Re: Getting focused... Searles Tue Oct 6 16:18:04 1998 Among those who would be Druids and Seers, there are three different methods for becoming focused. All of these methods rightfully assume that the people attempting to obtain focus have as a minimum the ability to concentrate. I call these methods: The Three Attentions.*p*THE THREE ATTENTIONS are:*p*1.) Concentrating on a Non-Living or Inanimate Object.*p*2.) Concentrating on the Breath or a Breathing Object.*p*3.) Concentrating on an Abstraction to Receive Imbas.*p*THE THREE POSTURES*p*Before I talk about the details of the Three Attentions, let me first address the needs of the body within the distractions of the world. To achieve attention requires each of us to achieve a physically relaxed posture. Among the Celts and Druids, there are three postures that have been reported to have been used for meditation and attention. These three practices are reported as being:*p*1.) Sitting cross legged with the back straight, (as is shown on the Gundestrup Cauldron).*p*2.) Sitting in a chair with the legs together and the back straight (like a chief or king upon their thrones);.*p*3.) Laying completely prone (in a secluded guarded place), with the hands upon the eyes (or covered by a blanket, a skin or a cloth; i.e. the "Bed of the Poets"). *p*The object of these postures is to allow the body to take care of itself while the mind seeks its own natural state through control of the attention.*p**br*CONCENTRATING ON A NON-LIVING OBJECT*p*Place a small object in front of you made of metal, plastic, wood or glass. Sit in a relaxed position with the legs crossed (if on the floor or ground) or with the legs to the front (if in a chair). Gaze only at the object with an unwavering stare. Do not ask yourself question about the object, nor imagine anything about it or its possibilities. Simply gaze upon it and observe it. It is for this reason that the more plain and simple that the object is, the less distracting it will be to the focus of attention. As an aid to the attention in this exercise open a pathway between yourself and the two forms of spirit: That Which Creates and That Which Destroys. In this deep connection between yourself and the source or end of ALL Things, allow distractions to be consumed as easily as you breath or your heart beats. If you feel constrained by your surrounding, go to a place of isolation. If you are restless, make relaxation your first goal (to be accomplished through exercise, posture, breathing and gentle movement). Always return to your focused gaze and attention upon the object. The object could also be a Mandala or a letter, even an Ogham. The use of such a focal point is a universally accepted standard for shifting the attention so that mastery of the self can be achieved in relaxation. Such methods are taught to expecting mothers in the Lamaze techniques of natural childbirth. I find this to be appropriate to one who seeks to give birth to the self through spirit and by means of achieving a single pointed/minded focus. *p*CONCENTRATING ON A BREATHING OBJECT*p*This method is primarily concerned with one's own breathing habits and breath. Once again, this method begins by obtaining one of the three major Celtic relaxation postures. Pay attention to your breathing and attempt to change the way that you breath to the way that you breath while sleeping. This breathing is also the way that a baby breathes. Draw the breath in through the nose and into the lungs by allowing the lower lungs to fill first and expand until the air reaches the top of the lungs. Exhale slowly through the nostrils, by pushing the air from the lungs using the abdominal muscles. Once this process has been repeated many times and is automatic and completely natural, begin to count (in your mind) the number of breaths that are taken. Extend this counting to an entire day (at times) so that you know the length of a day in the breaths of your body. When this task is no longer difficult to accomplish, change the focus of your attention to the actual breath itself. Follow the quality of the air as it comes into your body through the nostrils and into the upper chest, reaching the extents of the lungs. Feel the air pass into your blood and journey through your body, until it has been changed by your body's own heat and natural exertions. Return to your lungs along the pathways of your blood through the heart and into the lungs again. Observe the changes of the breath as the products of the body's du/ile have altered the nature of the air within it. Watch these breaths as they leave your body and reconnect to the greater Du/ile of the Cosmos. Begin the cycle anew with each succeeding breath. One can assign a sound or a color symbol to better describe and facilitate each part of this process of transformation within the breathing. This method of paying attention can be expanded to the ways in which trees breathe: inspiring from and expiring into Nature. Following such a flow naturally increases the connections between the center of self and the center of Nature.*p*CONCENTRATING ON AN ABSTRACTION TO ACHIEVE IMBAS*p*This process is really the elimination of thoughts so that the mind is in a completely natural state. That is to say, that it is observing everything equally without internal or external prejudice in its attention. This form of exercise in regulating the attention is the most difficult and IMO the most rewarding forms. There are two basic methods for achieving this state in my experience: Cutting off extraneous thoughts as they occur and *sinking* such thoughts into a *void* of nothingness. In the first method, one cuts the thought off as soon as it manifests and returns to the preferred posture while thinking absolutely nothing, but remaining attentive to any other transient thoughts that might need to be "chopped" or "cut-off" as soon as they occur. You will find that the mind eventually becomes disciplined to not manifesting such distractions for itself (and creating useless work that is counter-productive to its *real* work). In the other method (sinking the thoughts into the Abyss), one yield to the thought and lets it flow beyond the consciousness into the Pit (or other suitable visualized trash can). Sometimes I use a black flame for consuming such thoughts and at other times this *void* is a black bubble. As I approach the natural state of my mind I also approach the flame/bubble until I am within it and no longer have to *sink* extraneous thought. It is at this point that I also realize that there is no mine or yours, nor anything such as inside or outside. If one wants to extend the consciousness, one sees and experiences *Nothingness* in every direction equally, within and without. In this way the attention is equally centered and alert for what IS and for what IS NOT.*p*These are some things a person can accomplish in their quest to master the attention of their consciousness. Such things are the everyday practices of Druids IMO and in my personal experiences.*p*Searles*p**br*____*p*taliesin_2 wrote,*br*: Hello, all.. I'm looking for various methods of getting *br*: focused. Anybody got any ideas?? Or suggestions?*br* Getting focused... taliesin_2 197 Wed Sep 30 23:02:20 1998