• Relaxation
  
• Energy Balancing
  
• Mind Control
  
• Focus
  

In addition to these you can also use prayer at the beginning of the practice. Remember this is just an exercise...you may want to implement your own ways to help you along.

Begin by lying down on your bed with the door closed a pillow under your knees and a comforter over you. Most authorities on astral travel recommend that you find a place where you will be undisturbed. Take a few moments to ground yourself *in* your body, to relax into yourself at the moment at this particular place and time. Then visualize yourself surrounded with white light, and as you focus in on this light you become absorbed in the beauty of this energy and often have some wondrous visions and feelings of peace.

• Relaxation
  Then begin to focus on your feet, and in a typical relaxation exercise, move through my body from toe to head stretching, clenching and then relaxing each body part. Visualize energy swirling through each part of your body releasing tension.
  
  
• Energy Balancing
  Then cleanse, balance and charge your chakras.
  
  
• Mind Control
  Then you can use a technique adapted by the author years ago from the Silva Mind Control teachings to put your body to sleep. In your mind say: "I'm going to count down from 3 to 1, visualizing each number on a white orb suspended in the air above my head, and when I reach the third and final "1" my body will be asleep and I will have no awareness of physical sensations.
  I will not perceive any physical discomfort, and my consciousness will be focused on my astral body."
  
  Then visualize a white orb suspended in the air above your head. When you will be mentally well focused on the orb, visualize a number "3" on the face of the orb. The numbers can be any color you choose. The important thing is to create a pattern, for training your brain to react the way you desire whenever you perform this sequence. This is the heart of the power of ritual!
  
  Visualize the 3 three times: three number "3's" on the orb. "My body is completely relaxed, becoming numb. I am losing awareness of physical sensation."
  
  Then repeat the visualization with three number "2's." "My body is asleep now. I feel no sensations, no discomfort. I will now visualize the "1's." When I am finished, I will have no awareness of physical sensations. My consciousness will be in my astral body."
  
  Then visualize the "1's" three times. "My body is now completely asleep. I have no awareness of physical sensations. My consciousness is in my astral body."
  
  The benefit of training your mind this way is that you can greatly accelerate the process of transferring your awareness away from the physical body. Each time you practice this, the programming becomes a little bit stronger, after some time you will visualize the numbers and have your body asleep in two or three minutes.
  
  
• Focus
  Once you are in this state try to clear your mind by focusing on your breath, or the tip of your tongue, or any one thing. The key is to remain conscious while your body is asleep. Naturally, all sorts of thoughts pull you from the focus, but you can return as soon as you notice you've strayed to your concentration on one thing. Your OBE's can often occur after a period of focus when your mind has drifted and has been on the verge of sleep. This is when you have awakened to find yourself either out of the body or when the "surges" have come on. You will often doze off when beginning practice, but take it up again when you are awake by focusing your attention and trying to remain conscious while your body sleeps.