I want to start sharing more of my energy practice, here, and felt the best way to start doing that was to post an “introductory primer”. This meditation is designed to familiarize you with energy and its tactile properties. You can get some use out of this exercise regardless of your experience level (I still practice it, today), and it’s a great entry point for someone who’s never even dabbled before. All you’ll need to enjoy it is a comfortable, quiet place where you’re unlikely to be disturbed for roughly 30 minutes.
Tip: Don’t try to follow along with this text as you perform the exercise. Instead, read it in its entirety before you begin. This way, you can avoid the distraction of scrolling or flipping pages during your meditation. That will kill your focus dead.
Step 1:
To begin, sit or stand in a comfortable position. Shake yourself out, paying particular attention to your shoulders and wrists. Do this until you feel loose and relaxed. Now, take a deep breath in, filling your lungs to the largest capacity possible. Hold the breath for a count to three, then exhale slowly, through your mouth. Concentrate on your breathing for as long as necessary to make it deep, slow and even. As you inhale, focus on the weight in the middle of your chest. Feel all the tension leave your body as you exhale. Draw your focus inwards, and feel your pulse as it travels through your body. Be still, quiet, and whole. Remain here until you are grounded and focused.
Step 2:
When you feel relaxed and grounded, raise your arms so that your elbows are up and away from your body. With your hands open, turn them so that your palms are facing each other in front of you. The palms of your hands should be roughly one foot apart, and one foot away from the core of your body.Feel your focus slowly travel from your chest, to your shoulders, and down through your arms. Sweep it down past your elbows and wrists until you are focusing on the palms of your hands. You may notice a tingling sensation, or a hyper awareness, in your fingers. Push this feeling out until you are focused on the space between your palms.
The keyword is ‘push’. Feel a pressure building up between your hands; focus until that pressure is a dense weight.
Step 3:
With your attention still on the space between your palms, physically push them together. You should feel a slight resistance, or “bounce”. Bring your hands together and back apart rhythmically, getting a feel for that resistance. Play with the energy you have gathered there, growing it, condensing it, passing it back and forth between your hands. Get a feel for its properties. This is “you” energy. Get to know it. Take as long as you need.
Step 4:
When you are finished, draw your hands back towards the trunk of your body. Press the tension you have built up against your chest and “breathe” it back in until nothing is left externally.
Repeat the earlier breathing exercise — inhale deeply, hold for three seconds, and slowly exhale through your mouth. Focus on your breathing until it is deep and regular. Bring your focus from your hands, back to your chest. Feel the weight there.
Slowly, begin rolling your shoulders. Roll your head on your neck, and shake out your arms, dispersing any tension. Shake your wrists and hands until they are loose and free. Feel yourself slowly wake from the deep relaxation you enjoyed earlier.
When you’re finished, engage in some mundane grounding activity, such as washing up, eating, or drinking. You might enjoy journaling your experiences so that you can reference them later on.