Feeling it was time to move on, since not all students were practicing, Tapio decided to introduce the next activity. "For those who are finished practicing and ready to go on, the next thing we're going to do before working on the tinctures is--meditate!
I know some of you are wondering what your own emotions and state of mind have to do with working with plants and elixirs. If, according to the philosophy of alchemy, everything in nature is connected, then that includes you. When you practice alchemy, you yourself become a part of the experiment, and so it's important to try to clear your mind of any thoughts and emotions that might influence the experiment and create a neutral state. Once we remove the silk wrappings from the tinctures, they will no longer have its protection and any disturbance might affect them.
There are many forms of meditation, but what we're going to do is a very simple kind, just something to help you balance your feelings and still your thoughts. First, find a comfortable place to sit. There are some large pillows up here for you to sit on. Take a pillow and sit on it so your hips are a little forward and your back is straight.
Next, close your eyes. breathe out through your nose, and focus on your breath. Focus your mind on the spot where it enters and leaves your nose and try not to think other thoughts. We'll do this for just a little while, and then we should be ready to get on with the main event." Tapio pushed a pile of wide, flat pillows over to the center of the room and waved his wand to move aside the whiteboard and cabinet to clear enough space for people to sit down. Meanwhile, he kept a watchful eye on the little stove on one side of the room to make sure anyone didn't conjure a fire in the wrong place. People who said teaching was dull just didn't know what they were talking about.
[OOC: This continues the mini activity and will continue until tomorrow afternoon, when the main activity will begin.] |