How to Meditate: Noticing Breath

 

One of the key aspects of witchcraft is the ability to ground oneself. 

It's important for a number of reasons: to balance your emotions; feel connected to nature; in moments of high stress, to clear your mind before a spell. 

Grounding, in the modern world, is also called meditating. The act of clearing your mind of the tumultuous thoughts that crowd your every day. The act of meditating is not supposed to be calming, but often that is a side-effect of clearing your mind. 

The intention behind grounding oneself is to be open to noticing what is going on in the moment: both your breath and your thoughts. To be wholly connected to your physical body means that your third eye has the ability to open and you may cast your intention out into the Universe for you are one with the Universe. 

This first blogpost in the "how to meditate" series starts simple: noticing breath.

You may find that the following instructions work best if you are guided through them. For this, you will be able to find a guided meditation playlist on our YouTube channel where you can choose between a male/female guide who will walk you through the steps below. 

You might also find it beneficial to have someone you trust, a close friend or fellow witch, to read the following statements to you, to have the voice you recognise guide you through. If so, simply pass along this blog to your trusted guide and let them read the following words to you.

Begin by getting comfortable. Whether that is outside in nature, the clouds moving in the wind above, and the earth solid beneath you, or if you are more comfortable in your home, laying down in your bed, the soft support of your familiar pillow under your head - choose whichever will make you feel more at ease. 

Now, once you have found your spot: safe and comfortable as you are here in this space, I want you to close your eyes or lower your gaze.

You are wholly present in this moment, in your body.

And in this moment, I want you to take the time to notice how you are breathing. Whether that's the rise and fall of your stomach, or the air moving in and out of your nose... focus on this. 

Whatever is most easiest for you to notice, this is your anchor.

Allow the ebb and flow of your breath to ground you. Notice one breath at a time.

Breathe in. And breathe out.

Does your mind wander off? An image might appear in your head, a sound, a worry that distracts you from the flow of breathing in and breathing out.

This is perfectly normal. 

Notice that it has happened. Acknowledge that thought and then let it go, to drift back off into the Universe. 

Now, return your attention back to your anchor point. 

Breathe in. And breathe out. 

You should remain open to accepting any thoughts and worries that come your way. Like the clouds in the sky, we can notice them and let them pass. 

Return back to your anchor. 

You are breathing in. And out. 

Now, when you feel ready, open your eyes and return to the world around you.

Remember:

If your mind wanders and you don't have a "clear" mind - don't worry! The goal is not to have an "empty" mind. The benefit of meditating comes from that return from the thoughts to the breathing. To remind yourself again and again of the simple in and out of your breath and your connection to life.

Your Anchor:

The most important thing in meditation/grounding is to have an anchor. Mine is the rise and fall of my stomach when I place my hand on there since it means even when I have a cold (and I can't breathe through my nose!) I have one place I know I can always return to to get me back into the present of noticing my breath and away from the many thoughts that drift in and out of my mind.

I hope that this blog post will help you in your future endeavours to ground yourself. This is a great tool that can be used for calming yourself in a stressful situation, as well as just preparing your mind for spell work. If you enjoyed this, please look out for more "how to meditate" blog posts which you can find by searching the label of the same name.

Blessed Be, 

Diana Greenbird