Lesson 4 - Shielding

[~Elise~]

Okay--there are as many ways to shield as there are magicians/witches out there. Everyone has their own favorite way.

The key to effective shielding is both simple and intensive at the same time - DO IT DAILY for at least three months.

I can not stress enough how important this is. If you don't do it daily, it doesn't become instinctive and automatic. If you have to stop and think about it -- it is too late for most attacks that are going to be directed at you.

I'm going to post several different ways to shield yourself. This is done after grounding and centering yourself. If you aren't centered and grounded, you will not be able to shield effectively.

I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but this and the last lesson HAVE to be a daily practice or they will not be effective. It doesn't take that much time and the payoff is more than worth it.

For your homework...try out several different methods -- post your results and tell me which one you're going to end up using.

Elise

[~Elise~]

This is one of the easiest forms of shielding:

Put yourself into a comfortable position and begin by releasing all tension and anxiety.

Visualize a ball of white light floating above you. Focus on the energy of the ball -know that it is full of love and strength and peace. Try hard to FEEL these qualities in the energy of the ball.

Now let the energy from the ball of light begins to flow down into you. The energy is a beautiful, clear white light. No matter how much light comes into you, the ball will remain equally strong for its true origin is the Universe and it is a source of boundless spiritual energy.

Let the energy from the ball pour into you and flow throughout your body. Let it move out into your arms and legs, down into your fingers and toes.

Now let that light expand beyond your body. At first see the light expand just an inch out from your body. Now let it expand a little more -two inches, four inches... Let the light expand to form an oval around your whole body --an oval filled with clear, beautiful, loving white light from the Universe.

Now let that oval of white light expand to form a perfect circle of energy around you, expanding until it is about six feet across.

[~Elise~]

This one is one of my personal favorites and the one I teach first to my IRL students:

Breathe deeply. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe in for the count of four, hold for four, out for four. Do this four times. It helps to ground us and aids in our concentration. (you can do this before any of these exercises)

Imagine that you are putting on a mirrored suit of armor. It is sleek, comfortable and form-fitting. Remember also to cover the bottoms of your feet and the top of your head.

This will reflect anything directed at you back to the person/thing in question.

Now -- when you first start this one...you won't have any 'filters' on it. All your stuff stays in and all the other stuff stays out...including people that you know and love. As you get better at the visualization, you'll be able to filter the suit--that is let in the good, (and out the good, as well) and stop the yucky stuff. This will take a bit of adjusting over a couple of weeks, but it will be easy as you get better at the visualization.

[~Elise~]

Light a candle, the colour you feel is best for working to rid yourself of bad feelings.Concentrate on the flame. Stare into the flame. Imagine the flame becoming a ball of light. When it *is* a ball of light, imagine the ball of light becoming a circle, a large and growing ball that you pour all your negativity into. The ball hovers, and when you feel you have poured all the negativity that has built up from other people into this ball, imagine the ball breaking away from the flame, hovering in the room. Then it begins to move. It moves away from you and the candle flame, the ball floats out the window, floats into the guttering, rolling, rolling, and down the drain the ball goes, to be washed away.

Stare into the candle flame again and imagine the flame becoming a circle again, and then a ball. This ball is fillling up, not from you, but from the Universe. As the ball shimmers, shining brightly, imagine it coming towards you, a bright, shining ball of Universal love and light, come to fill you with power, courage and self love. Allow the ball to diffuse into your body as you continue to stare into the candle flame.

[~Elise~]

Visualize a 'net' of energy around the area to be shielded. Remember to 'see' it in 3D, a sphere rather than a circle. Visualize negative energy being absorbed by the shields and flowing into the earth. Visualize it as porous, though, so that energy you send can pass through.

[~Elise~]

This is an article that I've used for a couple of years with my IRL students...don't remember the source:

Most people are taught to shield in a temporary way, only when they encounter a situation which makes them feel threatened or uncomfortable. Shields should be permanent, and never be 'turned off'. If you wait to launch a defense or build a shield in response to a given situation, it's already too late to be truly effective, often resulting in a headache or some other manifestation of what you've absorbed before the shields are solid and in place. If you are dealing with a magical attack, putting shields in place once you have noticed the attack is a bit like closing the barn door after the horses have escaped. Defenses which are left in place and properly maintained over time are also likely to be far stronger than ones tossed into place in response to an immediate threat.

There are those who feel they must not expend the energy needed to create or maintain a defense when they are ill. If you spend the time and energy on the design and creation of your shields at the start, the maintenance "energy cost" to you on an ongoing basis is next to nothing. Even when you are sick (which, after all, is a really good time to be shielded!) you need not lower your defenses. You should work on your shielding and protection daily until they are second nature to you. Each time you begin to work, scan your shields. In the beginning, you will see weaknesses, cracks, thin areas, etc. at the start of each session. Reinforce them every day, plug up the holes, patch the cracks, and strengthen the whole system. When you do this consistently, over time you will notice more and more of your repair work holding and not having "worn off" since the last scan. Once your shields are stable, and do not require constant reinforcement and repair, you may find you don't need to scan them daily. You should, however, continue to scan on a regular basis to maintain them.

Shields learn what you teach them to do, through daily visualization and programming. Many people are satisfied with shields built with simple visualization, such as surrounding themselves with white light, or an energy bubble or a crystal egg. These techniques are simple, easy to learn, easy to teach, and often relatively adequate for 'normal' situations. Most are taught to visualize their shields as something protective, but essentially non-intelligent and inanimate.

Consider, however, creating your shields more dynamically. Intelligent, active, able to respond in a variety of ways to a given situation, self-cleaning and self maintaining shields are constantly alert, vigilant and dynamic. This can be accomplished with time and work; this effort will also assist you in developing consistent visualization skills.

Some people don't like to allow shields this much autonomy, and prefer to micromanage protection. It is true that one can occasionally have trouble accepting healing and energy in through one's shields if they are built this way. Since you are programming your shields to protect you, they should respond to anything sent your way with suspicion. You can always ask people to "drop the energy at the door" should this become an issue for you. Determining how strong you want your defensive system, and how much independence you will allow that system in responding to changing conditions is a very personal choice.

People are often afraid their empathic skills will be negatively impacted by the use of a permanent shield. This need not be the case. You can use your visualization techniques to create "filters" which allow empathic information through to you, while filtering out the attached emotional impact. This may actually make it easier for you to utilize your empathic skills, since you will find it considerably less draining without having to absorb and process the emotions along with the information. Filters are not the only way to accomplish this, but they are simple and effective if used correctly for this purpose.

Shields can be programmed to be self regulating; that is, they are able to monitor and repair their own health, and to strengthen automatically as situations change. In protective magic, some people choose to mirror back negative energy sent to them. I consider this wasteful. The energy is a gift to you, even if this was not the intent of the sender. Your shields can be taught to clean the energy, and then use it for their maintenance and strengthening. Of course, the irony of using such a "gift" for this purpose provides a bit of amusement as well!

Shields should be very personalized. Experiment with them, work with them until they meet your needs, and can provide customized responses to given stimuli. Do not get caught up in the appearance of your shields. I have run across far too many people whose shields were incredibly ornate visualizations (which take some energy to maintain), but had little functional value. Always let form follow function, and consider what the task is before you create the image. Your shields are not for show; they have a job to do, and the form should support that job, rather than having the function come out of, and be limited by, the form.

Shielding provides an incredibly flexible and efficient method of regulating the "energy weather" around you. It takes time and effort, good visualization, and repetition to create responsive and effective shielding. Once in place, solid shields help maintain your emotional and physical health and balance, in addition to providing more obvious psychic and magical benefits. Properly constructed and maintained, your shields are the most important magical tool you can have.

[Against The Tide]

Thank you for the lesson. I will absorb the information and experiement when I get back tonight.

[Mainedruid]

Thank you for the lesson. I will absorb the information and experiement when I get back tonight.

What he said!:hahugh:

[Fencai]

great info! I think im really interested in the mirrored suit, and then eventually creating filters on this one.
Great article too btw! Lots of info!

[Against The Tide]

Ok, first two tries :)

The ball of white light exercise went quite well. I felt like I was being filled with light - like a bottle being filled with water, but the light went to my core then worked its way to my extremities. I couldn't visualise the sheild reaching as far as 6 feet wide. I just had it half that (but I managed to make sheild extend high above and below me) - wearing it feels perculiar. I feel protected but getting used to it will take some time. I can 'feel' the armour on me, not exactly encumbering but its there and it wasn't before so im moving with all the care of an astronaut doing a spacewalk until it feels like a second skin. I think I will favour this method, but I want to try the others.

I gave the (polished jet black) mirror armour ago and it didn't feel like I thought it would. Instead of being reflective I felt invisble - like things would pass straight through me. I worked on the visualisation and adjusted this so it was more like a shining silver plate and it was better. Again felt a bit unusual inside the armour but well protected. I'm sure I could have stood next to a couple arguing and I'd not have felt any negitivity at all :)

I will try the others later on, and stick with one or two until I feel I have gotten used to it. I eager to see if I can eventualy make the sheild maintain itself.

Some questions - can sheild be put over areas or other people? Is it ethical to do so? Would you be obliged to tell them (and let their doubts of your workings weaken the sheild) or can you just keep quiet about it?

I'll also look into other forms of sheilding, not that we haven't been given enough material - I'm just curious as to what else it out there :)

[TheRiverDaughter]

I tried the ball of light exercise today - and figured, eh, why not? trial by fire is always good! and walked into a final exam.

And surprisingly, I dind't get NEARLY as anxious as I usually do - I can usually pick up on the anxiety that is literally tangible in classrooms on test day, and today it was better!

As for how the whole thing went, I did a few minutes of breathing, then grounded, and then did the white light meditation - but rather than feeling "filled" it felt more like something was expanding out of me. It was like i had this VERY BRIGHT GLOWY over my head, and it passed down through my head and into my chest and then expanded from there - it was hard to keep it on my skin at first - kind of like, if you had an expanding oval in your chest, it would expand around your chest first, and slowly get bigger until it got your feet and hands. Is this ok? or should I shoot for getting it to cover my skin first and then balloon out?

The other thing was - the glowy ball wasn't really any one color at any one time - it was kind of... silvery rather than having color. like mist or something.

[~Elise~]

Ok, first two tries :)

The ball of white light exercise went quite well. I felt like I was being filled with light - like a bottle being filled with water, but the light went to my core then worked its way to my extremities. I couldn't visualise the sheild reaching as far as 6 feet wide. I just had it half that (but I managed to make sheild extend high above and below me) - wearing it feels perculiar. I feel protected but getting used to it will take some time. I can 'feel' the armour on me, not exactly encumbering but its there and it wasn't before so im moving with all the care of an astronaut doing a spacewalk until it feels like a second skin. I think I will favour this method, but I want to try the others.

I gave the (polished jet black) mirror armour ago and it didn't feel like I thought it would. Instead of being reflective I felt invisble - like things would pass straight through me. I worked on the visualisation and adjusted this so it was more like a shining silver plate and it was better. Again felt a bit unusual inside the armour but well protected. I'm sure I could have stood next to a couple arguing and I'd not have felt any negitivity at all :)

I will try the others later on, and stick with one or two until I feel I have gotten used to it. I eager to see if I can eventualy make the sheild maintain itself.

Some questions - can sheild be put over areas or other people? Is it ethical to do so? Would you be obliged to tell them (and let their doubts of your workings weaken the sheild) or can you just keep quiet about it?

I'll also look into other forms of sheilding, not that we haven't been given enough material - I'm just curious as to what else it out there :)

There are lots of other forms out there. One of my IRL students uses the shower to do a shield similar to the metal guy from T3.

It will feel awkward at first... but stay with it, it will become second nature after awhile

Elise

[~Elise~]

I tried the ball of light exercise today - and figured, eh, why not? trial by fire is always good! and walked into a final exam.

And surprisingly, I dind't get NEARLY as anxious as I usually do - I can usually pick up on the anxiety that is literally tangible in classrooms on test day, and today it was better!

As for how the whole thing went, I did a few minutes of breathing, then grounded, and then did the white light meditation - but rather than feeling "filled" it felt more like something was expanding out of me. It was like i had this VERY BRIGHT GLOWY over my head, and it passed down through my head and into my chest and then expanded from there - it was hard to keep it on my skin at first - kind of like, if you had an expanding oval in your chest, it would expand around your chest first, and slowly get bigger until it got your feet and hands. Is this ok? or should I shoot for getting it to cover my skin first and then balloon out?

The other thing was - the glowy ball wasn't really any one color at any one time - it was kind of... silvery rather than having color. like mist or something.

cool--let whatever color it wants be happen... also, it depends on your visualization on how things fill. Personally, mine were from my center into my auric egg when I started.

whatever works for you... don't force.

[The Panther's Dream]

I plan on trying a couple of the methods above tonight in place of my usual routine, but I wanted to share a method I've tired in the past that I recently started up again.(By the way, I made this method up myself one day while meditating, sort of on accident :lol: )It's somewhat of a long visualization, but it works really well in my experience. It started out as a way to find my center, but I found that it works as a great protective shield too.

Ground yourself, whatever method you want. After that try to relax, just sit for a bit and let your breathing get regulated. Whenever I do meditation, or anything like that, I always end up in a desert like place, so if you have a place try to picture it, if not, that's fine.

After that I picture myself sitting cross legged, floating a bit off the ground. I breathe a couple times and then I take one deep breath and picture a ball of light floating below me, almost sitting on it, but not quite. (The ball for me is a mix of gold and white colors, looks almost like soap bubble patterns swirling. This is your "center". It's your focus, and a very pure, centralized type of energy. ) With each in breath picture the ball contracting, then on the out breath, picture it expanding and getting bigger. Do this 10 times, each time the ball gets bigger and bigger on the out breath. After about 10 breaths the ball is usually about twice the size of one of those exercise balls. You can take as much time as you need, for me 10 seems to be enough, but you may want more. :)

Now here is how you "find your center". Slowly, slowly picture yourself standing up, balancing on this light ball. It took me a couple times before I could get stable enough to actually stand. Once you stand, you should feel centered, almost a feeling like when you ground yourself. Calm, at peace, maybe a little tingly. After that, I picture the ball expanding outward, flattening, and then coming up and snapping around me into a crystal type shape. It looks almost like if you cut a crystal in half and the point is over your head, and you're inside it, with the flat part at your feet. After that I just expand it and stand, letting myself feel the energy around me. I usually get really warm and tingly.

After that I ask my guide to put up a green triangle around me, with mirrors on the outside. This part is optional, but it makes me feel extra safe, because my guide has helped me out.

So that's my method right now, and I'm going to try some of the ones already listed and see how they work for me. :) I'll post my results this evening.

[The Panther's Dream]

Results from the ball of light activity:

I felt very warm, very comfortable during this shielding experience. I put several layers of light over my skin, it was easy to visualize. I then expanded the whole light into a shield-bubble around me and expanded it outward. Tingly feet, warm hands. I can't feel the shield around me physically, but mentally I know that it's there. Hopefully I'll become more sensitive to the energy with practice. I'm feeling very calm, happy, it even helped ease my headache a bit. This one is a good one to do when you don't have a lot of time but are feeling a bit anxious I think. It's simple and effecient. :)

[LadyWillow]

I tried the 'net' and I really like it. The net feels relaxing and peaceful because I feel protected and yet I feel like I can let other things out as well without worrying about what will happen and what not.

[Fencai]

the past couple of days, Ive been trying the metal armour. And im ust say that's working very well! Im still extremely gaurded, and feel that I have it on too tightly. (which may not be a bad thing at the moment, given the workload that we were just given, and many people's tempers are flaring). One i get adjusted to it, I will start to release. When I hear people getting "that tone" in their voices, I just close my eyes and visualize my armour shining and glinting. Sometimes I even imaging hearing a "ping" noise.
overall, the past couple days have been much calmer for me personally. I think this weekend, when i will be alone at home, Im going to work on some filtering, and then go out for a meal and see what happens, or maybe even to the mall with the holiday shoppers, and see what happens.

[wolfjan1]

Got it. Thank you.
I have been trying the clear bubble of personal space. Like, this is my dance space, etc. Since I had my stroke, it appears to be the best energy with the least effort for me. It has been working up until recently, when I had an extreme negative in-law energy around me. Now I will study these techniques carefully. I also liked the mirror suggestion that you used in another thread. I have been collecting mirrors for quite a while, since I am learning to etch them. Will etched mirrors skew the purpose?

[~Elise~]

nope--not at all--etching won't hurt it.

[Against The Tide]

Third day running - using the ball of white light technique. I resheild 2-3 times a day, just a quick scan of myself and patching up the weak spots (my hands and feet always seem to come unsheilded as the day progresses). I feel bullet proof :) alot of the negitivity I'd normally absorb from my friends, familly, neighbours is just not getting through like it did before. I notice I have more energy myself and its more possitive than usual.

I've been looking on the net for other methods but nothing has called out to me so far. Will keep searching and I will definately try your other listed sheild forms again when I retire this evenning.

[He who seeks]

i have not been as sucessfull as i had hoped.

The ball of light using a candle hasnt been that great, managed to make the flame lean sideways and flicker.

On the variety of sheilding methods...its been more of feeling that its active and pushing the invisble barrier out into a field around me.

Imagining im wearing my bike armour works well as a distortion of crackling light covering my body

closing my eyes ive come close to imaging a netting but ive seen a stronger horizontal ribbed sheilding

maybe i cant see energy that well but feel it more, sometimes when i can feel intense pressure trying to prob down on me i can feel a bubble layer above my head. when i stick my hand through it i can feel a lot of energy on top

[The Panther's Dream]

Had a bit of a stressful day yesterday, and I didn't feel that the technique I had used, the light ball above my head, covered me very well. I ended up having to walk away from what I was doing with some people to go ground myself and re-shield using a different technique. After that I was fine. I think maybe I'll keep practicing it, maybe I just need to get the hang of it better. Also going to try the suit of armor technique and see how that works for me.

[TheRiverDaughter]

I got off to a bad start yesterday too, and dont feel like I ever really got myself centered enough to shield. I got *something*, but it wasn't much. My mind was too all over the place.

Did some short meditations this morning, and that helped, so I'll try again this evening.

[~Elise~]

Try doing your grounding and shielding in the mornings before you start your day. I did mine before I got out of bed. Some students utilize shower time to shield... If you start your day with this practice--you won't get scattered.

As you walk out the door or get in the car--do what you need to do to get yourself shielded for the day. when you turn the car key-your shield turns on.
What ever you can use as your daily trigger to get this to a habit needs to be developed NOW.

If you wait until you're scattered or wait until you're attacked -- it is TOO LATE TO SHIELD.
I can NOT stress strongly enough that this is a daily practice for a minimum of three months to become a habit.

Elise

[wolfjan1]

I have a negative person staying with me, whose problems overshadow everybody's. Since the first thing I di is shower, I will try the grounding and shielding there, before I see her or she opens her mouth.
Honestly, I have tried everything, Including telling her that we have the same conversation every day and it is pretty draining. Allowing that she has had several strokes, but is walking around being negative about her sad life, I have told her this more than once. So, shielding myself in the shower seems to be my best line of defense.

[The Panther's Dream]

Better day today~. I check my shields every afternoon and re-shield if necessary, since the afternoon is when I have the most time to sit and really concentrate on it. I've got into the habit of grounding twice a day or so since it seems to keep me more energized. I'm noticing a huge difference in my anxiety levels while out shopping or just walking my dog. I used to try and avoid walking past people but now it doesn't really seem to matter and I have minimal if any anxiety. So far just using the ball of light technique alone hasn't worked out too well for me so I'm going to combine it with the armor technique and see if that works any better.

[Fencai]

i had a rough day too yesterday, and got all disgruntled. I think i am going to do the shower thing, and use that imagery of the water laying my shield on me. But i like the sound of turning the key in the car too.... I'll have to try both and see which is better...
Today has been better, but im still struggling a little. I need lunch to be able to have some down time and re-focus.

[~Elise~]

I'll not be on this weekend--just to let you know. I'll catch up next week

Elise

[Tasakii]

I'm working with a pretty heavy duty sucker. I really like the idea of using their energy to re-enforce my shields. If I can get that trick down.....



:boing: WOOOOT!

Imagine a world of negativity transmuted for my benefit.

mmmmmm. If I begin using others energy, does that mean eventually it will become automatic and I will become the vampire? The very thing I was trying to edge away from?

What are the moral and ethical implications about that??

[~Elise~]

Lesson 5 is up...

BUT continue to do lessons 3 & 4 DAILY! Keep posting if you want.

Elise

[Fencai]

Ive been expirementing with my filers on my armour, and so far so good. I am keeping them very very small at this point. I envision the engery radiating from me and comming out of the "vents" and "joints" of my armor. When it finds more like energy, they meet up and pull back in together. and it continues to ebb and flow. So far with really positive energies, and ive been trying it around people i know who are predominately upbeat, or whom i know very very well.

I have also found, that i have become more responsive/in-tune with my surroundings and other people. while shopping at the book store this weekend, the girl behind the register was in a foul mood. My friend was affected, and said that she got "a nasty vibe" from that girl. I saw it, and noticed, but was able to block it, and emit my positive energies to her. I didnt get any feedback from her of course, but I hope that it helped her!

[lilyavalon]

I did the ball engery and i think I will stick with this one.

Its quicker for me, and fairly simple. The energy was warm and not threating in any way. It wasnt very energy draining like some things can be. and after grounding and letting everything flow out, to be re-filled by this warm white energy was facinating.

I do want to try out the armor one... i think today might be right up my ally to try it.

[Against The Tide]

Just an update - I have a sheild around me nearly 24/7 now and I feel a hulluva lot less stress and panic then I used to. I am yet to explore making doors on my sheild for chording and such.. I just drop it and then recreate it as and when.

[elizabeth ratliff]

The ball of light is easier for me also, I love the shielding it produces, the warmth and security it gives is very comforting and reasuring. I can expand it all over my body .

[~Elise~]

Just an update - I have a sheild around me nearly 24/7 now and I feel a hulluva lot less stress and panic then I used to. I am yet to explore making doors on my sheild for chording and such.. I just drop it and then recreate it as and when.
You really shouldn't need to drop the shielding--but that will come with time. Think of filters instead of doors--much smaller and easier to defend.

good on the less stress and panic--that's the goal!!!!

Elise

[~Elise~]

The ball of light is easier for me also, I love the shielding it produces, the warmth and security it gives is very comforting and reasuring. I can expand it all over my body .

Are you part of the class this round? Am I getting forgetful?

Elise

[elizabeth ratliff]

yes I am, i signed on a bit late, but Shalayne guided me to your class said you were the bees knees..

[~Elise~]

If SS recommended you--then you're alright with me!

Elise

We're not moved--but internet is hooked up here at our new home as of this afternoon and here's the first place I visited! We could use warmer weather karma for this weekend while we move for real this time.

New lesson is going up now, folks!

[elizabeth ratliff]

Yes SS is a dear friend of mine and guided me to your classes, we both played the same online game for a long time and keep in constant touch, we have a close conection. She has some of my Celtic artwork that I make too..

[~Elise~]

artwork???? have a link?

I'm a new homeowner, ya know. hit me while I'm weakest... LOL

Elise

[~NightFire~]

O.K, I have done all but one of the shielding exercises for this class. :)
Here are my results;

*'White Ball Exercise'*

I found this very easy to do, & I could visualise the White ball of light easily aswell. I felt the shield as if it was solid, & I felt protected afterwards. Expanding the shield was a bit difficult at first, but I got there eventually.

*'Armour Exercise'*

This one felt quite strange at first. I found it easier to place my hands around my body (not touching), & put the armour on. Then I visualised it adjusting, & fitting onto my body by itself. Again, I did feel protected but also a bit too shut off for my liking. I think that I will need to work on filtering once I decide which kind of shield I want to use.

*'Net Exercise'*

This was another one I found very easy to do. I could instantly visualise the net surrounding me, & the negative energy filtering through, & absorbing into the earth. I didn't feel protected enough with this one though.

So far, the White Ball Shield is looking like a good option for me-but I think that I will personalise it to suit me more.

*'Candle Exercise'*

I will try this one (along with some Smudging) later on today, & edit my post.

[~NightFire~]

O.K, I have finally tried all of the Shielding exercises (& I have been Grounding & Shielding everyday aswell).
Here are my thoughts on the last one;

~Candle exercise~

This one was interesting.
I did it in my room with the lights off, so that I could concentrate on just the candle flame (I get easily distracted).
I found it to be really relaxing, & I went into a kind of 'trance' like state whilst I was staring at the flame.
It's a bit hard to explain, but I didn't want to move afterwards-I felt rooted to the spot, & like I could just sit there forever-which was strange. _inabox_
It was like my head was empty of all thoughts-which in a way was good, because that rarely happens to me-but it was also bad because I had to drag myself out of it, so that I could carry on doing whatever I was doing!
I think that this would be a good technique for me to use in meditation aswell.