Emptying the mind prepares the individual for receiving. Quietness is necessary. Cultivating this quiet is an art and science. This is part intuition and part biofeedback using heart rate. To achieve the first steps one must understand and practice controlled breathing. For me, it is very much like going to the beach and hearing the waves come in and then go back out. The inhaled and the exhaled breathes are very much like the waves. Sometimes in my own practice I purposefully image the beach and the waves in tandem with my controlled breathing.