Awakened Breath Incantation

Unless you are already a practitioner of magical arts, you may well be casting spells unconsciously that throw obstacles in your path. Negative thoughts can imprint and start to manifest in an unfortunate way.

To clear the way to greater wealth and happiness, go for a walk during the next new moon. Pick up a white stone or white flower and place it on your altar. Light a white candle, and then close your eyes. Empty your mind and breathe deeply. Check to make sure your mind is not wandering; if any negative thoughts are lingering, send them out of your mind permanently.

After ten deep inhales and exhales, you should begin to feel a buzzing at the crown of your head. Now, open your eyes stare into the flame of the candle and repeat seven times:

    I am alive.

    I have power

    It is real

    And so it is.

Any time you find yourself engaged in negative self-talk or thinking, repeat this spell.

Guided Meditation

Close your eyes, take a deep breath in and let it go. Breathe in again, breathing in peacefulness and breathing out tension, breathing in joy, breathing out frustration, breathing in fresh air, breathing out staleness. Begin to imagine that you are sitting in a beautiful pyramid of golden light. The light within this pyramid totally surrounds your body. Take another deep breath, then let it go. Imagine that there is a mirror image of this pyramid beneath you grounding you into the earth, creating a structure of light all around you. Breathe in the light, feel its warmth, and relax.

Now image there is a ball of light at the top of the pyramid. Begin to bring this golden ball of light down through the top of your head through your crown area. Opening the crown chakra, located in the top of your head, allow the light to filter down through your crown into the center of your head and expand it out so that all the cells in your head become one with the light, relaxed yet alert. Now take another breath and, as you exhale, relax and let all the tension of the day drift away and become more and more relaxed with each breath you take. Now image the light moving in and out of the center of your forehead, opening up this energy center to the light. As you imagine this, feel the energy coming in and out of this area in the center of your forehead, opening up this energy center to the light. As you imagine this, feel the energy coming in and out of this area in the center of your forehead, opening this energy center for new awareness and clarity. Know that as you sit in sacred space and work with this guided meditation, this process will become easier for you.

Over time, you will develop new ways of sensing, feeling, or seeing the light energy, but for now, relax and allow this golden light to move from your head down to your throat... allowing the light to massage your throat, opening up your throat to the light...readying your throat to speak your truth. When you feel each center opening, simply move to the next, breathing in and out. Imagine the light moving from the throat now down to the heart, bringing warmth and a golden glow to the heart center. Open your heart to its warmth by imagining your heart as a flower unfolding, opening to the warmth of the sun and your breath.

Stay here in the heart feeling yourself nurtured by the light. Notice the rhythm of your heartbeat...your rhythm, your vibration...and breathe. And now allow yourself to go deeper within the heat. Ask to go to your deeper heart, your soul heart, your wisdom heart...we all know this place...ask to go to this place and sit there with yourself. When you’re ready, bring the golden light from the heart center to the upper belly and open up the solar plexus chakra to the light. Sit there for a while, feeling this energy center open. When you are ready, move on. Bring the light to the lower belly, opening this energy center, and sit there for a while. Now bring the light from the lower belly to the base of your spine, your root chakra, opening this energy center to the light. Once you feel your connection at the base of your spine, imagine a cord of light running from the base of your spine into the center of the earth, grounding you in the earth. Know now that you are connected to heaven and earth and yourself for all of your knowing.

This meditation is a powerful way to connect before each healing process. It opens and connects you to yourself, the divine and the earth, providing an inner connectedness that supports inner listening.

At this point, invite in your spiritual guides or guardians, if you have not already done so before entering into the guided meditation.

Calling guides and helpers is easy. Simply say, “Guardians from the light, please come to me and assist me on my healing journey.” You may choose to know them and can say, “Show yourselves to me; let me know your presence.” Sometimes a friend or loved one who has passed away will come, sometimes an old pet will appear, sometimes you may feel a touch on your shoulder or a loving presence. Trust these moments. You can always ask, “Who is with me from the light?” If you feel a strange presence that makes you uncomfortable, ask who it is or simply ask the energy to go to the light and leave your space now. If you are unaware of guides or elders that work with you, there are some exercises later to introduce you to your helpers. Your higher self and other higher beings, such as angels, must be called. They are always present, but to actively work with you they must be invited. I call them like this: “Angels, Archangels, please come and be with me now. I would like your presence with me for this healing. Higher Self, please work with me now.” I also call all my guides and animal allies whenever I create my sacred space. 

Clearing the New Year: Ganesha Mudras

The elephant-headed Ganesha is the Indian god who helps overcome all obstacles. What better way to start the New Year that with this mighty deity at your side? Ganesha is beloved in India, where he is also called Vighnaharta, the “Lord and Destroyer of Obstacles.” When people seek success in work or school, they turn to this jolly elephant god. I keep a little bronze statue of a supine Ganesha on my computer.

Mudra is a type of yoga you do with your hands. It is also called “finger power points.” This is a portable yoga that you can do anywhere—on the bus, on the place, at your desk, even walking down the street. This is a marvelous way to calm yourself and handle stress. Buddha statues are usually shown with the hands in a mudra.

The very easy Ganesha mudra begins by holding your left hand in front of your chest with the palm facing outward, away from your body. Bend your fingers. Grasp your left fingers with your right fingers bent, toward your body. Move the hands to the level of your heart, right in front of your chest. Exhale vigorously and gently try to pull your hands apart without releasing the grip. This will create tensions in your upper arms and chest area, exercising those muscles.

Now relax those muscles while inhaling. Repeat these steps six times, then place both your hands on your sternum in the Ganesha clasping position. Note the energy and heat you feel in your body. Now repeat six times with your hands facing in the reversed positions.

The Ganesha mudra opens the fourth chakra and gives us “heart”—courage, confidence, and good feelings toward others. It opens us up to new encounters and new, positive experiences. Performed once a day, this is a marvelous way to strengthen your upper body. It is also believed to open the bronchial tubes and stimulate that area. 

Murcha—The Euphoric Breath

Murcha in Sanskrit means “to retain,” so murcha is the “retaining breath.” Murcha will help you hold on to some of your natural energy that business drains away. Restore yourself through this ritual. Pranayama is the fine art of breathing and controlling the flow of oxygen in and out of the lungs. Conscious breathing can vastly improve your health and make you more alert. This is a yoga exercise for achieving a state of ecstasy through pranayama. Done properly, murcha will enhance your mental capacity, center you, and create a sense of euphoria.

Sit down on the floor or a mat and make yourself as comfortable as possible. Now close your eyes and calm yourself completely. Begin the process of murcha by taking a few mindful breaths. Breathe through your nose. Don’t hold your breath; just breathe in and out in a natural manner, but remain aware of your breathing.

When you are ready, take a deeper breath through your nose and visualize the new air and oxygen traveling throughout your body, cleansing and relaxing you. Hold that deeper breath, bend your neck, and bring your chin as close to your lungs and chest as possible. Keep this position as long as you can do so comfortably. When you need to, raise your head again and slowly exhale through your nose. When your lungs are empty, repeat the murcha breath. Repeat this cycle of breathing five times only. After the fifth breath, notice how you feel and be “in the moment.” Like most breathing meditations, you will experience a subtle sort of ecstasy with raised energy and a sense of bliss.

In pranayama, it is important to remember not to place any stress on your body. Don’t hold your breath beyond your comfort level. To do so would be to go against the grain of the technique and teachings of pranayama.

With practice, you will notice you can hold your breath naturally and comfortably just a little bit longer each time. As with all things, pranayama yoga breathing gets better with practice. The beginning breath cleanses the pulmonary system and raises your energy level. 

Personal Pilgrimage—How to Walk the Labyrinth

The labyrinth represented wholeness to the ancients, combining the circle and the spiral in one archetypal image. The labyrinth is unicursal, meaning there is only one path in and one path out. Put simply, it is a journey into the self, into your own center, and back into the world again. As a prayer and meditation tool, labyrinths are peerless; they awaken intuition.

Do your best to relax before you enter. Deep breaths will help a great deal. If you have a specific question in mind, think it or whisper it to yourself. You will meet others on the pilgrim’s path as you are walking; simply step aside and let them continue on their journey as you do the same. The three stages of the labyrinth walk are as follows:

Purification: Here is where you free your mind of all worldly concerns. It is a release, a letting go. Still your mind and open your heart. Shed worries and emotion as you step out on the path.

Illumination: When you have come to the center, you are in the place of illumination. Here, you should stay as long as you feel the need to pray and meditate. In this quiet center, the heart of the labyrinth, you will receive messages from the Divine or from your own higher power. Illumination can also come from deep inside yourself.

Union: This last phase is where you will experience union with the Divine. Lauren Artress says that as you “walk the labyrinth, you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul requires.”

Walking Meditation

This is the simplest of rituals you can do every day of your life. As you walk, take the time to look and really see what is in your path. For example, my friend Eileen takes a bag with her and picks up every piece of garbage in her path. She does this as an act of love for the earth. During the ten years I have known her, she has probably turned a mountain of litter into recycled glass, paper, and plastic. Goddess bless! This is one type of walking meditation. This very simple daily ritual honors the earth and helps preserve life for all beings.