposed zen proverb, 'You should meditate for 20 minutes a day, unless you don't have the time, in which case you need an hour'. I don't know if it's a real proverb, but I like the sentiment behind it. It really motivates me to make time to meditate.

          My main problem is in constantly chopping and changing what I want to do with my meditation time. I'd love to meditate on the chakras every day for example, but time spent actively visualising is time taken from the deep quiet meditation that I crave the most. So I find myself constantly trying to tweak what I do to find a way to get through everything I feel I should do, yet in my heart of hearts, all I want to do is let my breath take me away until I am completely still.

          Other than that, I'm happy to tick along slowly when it comes to my spirituality and practice. Day to day it's pretty mundane and uneventful really. I use diaries and journals a lot (I have a bit of an obsession with notebooks), which helps me to remember to do things like house cleansing at the end of the month and of course the lunar rituals. Reflecting on my progress so far and setting goals at each new moon helps also helps give an impression of structure and progress and that encourages me to keep going. Writing in a journal might not be a fancy ritual, but I consider it an integral part of my practice. Also I've found that being flexible about when I do my rituals helps ensure they happen. For example, if I'm working on a sabbat, or have plans that night, I'll move it to a night when I know I'm free. I also keep my esbat simple so it can be carried out even if I'm at work. The witches date book helps me to keep track of when to do these things.

          Didn't you mention here before that you like to make everyday routines and actions into rituals? I find there's a lot of power in that. I have a chant for spiritual cleansing I wrote in uni that I still use today when I'm in the shower, and there's a little 'spell' I'll say over my morning cuppa (although I haven't done this in months if I'm honest).

          I joked about how often my rituals end up being just a single candle on my fireplace, but it's really true. The only daily ritual I have is lighting a tealite candle in a jar on the fireplace in thanks for my home and that my basic needs are met. I add a request for blessings upon my home and all the beings that share it with me. It takes seconds but I believe it's one of the most powerful ritual I do.
          Last edited by Jembru; 17 Nov 2016, 11:55.
          夕方に急なにわか雨は「夕立」と呼ばれるなら、なぜ朝ににわか雨は「朝立ち」と呼ばれないの? ^^If a sudden rain shower in the evening is referred to as an 'evening stand', then why isn't a shower in the morning called 'morning stand'?

          Comment


            #6
            Re: How to practise practice

            I'm slowly, slowly putting it all together as I have not been a "real" practicing pagan (people tend to go nuts whenever the word 'real' is used as an attribute, but please, I only used it to emphasise my complete noobness) and still it takes some work to get all the bits and pieces together from all that information that is everywhere.

            For me it works to get inspired. Sure, whatever your ritual is, it isn't going to be an amazing life-changing experience but a little spark of inspiration could be there almost every time. I'm not the type of person to memorise loads of text or go by instructions (I can't remember them and then I mess everything up or focus extremely on the performance). For me magic is pretty much about imagination. It happens in my imagination, it does things to my imagination, for me it's imaginary - but for me my imagination is one of my most important possession if not the most important. So it all begins with that.

            But then there is the tricky part: these things like grounding and centering that I've heard to be important (I remember hearing about grounding over a decade ago, still don't grok it) but somehow they just don't fit in. I can't get a grip of them so I don't do them and if I believe all the Pagan sites online, I should be doing them. Maybe I should give them a go but there's this overly intellectual anti-newager who just doesn't find the idea too appealing. But then again, if I dare to say I'm doing pagan practices then why not? What is there to be ashamed of, new-agy or not? Much of these 'basic practices' haven't found their way to my life. So maybe I should work on that.

            But just like Jembru, I'm pretty much the "one candle" type of pagan. Mostly those cheap tealights I bought a bag of some years ago. Making daily chores into something "larger" is an appealing idea to me. If you can't put aside time or space for rituals (or don't want to), why not do them on-the-go. That also could make chores a bit more meaningful (I have problems with that as I tend to slip into anxiety mode while cleaning).

            Oh, and meditation. I have to say a few words about that. I'm a lousy meditator. These was a (non-pagan) phase in my life when I meditated twice a day, 20 mins each time (if I remember correctly I could keep on about two-three months). Somehow it is just really difficult for me. I'm too drowsy, too this and too that. I've had several longer meditation streaks and it was the same. Maybe I should try again. Or different style. Or something. But I'm very much interested in the possibility of building a daily practice without meditation.
            baah.

            Comment


              #7
              (So like short answers because on my phone and its nearly midnight but I wanna keep this going)

              Jem, I don't journal. Any time I've tried it's failed. In fact my more "real" practises are completely spontaneous. But also few and far between. I know I can *do* the things. But consistency is my issue.

              I also don't have a space to dedicate. I have an altar. In my bedroom. It's most just pretty. And covered in dust. I did set up a tiny space in my tiny house to do yoga. Bets on how long since I did that?
              ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

              RIP

              I have never been across the way
              Seen the desert and the birds
              You cut your hair short
              Like a shush to an insult
              The world had been yelling
              Since the day you were born
              Revolting with anger
              While it smiled like it was cute
              That everything was shit.

              - J. Wylder

              Comment


                #8
                I love the idea of meditating on chakras. Thems something I can work with. But then my "work with" list is pretty big too haha.

                I can barely clean my bathroom once a week, other than do yoga (which btw I consider my best centering practise) or pour out offerings to the vaettir or wash my sheets.
                ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                RIP

                I have never been across the way
                Seen the desert and the birds
                You cut your hair short
                Like a shush to an insult
                The world had been yelling
                Since the day you were born
                Revolting with anger
                While it smiled like it was cute
                That everything was shit.

                - J. Wylder

                Comment


                  #9
                  ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                  RIP

                  I have never been across the way
                  Seen the desert and the birds
                  You cut your hair short
                  Like a shush to an insult
                  The world had been yelling
                  Since the day you were born
                  Revolting with anger
                  While it smiled like it was cute
                  That everything was shit.

                  - J. Wylder

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I also don't see any problem with reading pieces of text out of books in the middle of ritual. Bugger memory. Can't rely on it, so I don't!


                    On the "one candle" stuff. I think the most consistent ive ever been is when, in year 12, I would draw a rune every day to see how my day would go, and write it down. I also had a bindrune I formed from a draw I did about my results (that was telling AF).

                    I really think I need to do the Seed exercise in northern shamanism. Plant a seed and pray every day ffs. Simple. Cool change coming in tomorrow. And day off. Might go find a statice seed. I think i have some. They should survive the shit weather thats coming. Long enough to develop some. Practise anyway.
                    ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                    RIP

                    I have never been across the way
                    Seen the desert and the birds
                    You cut your hair short
                    Like a shush to an insult
                    The world had been yelling
                    Since the day you were born
                    Revolting with anger
                    While it smiled like it was cute
                    That everything was shit.

                    - J. Wylder

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: How to practise practice

                      Thanks, the solid ground analogy really makes sense! I can certainly recognise that feeling when I would need it.
                      But then, most of the instructions on grounding just are like "pretend to be a tree". I have to experiment a bit.
                      baah.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: How to practise practice

                        Centering and grounding is a progressive process. You need to be centered to ground. So, sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your back erect but not rigid. Use your mind to connect with your body. Feel your heart beat or pulse. Be aware of your breathing. Feel the itch at the crown of your scalp and that sore spot in your upper back. Be mindful of your body. Take a couple of cleansing breaths, In deeply through your nose, filling your abdomen and your chest. Hold it for a count of four. Release the air through your mouth letting it slide out to a count of four. Hold your lungs empty for a count of four. Do it again, each time you exhale let some of the tension flow out with your breath. This will relax the body and allow your mind to focus. After a few cleansing breaths imagine your spirit a little above and behind you. Ask it to join with the body and mind. Let it reach to you and pull itself in. There will likely be some indication that you will perceive as this union takes place. Enjoy the sensation of being centered, mind, body, and spirit.
                        Then allow your spirit to extend a golden cord or a root or however you perceive it to extend through the floor, past the foundation, into the ground and through the rocks toward the center of the earth. When you feel the reservoir of earth energy you can hook into that spot with the cord or let you root system expand and grow into the area or any other way that you can solidly connect to that reservoir of energy. Let that cord or root system pull toward earth. Feel the security and allow the energy to travel up your cord or roots to fill you with the energy. As it flows into your body it may pulse or rise and fall but however you perceive it let it equalize within you and make that energy your own.
                        You are now centered and grounded. You have at your disposal all the energy that the earth holds.
                        Now you can easily meditate or do magikal work without exhausting yourself. You should feel calm but energized, relaxed but not tired, and most of all you will likely feel "HOME".
                        Enjoy the sensation for at time and then give thanks to the earth and allow your cord to come back up to you. Let any excess energy drain back to the earth but keep yourself filled. Once the cord is back up into your spine thank your body, mind and spirit for cooperating in the completion of yourself. It is a shame that we cannot live our physical life in that union but we are here to experience the physical and there are times when we leave our spirit out of our lives. The mind and body are often at odds with each other too - it is all part of wearing an "earth suit" as we exist in this form.
                        Last edited by DragonsFriend; 21 Nov 2016, 14:07.
                        The Dragon sees infinity and those it touches are forced to feel the reality of it.
                        I am his student and his partner. He is my guide and an ominous friend.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Thanks, the solid ground analogy really makes sense! I can certainly recognise that feeling when I would need it.
                          But then, most of the instructions on grounding just are like "pretend to be a tree". I have to experiment a bit.
                          Recognising how you need it is probably the first step to doing it. Yeah i dont do the pretend to be a tree. I do a much more simplified version of DFs suggestion there, normally just hitting ground and focusing on the dirt beneath my toes is enough to bring me back. Sometimes I have to get down on all fours (like after I've been on a plane) or lay down and just 'feel' Earth.

                          Centering is about not losing yourself. At least rhat the way I think about it. So being able to feel every part of yourself and know it's there. As I said yoga makes me hella aware of what every muscle fibre in my body is doing, and during Savasana I will bring that body to stillness.

                          Do you remember doing that exercise as a kid where you let parts of your body fall through the floor? That's a really basic centering and grounding exercise for me.
                          ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                          RIP

                          I have never been across the way
                          Seen the desert and the birds
                          You cut your hair short
                          Like a shush to an insult
                          The world had been yelling
                          Since the day you were born
                          Revolting with anger
                          While it smiled like it was cute
                          That everything was shit.

                          - J. Wylder

                          Comment

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