In a 2002 experiment reported by the Harvard Gazette, conducted in Normandy, France, two monks from the Buddhist tradition wore sensors that recorded changes in heat production and metabolism.

The thinly clad monks sat in forty-degree temperatures and had wet, freezing cold sheets draped over them. Using a yoga technique known as Tummo, they entered a state of deep meditation. It wasn’t long before steam began rising from the sheets. As a result of body heat produced by the monks during meditation, the sheets dried in about an hour.

The monks believe that the energy generates warmth as it accumulates and becomes an inner fire or inner heat that burns away the dross of ignorance and ego-clinging.

The purpose of Tummo is to gain control over body processes during practice of the “highest yoga tantra,” which leads to enlightenment. Tummo is the fierce goddess of heat and passion in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and is a Tibetan word for inner fire.

Monks who practice Tummo describe visualizations of “blazing and dripping.”

I would never want to disrespect what these monks are doing in their holy practice. But I was intrigued about how this relates to magickal rituals that draw on the energy of the elements.

I began to ponder how a fire visualization could be used in conjunction with everyday activities and ordinary goals—like my desire to fit into a certain little black dress in my closet. Then I seized upon an idea that has become one of my regular rituals.

• Before I exercise, I imagine a match lights the flame of an inner brazier that runs under my skin. It’s a pleasurable feeling as I imagine it spreading throughout my arms, legs, belly—all the areas where I tend to carry extra weight.
• As I run stairs or walk, the tiny flames melt away unwanted fat. As I build up heat, I envision it all being expelled when I exhale. The faster the breath comes, the more I burn off. You can add a visualization to this. “See” the fat burning off and being expelled through your breath as a yellowish substance.
• Always remember to turn the brazier off when you are finished exercising.

I enjoy doing the “brazier” visualization, and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my workouts and the outcome. I feel certain I’m working less hard for more satisfying results.

Many traditions, Tibetan Buddhism and magick included, speak of how we are made up of the elements, as is the entire universe. Each element has its own particular qualities and correspondences. We can draw on the elements for support and incorporate their energies into our rituals. You’ll find a chart of elemental correspondences on page 234.

I believe there is no limit to what we can do with energy work and visualization. If I can feel a bit better in my little black dress, well, all the better.