Breath Pattern – Breath Up and Move into Your Best Self

You can do this breath pattern seated or standing. I prefer standing because of the willful choice it implies, but in all cases you have a choice. I have used this for as mundane a task as job interviews, and of course to step into magical ritual roles.

Breath Up and Become

Close your eyes and feel the breath in your body.

Feel the energy that your breath gives to your body.

Feel that energy fill your body and the vitality it brings.

Allow your breath to be slow and even.

In and out, in and out.

In and out, in and out.

Now continue breathing and reach down to connect with the Earth

Feel the energy of the Earth, the energy that supports us every day of our lives.

Reach down into that energy and draw it up into your body on your in breath.

On your out breath, allow the energy, mingled with your energy, to fill the space just in front of you.

Keep bringing that energy up from the earth and sending it out in front of you.

Bring it up and send it out with the best of your intentions to create an energy ball in front of you .

Keep bringing that energy, up from the earth and send it out in front you.

Feel the positive Earth energy flowing through you toward that ball of energy you are building right in front of you.

Up from the earth and sending it out in front of you.

Up from the earth and sending it out in front of you.

Let that shape start to form filled with the best of yourself, and the good of the Earth.

Up from the earth and sending it out in front of you.

In your mind’s eye, see it become a shape that mirrors your shape right now.

Up from the earth and sending it out in front of you.

And when you feel it is ready – either step into it, or if seated allow it to settle over you.

Allow your breath to return to normal.

This shape is your best open connected self and with it you are ready for the next thing you need to do.

Fountain Breath

The Fountain Breath Excercise

This breath pattern was taught to me, many many years ago, as a shielding breath. I have used it several different ways, most lately to help myself sleep in the time of the apocalypse. 🙂

I will start with the basic and then share my slightly morphed tool.


Stand on the ground, with your feet flat on the Earth, your weight centered and balanced. If you cannot get to the actual ground do not worry, very little in this world did not originally come from the Earth. Simply focus on feeling as centered and balanced as you can in this moment. (yes you can do this sitting but it is more treelike standing)

Feel the energy of the Earth beneath your feet. Relax into your weight, soften your knees.

Feel your breath in and out, in and out. Slow even breaths.

Now gently reach down into the Earth and draw some of that deep, old, powerful, and yet peaceful energy into your body.

Breathe and draw it up. Don’t force it.

Breathe and draw it up.

Allow the energy to fill your body as you breathe.

Draw that energy up from the Earth letting it fill you.
Keeping your breath slow and even. Don’t strain, just slow and gentle breaths.

When you are filled with that energy, all the way to the top of your head, on the out breath allow that energy to spill over, flowing from your body back down into the Earth.
Feel it spilling from the top of your head back down into the Earth.

Keep drawing it up on the in breath and let it spill in front of you on the out breath.

Draw it up on the in breath and let it spill on one side of you on the out breath.

Draw it up on the in breath and let it spill on the other side of you on the out breath.

Draw it upon the in breath and let it spill behind you on the out breath.

Keep breathing gently and letting the energy splill back out to the Earth.

Now you are in the center of this peaceful, gentle energy. It is all around you, over you and under you.

You are encased in a clear energetic sphere of Earth energy. Feel yourself safe and protected.

Allow your breathing to be normal, stop drawing energy and just feel yourself.

This energy is a shield for you. It will allow in what you need.

This shield will deflect what you do not need, while you remain centered and calm.


That is the basic practice, of what I have called the Fountain Breath, because I did not have a name for it, and it reminded me of a fountain. 🙂


Now here is what I have been doing, because as Penny rightly noticed at that ROS I am fairly open to energy.

In bed at night before I fall asleep, I have been drawing up the Earth energy and creating a shield, just like this.

For me this shield has prevented the miasma of tension and fear, that this pandemic is engendering, from infiltrating my dreams and sleep.

You might want to practice it first standing, just to get the hang of it. To see how it feels for you. It is useful for a number of things as we have taught in Twilight Covening clans off and on over the years.

I believe it is a gentle breath exercise and simple enough to teach to children. And controlling your breath really does easily change your energy.

I hope this has some value for you.

 

Body as a Magical Tool – Trance Movement

Using repetitive movement is a practice that’s history is lost in time. There is no right or wrong movement that will bring us into trance, though some do work better than others.

In my community, we see an example of repetitive movement inducing trance with movement around the fire circle and with drumming.

Trance movement can bring up emotions that were blocked or buried in the body, that is fine. It can bring visions, that is good. Trance movement will shift your energy to allow you to open to more, and that is excellent.

Things that come up during trance movement that get in your way of achieving a deeper trance:

The Monkey Mind – your mind likes it’s safe spaces, it likes to be entertained, it will try and trick you with things like “This isn’t working” “I can’t do this anymore” “Someone else is doing something that is wrong or irritating.” Generally this is the time when you are close to a break through and your mind is resisting because this is a challenge it has not experienced before or in a while. I still have this every time, and I know pushing through is worth trying.

Dropping – this doesn’t usually happen in a short trance, but a longer session can cause the visions to be more intense, so the body passes out to allow the visions to happen. If someone drops and you are spotting, allow them to be as long as you do not see any distress. Bringing someone out quickly for your comfort is generally not comfortable for the person in trance.

Trying to make sense of things – this is a control thing, we do not like to be out of control but trance is a time when we are not in control.

We chose to try this, so when that challenge comes up just let it go and think, “Oh it is the monkey mind thing again. ” And stay in the movement or whatever you are using to induce trance.

Generally if you allow yourself to ride the energy and keep your breathing even, you will have the best trance experience.

Remember trance is a gift you give to yourself. It is a pathway to be in touch with things you cannot easily perceive.

Here are some suggested movements to work with for a trance video. If you want to be standing and use your whole body, the movement I would suggest is walking in place. This movement will still allow you to see the images in the video. If you want to be fancy, I would step right – step together, step left – step together. You could also slowly rock side to side shifting weight foot to foot. If seated, I would use a slow rocking movement allowing the music to carry you. You could even simply use your hands or feet, clapping or stepping – keep the movement simple and repetitive – nothing you have to remember or think about. You do not want to engage the monkey mind to judge if you are doing it correctly. That defeats the purpose of the movement. I would try the movement out first to find what works for you before using it with the video. The movement should not take away from the sound and the images, they should feel good together so they blend into a whole that will make a better trance experience.

If you have to stop moving at some point, that is okay. No one is grading you here. Remember trance is your gift to yourself. Simply stop moving and continue with the video and allow yourself to stay in the softened space.

Toward the end of the video the song will fade.

You will hear three bell sounds, at that point, if you are still moving, slow down and come to a stop.

Close your eyes and allow everything you have taken in to be. Sense the energy. If there are visions allow them, but do not try to grasp onto them.

And when you feel ready open your eyes.

Give yourself time enough to slowly step back into the normal flow. Drink water. Have a blanket to stay warm. Allow yourself the time you need.

If you are alone, once you feel grounded reach out to your buddy to let them know you are fine and back. Because of course if you were going to do it by yourself you have told someone, so they would be there to know you are fine. 🙂

Enjoy!