>> Oh! Something to act as an actual, physical shield is a good idea, I didn't think of that. <<
A holey stone is a self-working example. There are also medallions, pendants, etc. that can do shielding but they often need a magical imprint to do it. A few seem to be self-working. Look for a rune or other symbol that means protection, a convex medallion -- really, a miniature shield.
>> I'm not sure I'm one of the people that will get amazing results from it, but since I'm getting *something* with just my random piecemeal knowledge, looking into further might be worthwhile.<<
If you are getting definite results while playing around with it, then it works for you. How much you get out of it will likely depend on how much you put into it. Once the base talent is established, how much skill a person develops is largely based on how much time and energy they devote to honing those skills.
>>That is a good idea. I'm not great at holding things like patterns in my head, though I also often forget to log them. It's worth a shot though.<<
Start with simple things. If I need a mudra for a ritual or some other special purpose, I look it up. The one I have memorized for everyday use in stressful situations is nothing more than touching thumb to each finger in turn.
The fancier mudras are for holding focus during meditation, where you want things to take a bit of attention; for summoning a particular deity, where it's complicated because it's kind of like a name-sign or phone number; or to set up more complex reactions, like a machine that needs a lot of wires. Those make more sense if you've learned simpler ones, because you'll see motifs repeating.
Note that you do have to mean it, which means pressing not hard but with some intent, like turning on a push-button switch, because that's basically what it does. Also the fingertip chakras are small, about the size of a pea or the eraser end of a pencil. Try different grips: pressing the flat of your thumb and finger together, the very tips, and an angle as if you were picking something up. Usually it is the pick-up grip that will give you the best contact and results.
For comparison, the palm chakras are much bigger, filling almost the whole palm -- say, about the width of a drinking glass. Hence why a basic energy manipulation exercise is to make a "snowball" of energy by rubbing your palms close to each other.
If you can already do the energy ball in your palms, try the same thing but with a pea to marble sized ball between two fingers, or thumb and finger.
The ability to concentrate energy in the hands or fingers allows many magical effects, from mudras to sticking things together to martial arts moves like Diamond Finger.
>>This is another good suggestions, and one I wouldn't have thought of on my own. Yoga routines, yes; mudras, no.<<
YouTube is generally a good place to check for videos on how to "do" things -- just about anything, by now.
>> I find the hand mudras help a lot more in directing and calming energy. I enjoy yoga for the stretching, the breathing, and the soothing voice of the instructor, but it's more of a muted, whole body effect than something that works for a specific cause (at least that I've found so far). <<
Mudras are more focused because they're smaller: that's literally what focus means, directing everything to a small point. Think of the difference between a flashlight and a laser; they do different things but both are useful. Using your whole body gives you more leverage, and more options.
If you want something between the two, useful for comparison, look for two-handed mudras that bring your arms into play a bit. Among the easiest and most useful is the Rock and Water salute: dominant hand in a fist, other hand covering it, at chest height. Power and control.
Re: Try this ...
A holey stone is a self-working example. There are also medallions, pendants, etc. that can do shielding but they often need a magical imprint to do it. A few seem to be self-working. Look for a rune or other symbol that means protection, a convex medallion -- really, a miniature shield.
>> I'm not sure I'm one of the people that will get amazing results from it, but since I'm getting *something* with just my random piecemeal knowledge, looking into further might be worthwhile.<<
If you are getting definite results while playing around with it, then it works for you. How much you get out of it will likely depend on how much you put into it. Once the base talent is established, how much skill a person develops is largely based on how much time and energy they devote to honing those skills.
>>That is a good idea. I'm not great at holding things like patterns in my head, though I also often forget to log them. It's worth a shot though.<<
Start with simple things. If I need a mudra for a ritual or some other special purpose, I look it up. The one I have memorized for everyday use in stressful situations is nothing more than touching thumb to each finger in turn.
The fancier mudras are for holding focus during meditation, where you want things to take a bit of attention; for summoning a particular deity, where it's complicated because it's kind of like a name-sign or phone number; or to set up more complex reactions, like a machine that needs a lot of wires. Those make more sense if you've learned simpler ones, because you'll see motifs repeating.
Note that you do have to mean it, which means pressing not hard but with some intent, like turning on a push-button switch, because that's basically what it does. Also the fingertip chakras are small, about the size of a pea or the eraser end of a pencil. Try different grips: pressing the flat of your thumb and finger together, the very tips, and an angle as if you were picking something up. Usually it is the pick-up grip that will give you the best contact and results.
For comparison, the palm chakras are much bigger, filling almost the whole palm -- say, about the width of a drinking glass. Hence why a basic energy manipulation exercise is to make a "snowball" of energy by rubbing your palms close to each other.
If you can already do the energy ball in your palms, try the same thing but with a pea to marble sized ball between two fingers, or thumb and finger.
The ability to concentrate energy in the hands or fingers allows many magical effects, from mudras to sticking things together to martial arts moves like Diamond Finger.
>>This is another good suggestions, and one I wouldn't have thought of on my own. Yoga routines, yes; mudras, no.<<
YouTube is generally a good place to check for videos on how to "do" things -- just about anything, by now.
>> I find the hand mudras help a lot more in directing and calming energy. I enjoy yoga for the stretching, the breathing, and the soothing voice of the instructor, but it's more of a muted, whole body effect than something that works for a specific cause (at least that I've found so far). <<
Mudras are more focused because they're smaller: that's literally what focus means, directing everything to a small point. Think of the difference between a flashlight and a laser; they do different things but both are useful. Using your whole body gives you more leverage, and more options.
If you want something between the two, useful for comparison, look for two-handed mudras that bring your arms into play a bit. Among the easiest and most useful is the Rock and Water salute: dominant hand in a fist, other hand covering it, at chest height. Power and control.