The Basics

[TeaDidikai]

Daffodil the Destroyer

Do you know of any good exercises to just practice visualisation itself? Every time I have tried, I just can't seem to make myself 'see' what I'm supposed to be. I can kind of feel what I'm going for, but the visual aspect of it generally doesn't work too well. Or can it still work if you 'feel' instead of 'see'?

Use what works for you. Feeling is just as valid in this case.

As for tips: Try looking at something, then closing your eyes and maintaining the image for a moment in your mind.

Open your eyes and refresh the image as needed. Practice for a few minutes, then go off and do something else. Return and look at the same image, then repeat. When you feel comfortable, try picturing it once again without looking at it.

I find it helps to "notice details". For example, if I was going to practice on my computer- some things stand out well. There is a fan that has a blue LED light at the front. There is a case and bold shapes are easy to remember. I might try and focus on something small, like the logo on the monitor.

Visualization (like so much else) becomes easier with practice.

Maze>> Actually, my personal experience is that masking becomes easier with grounding and centering. Less energy washing about that could distract you.  

[Maze]

TeaDidikai

Maze>> Actually, my personal experience is that masking becomes easier with grounding and centering. Less energy washing about that could distract you.

Just like most things, then. Guess there's nothing for it but to start practicing. 3nodding

I can probably use a bit of centering and grounding, I tend to make small children hyperactive. XD;  

[Pelta]

Maze

Can you mask and shield at the same time? I don't think it's probably an impossibility, but it might require more attention, maybe? Of course, practice makes perfection look easy, I suppose.

If you built a shield into your camouflage you'd be killing two birds with one stone.

The easiest way I've found of not being seen is turning down your "I'm here" beacon. If people can't sense you it's very easy to not be noticed.

But then again it depends on your style. A friend of mine deals with dangerous streets by turning up his signals and looking intimidating. I turn it down and go unnoticed. Whatever works for you.  

[TeaDidikai]

It's actually quite amazing what simply drawing in excess energy will do in terms of causing you to blend in.

Although- if people have come to expect high energy levels from you, and you pull in slightly, they might become slightly concerned. sweatdrop  

[Naynram Ukir]

If visualizations of shields (or masking and ect.) cause a person to blend in, then what do you think would cause a person to stand out and be noticed? razz

Of course without, you know, expending all of your energy and just tiring yourself out. lol

 

[Deoridhe]

Centering: I have two centers, one below my heart and one in the exactly middle of my pelvis. Depending on which I'm centering on, I focus on the images associated with one of them.

The first center I discovered as a part of balance and meditation. I can't describe it any more clearly. The second was a gift.

Shielding:

I have been multilayered since high school. Originally, my bottom layer was a shell of white light (quite thin), my middle was a thick, gooey tube, viscous layer (quite thick) and my third was a shadow (quite thin). I began adding shunts, out-ties, and mirror shields as I grew up. The current configuration is hugely complicated, but largely because it amuses me and it's good practice to maintain.

Grounding:

I 'water', 'air', and 'ground'. The imagery is of a link between myself and the thing. These days I try for a sense of not being "on" any of them, but rather floating "in between" each. When I'm not feeling well, I reach under ground for stones and insert myself into them; it's a clarifying sort of thing.  

[Reynai]

A lot of what you wrote about centering, Tea, reminded me a lot of one of the things I do from time to time to try to relax myself when I sleep if I'm particularly worked up or whatever. Visualizing each part of my body in turn and such -- with what I suppose would be a fairly major difference. I tend to focus upon relaxing myself, and pushing outward, trying to push the stress and tension away.

The other night, as an experiment, I tried pulling in, instead, and felt as though I'd just had a bit too much caffeine, before letting it go.

I suppose one problem I'm running into is that I don't really know what energy 'feels' like. The only times I've put that technique into any sort of successful practice is when I've been particularly wound up, and I could feel the 'nervous energy' or stress, or whatever it might be as though it were radiating from me.  

[TeaDidikai]

Reynai

The other night, as an experiment, I tried pulling in, instead, and felt as though I'd just had a bit too much caffeine, before letting it go.

Did you ground as well?

riku4245>> Projection.

Yasmine has a great "Flirty" spell that uses this concept in Embracing The Moon.  

[patch99329]

When I shield, I tend to use multiple layers.
I do this every night:

Shield round me, starts as white light, turns to steel (for the reasons tea mentioned about making something a solid).
Same around my room.
A shield of white light around my house.  

[TeaDidikai]

patch99329

Same around my room.
A shield of white light around my house.

This almost goes into warding. (Something I'll get to eventually).

A quick point of discussion:

Where do people draw energy from?  

[patch99329]

TeaDidikai

A quick point of discussion:

Where do people draw energy from?

It depends.
If it's something small (like my own little shield) I will use my own energy.

If it's something bigger I take energy from the earth in most cases.  

[Deoridhe]

TeaDidikai

A quick point of discussion:

Where do people draw energy from?

Either outside of myself, frequently ambient, or an internal spot (but the latter requires, you know, eating and stuff).  

[Reynai]

Tea: No, I have to say I didn't even try it at the time. I was laying down, thought that centering might help me relax, and gave it a try...and I'll admit I was being entirely too lazy to get up and re-read through the helpful direction you gave on grounding. With later attempts, I've as yet been unable to muster enough concentration to center myself.  

[TeaDidikai]

Reynai

With later attempts, I've as yet been unable to muster enough concentration to center myself.

Practice makes perfect, and the initial centering can indeed make people feel like a bit of an overcharged battery- which is why I always present those three things as a single method.  

[Naynram Ukir]

TeaDidikai

Reynai

The other night, as an experiment, I tried pulling in, instead, and felt as though I'd just had a bit too much caffeine, before letting it go.

Did you ground as well?

riku4245>> Projection.

Yasmine has a great "Flirty" spell that uses this concept in Embracing The Moon.

What would a projection visualization be like? I've never heard of it before.
I hardly ever use any kind of rituals found in books, but out of curiousity, what is that one like?

I had a really well thought out response on where energy comes from, but in one second Gaia decides to go offline and completely erases it.
I can't explain in the way I truly felt, like I did before, but oh well.
I think it comes in the way of regular biological energy like food and sleep; but also more importantly, internally through the mind. Rituals may make it easier to be put into the right mind frame of what you're wanting, and you self fufill it from something of an unending energy source you've created and/or tapped in to.