I'm beginning to study magic again, but before I get into any spells or rituals with alot of supplies like colored candles and oils and such, I want to begin with meditation so I can re-open and relax my mind into the world of magic. I was wondering if anybody had any advice they could give me? I have a certain process of meditation, but I would like to here tips and ideas. Thank you.
Well off the top of my head a lot of the time people think meditation should take place in an upright, sitting position. While this is standard there are many other ways to do it as I'm sure you've familiarized yourself with some of them. For someone who wants to use meditation for relaxation I would give a shot at the particular position in which humans use the fewest muscles. Without being dead, this is about as relaxed as we get:
Lying down in your back bring your knees up and rest them together but with your feet spread slightly apart. The bottom halves of your legs should a triangular shape with the ground while your thighs should be together. Rest your hands on your stomach or outward making a "T" shape with your arms. From there, focus only on breathing with the entirety of your lungs.
Good place to start! And it sounds like you know what works for you, so...I can only advise to keep that sense of what works for you, and not go, like, "Oh, but Aeons_Wing said that this method had this effect but it's different with me (and I'm not a fan of this one)." It's okay.
In Sri Sri Shankar's "Art of Living" yoga and meditation class I took once, we were taught to inhale for a count of 4, hold for 2, exhale for 6, and hold for 2. I couldn't get over how much better that was than the "fourfold breath" which made me feel like I had tacky cardio!
You can also do moving meditations, such as the Sun Salutation yoga routine or a Tai Chi routine, and visualizations to like imaging entering a tarot card illustration or a photograph or something. It doesn't always have to be sitting with eyes closed getting to a blank mind.
Moving forms of meditation I absolutely love. I don't practice magic but I still meditate and these are my preferred methods of doing so. If you haven't tried one of them, I definitely recommend it.
When meditating try to find a quiet place where you feel relaxed. If you have a connection to a certain element, (i.e. water) then it may be beneficial for you to meditate near water. It usually works best when you are by yourself and you are able to center yourself.
