What skill did you learn first?

[JediKaren]

It's a possible topic for another article. What skills did you learn first? Personally I learned it this way:
1)learning to feel energy consciously
2)learned how to feel energy an easier way
3)learned how to gather energy
4)learned how to extend my awareness to outside of me
5)learned how to send energy to things
6)learned how to sense things around me
7)learned how to recognize other people's emotions from mine
8)learned how to sense things far away
9)learned to link to other people
10) learned how to pick up thoughts from other people

well you get the point. You don't have to go into that detail. Just give me an idea of how you started off or are getting started.

[Tom]

Learning to feel energy with my hands came first. The techniques I was reading about would often start by using physical movements like rubbing the palms of the hands together while breathing deeply. It was hard to avoid concluding that the resulting sensations when holding the hands a little bit away from each other were just imaginary. Eventually I realized that if it is real it will get stronger over time and it will be possible to drop things like rubbing my hands together, but not if I didn't just keep practicing with suspended disbelief. Techniques to see auras were much the same way, except that it was afterimages I was concerned about rather than warmth from friction. Physical relaxation was taking a bit longer, but only because I had failed to see the importance of emotional and mental relaxation at the same time.

[evil_candy1]

I'm a nonbeliever... I wont ever be able to do anything with energy.
Oh well, its interesting to read what you do with it! :o

I have a question though. :?
Can you ever make a mass of energy in your hand or anything?
Or visible energy?

[Murraya]

Like psi ball? Of course it is possible...

I first learned with my feet to feel but was used to seing it. And absorb then energy through my legs, and then hands activated.

Major chakras were harder but it came with exercices.

But feet remain the more spectacular at the beginning.

[wstein]

It's a possible topic for another article. What skills did you learn first? Just give me an idea of how you started off or are getting started.
Do you want a focus here? I assume you mean energy skills? Would OBE qualify as it uses energy but is not inherently an energy skill.

Also what about skills not learned in this lifetime? For instance, I was born (on Earth) knowing about energy. Energy senses were developed in the same way as touch and vision. In a sense that means learning but it also implies a natural talent.

[JediKaren]

the focus here is I want to write an article about possible training ways. So I'm comparing from several sites how people learned the skills and what order did people learn in.

[wstein]

I am self taught and so can't add much about training methods.

I will point out a couple of relevant things.

1) Everyone's brain 'maps' their 'extrasensory' input over different normal senses. In the initial post from JediKaren she started with the word 'feel'. Other people will discover energy by seeing it or hearing it or less commonly tasting it. The important aspect is that any general training methods (or a book about them) needs to accommodate this aspect.

2) There are several plateaus that are normally reached in a similar order. At each plateau new types of things become possible. However, there is no preferred order to learning them.

Something along the lines of:
a) discovering (previously undetectable) energy
b) reliably sensing energy
c) discovering sources and repositories of energy
d) raising or collecting energy
e) internal use (directing) of energy (usually healing or shielding first)
f) external use (directing) of energy (first local and then far)
g) encountering energy beings
h) developing actual energy senses and skills (internalizing as opposed to using external aids)

As an example e) its not really important if you learn healing or shielding first.


3) A good primer on 'types' of energy and how they feel is sorely needed as all beginners inevitably ask about each and every new sensation and what it means (just read the OBE about I had this happen...).

I started a list:

The warm energy is life-energy (chi, qi). This is what is used in hand on healing. This also comes in a reverse form which is cold.

The tingling form mostly has to do with information and transmission of information (sensory input). It affected your 'vision' because it eyes are an organ of information. In a more controlled circumstance, you can put this energy on your hand and look through it. This is primarily what seers use.

There is a pressure causing energy (which you did not mention) which has a physical component. It can also make you feel heavy or light or make you feel like you are walking through molasses. In some circumstances, it feels like a stretchy rubber band when you move. Advanced martial artists use this in combination with chi.

There is a shimmering form (like a mirage). I do not know how it works but is useful for hiding, misdirection, and causing confusion.

There is the 'white light' variety associated with love and divinity.

[Lordofthebunnies]

Though this embarrases me somewhat, I initially learned about energy work when me and a friend started experimenting for hours on end, over a several month period, with trying to do ki blasts (inspired by DBZ). :oops:

While we didn't manage to make any cool explosions, it did gradually teach me how to feel energy sensations, collect and direct those feelings through my body. Afterawhile, I started experimenting with chi kung as well.

By the time I arrived at the NEW system, it was pretty easy for me to learn how to do the exercises.

[Aunt Clair]

What skills did you learn first?
Personally I learned it this way:
learned how to extend my awareness to outside of me
learned how to sense things around me
learning to feel energy in vibes from others consciously
learned how to recognize other people's emotions from mine
learning to feel energy in the environment from others consciously
learning to raise energy into the energy body from the ground
learned how to gather energy into the crown as in Reiki
learned how to send energy to things as in Reiki
learned how to sense things far away
learned to link to other people
learned how to pick up thoughts from other people

this is my take on my own continuum