
{"id":11529,"date":"2010-09-20T05:00:33","date_gmt":"2010-09-20T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.californiapsychics.com\/?p=11529"},"modified":"2010-09-21T10:37:43","modified_gmt":"2010-09-21T17:37:43","slug":"candlelit-meditations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.californiapsychics.com\/blog\/mind-body-spirit\/candlelit-meditations.html","title":{"rendered":"12 Candle-lit Meditations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Until electricity and modern day lighting was invented, we used candles  out of necessity for illumination.  Today, candles are used for their  warmth, inviting feeling and comfort in the home. They provide us with a  feeling of <a href=\"..\/blog\/2010\/04\/meditation-misconceptions.html\/\"><strong>meditation<\/strong><\/a>,  calming energy, and a soothing <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.californiapsychics.com\/blog\/2009\/12\/have-you-seen-your-aura.html\/\">aura<\/a><\/strong> during periods of stress.<\/p>\n<p>Just  as moths and insects are drawn to light, so are we.  However, it is not  only the aspect of illumination that captivates our attention, but the  simple beauty and mystery that the element of fire offers us, stirring  passions and providing us a feeling of vitality.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve  ever had a fire at home, you know how enjoyable and mesmerizing it is to  sit gazing into the flames, but have you ever sat and stared at the  flame on a burning candle?  Have you been able to successfully use a  candle as a meditation tool, becoming so engulfed in the allure of the  candle&#8217;s flame that you prevented mundane thoughts from entering your  mind?  This may sound easy to do, but this exercise will actually prove  to be more difficult than you may think!<\/p>\n<p>A candle flame is a  wonderful guide for <a href=\"..\/blog\/2009\/11\/staying-on-track.html\/\"><strong>focusing  your mind<\/strong><\/a> and creating a general feeling of warmth and  well-being.  This quick exercise can be performed in 10 minutes and  leave you with a greater sense of clarity and focus.<\/p>\n<p>For this  exercise, you will need one free-standing candle, either a taper, a tea  light or a votive candle.  A glass-encased candle will not work as well  with this exercise, as attempting to view the flame through the glass  can be more of a distraction.  The color or scent of the candle is not  as significant. White is usually the color of candles used for clarity  and purification, but feel free to use what is most readily available.   Since this is not a candle that you are &#8220;charging&#8221; or one that you are  using to manifest a specific outcome, this can be a candle that has been  previously lit, or even a decorative candle.  The focus and intent of  this meditation will be on the flame as the point of concentration.<\/p>\n<p>1.   Turn off any light sources in your surrounding space, and avoid  daylight if possible.<\/p>\n<p>2.  Take note of the time when you begin  this exercise, as time and reality often escape you during meditation.   Five minutes may feel like fifteen minutes, and it will be useful to  know how long you were able to maintain your concentration during this  exercise.<\/p>\n<p>3.  Light your candle and place it on a table or flat  surface. I prefer to sit cross-legged on the floor and place the candle  on my coffee table so that I am directly at eye level with the flame,  about one foot away.<\/p>\n<p>4.  Sit comfortably with an erect  spine, taking note of spots where there is tension, and calm those  muscles until they become peaceful and you can maintain deeper  relaxation.<\/p>\n<p>5.  Begin by taking several deep breaths, I suggest  ten, in through the nose and out through the mouth,  to eliminate  anxious energy and to help you achieve a feeling of being centered.  [Note: I have received feedback from some callers that they cannot  properly meditate and take the deep breaths because they become  light-headed and dizzy.  The reason for this common complaint is that  there is an imbalance between your oxygen intake and exhalation.]  To  avoid the feeling of dizziness, maintain your inhale and exhale for the  same amount of time, and with the same breath force.  It may be easier  to ensure equal <a href=\"..\/blog\/2010\/07\/exercises-and-meditations.html\/\"><strong>breathing<\/strong><\/a> by counting; &#8220;Inhale-hold-1-2-3, Exhale-hold-1-2-3.&#8221; Be careful as you  exhale to avoid breathing on the candle flame and blowing it out.<\/p>\n<p>6.   Focus on the candle flame, allowing your eves to migrate from the  white tip of the flame to its violet base.<\/p>\n<p>7.  Take note of the  peculiarities of the flame and how it appears to dance.<\/p>\n<p>8.   After about one minute of examining the flame, you will begin to notice  your mind drifting and reflecting on the day&#8217;s events and remaining  to-dos.  Immediately regain your focus and divert it back to the candle  flame.  Although this sounds easy, it is a very complicated task to  perform.<\/p>\n<p>9.  Continue trying to maintain you meditative trance  and the clearest mindset as possible.<\/p>\n<p>10.  If you become  anxious, begin taking deep breaths again to reset your mind and  concentration.<\/p>\n<p>11.  When your attention span has finally  reached its maximum and you are feeling antsy, extinguish the candle and  perform a few physical movements to wake your body.<\/p>\n<p>12.  Check  and see what time it is and how long you were able to perform this  exercise.<\/p>\n<p>Regular practice of this candle meditation will  enhance your ability to limit the production and influence of  distracting thoughts and maintain focus of a single task. This Psychic  Workout is especially useful as a fun exercise for children with  conditions like attention deficit and hyperactivity.<\/p>\n<p>If you  devote more time to achieving a quieter mind, it will eventually  function in that consistent level, with an entirely different and calm  quality of being.<\/p>\n<p>Faithfully,<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.californiapsychics.com\/psychics\/5113\/Marin.aspx\"><strong> Marin<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Do you  have a question for Marin? <\/strong><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.californiapsychic.com\/survey\/Surveys\/TakeSurvey.aspx?surveyid=1436\"><em><strong>Ask  your question now.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"border-top: 1px dotted #c9d9d9;border-bottom: 1px dotted #c9d9d9;margin: 10px 0px;padding: 10px 4px;font-weight: bold\"><!-- ADD COPY BELOW --><strong>Want more guidance for your life path?<\/strong> Try a psychic reading. <!-- ADD COPY ABOVE -->Call <span style=\"font-size: 16px;color: #d33d26\">1.800.573.4830<\/span> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.californiapsychics.com\/newcustomer2\/pick_your_psychic.aspx\">choose your psychic now. <\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Psychic Marin ext. 5113 explains how to use a candle flame to focus your mind during meditation. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[2450,1456,8167,8170,8172,4010,1111,5156,8164,8165,88,1965,234,8168,300,8169,8166],"cp_author":[2221],"class_list":["post-11529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mind-body-spirit","tag-beauty","tag-breathing","tag-calming-energy","tag-candle-magick","tag-candle-meditation","tag-candles","tag-comfort","tag-feeling","tag-illumination","tag-lighting","tag-meditation","tag-mystery","tag-psychics","tag-soothing-aura","tag-stress","tag-taper","tag-warmth","cp_author-psychic-marin-ext-5113"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>12 Candle-lit Meditations | California Psychics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Psychic 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