Course XIV - Teaching 12: Exercises of Concentration

First exercise: During hours of the morning, on an isolated and calm place, the student should be seated, straight his body and his head, and the hands relaxed on his knees; slowly he shall vocalize some holy formula or a constructive words that he prefers, imagining a golden yellow color all around him. Being very calm, he shall concentrate his mind as potently as possible on the sole of his feet as long as he can, breathing rhythmically. Also he can concentrate on the tip of his nose: after a prudential time he shall remain tranquil, his eyes half-closed and trying not to think about anything.
Second exercise: Standing, his hands on the back of the neck and his left foot on the level of the right knee, he shall concentrate his thought on the navel, staring at this area of the body. Also, in the same posture, he may concentrate on his lips, or may remain for a long while with the tip of his tongue fixed on the palate. Also, being seated, his hands on the knees and his eyes closed, he may try to see a cascade and to utter words of courage, endurance and strength.
Third exercise: This practice is at dawn. His trunk uncovered, looking at the sunrise and trying neither to deviate his sight, or blinking, or being carried away by drowsiness, the disciple shall remain in this position and, after a quarter of hour, he shall lower his sight, staring at the pit of his stomach, and shall forcefully breath by the left nasal cavity. Another exercise like this is to close the eyes, with his back to the sun, imagining that he sees a red horizon, and to remain with his thought fixed on this idea.
Fourth exercise: At sunset, comfortably seated on an isolated and calm place, if possible in a temple, or under a pine, an oak, a fir or a tala-tree; his hands the one upon the other and softly upon his knees, his eyes half-open, the trunk straight and his head lightly inclined forward, the disciple shall try to see, in his imagination, the face of the Divinity, uttering very slowly His Divine Name. This exercise has to be repeated many times until he is able to see the desired image without any effort. Also he can imagine, instead of the Divinity’s face, a while circle, like a Holy Host, staring at It until the Divine Image appears on It.
Fifth exercise: Standing and looking at the East, the practitioner shall extend his arms in cross several times, uttering every time the Divine Name; later he shall do seventy-seven genuflections, revering the Divine Name the same number of times; then, being seated on a comfortable posture, his legs crossed, his elbows on the level of the hip, his hands like a cup with thumbs and forefingers united, breathing deeply, he shall imagine before him, on a white board, the Name of God, written in golden letters, and shall read it continuously. Another exercise is to plug the ears with our thumbs, the eyes with our forefingers, the nasal cavities with our middle fingers and keeping our little fingers upon the mouth, retaining our breath as long as we can and trying to hear the Great Name within.