Centering for Spellwork

How to center yourself for spellwork:
First, find a place where you can work undisturbed. Take a deep breath, hold for four seconds, and exhale. Repeat this a few times, until you are breathing evenly and regularly. This will help you relax. Some people find that it's easier to regulate their breathing if they count or listen to music.
Once your breathing is regulated and even, it's time to begin visualizing energy. This may seem weird if you've never done it before. Rub the palms of your hands lightly together, as though you were trying to warm them, and then move them an inch or two apart. You should still feel a charge, a tingling sensation between your palms. That's energy. If you don't feel it at first, don't worry. Just try again. Eventually you'll start to notice that the space between your hands feels different. It's almost as though there's a bit of resistance pulsating there, if you gently bring them back together.
After you've mastered this, and can tell what energy actually feels like, you can start playing with it. This means you can focus on that area of resistance. Close your eyes, and feel it. Now, visualize that tingly area expanding and contracting, like a balloon. Try pulling your hands apart, and stretching that energy field out, as if you were pulling taffy with your fingers. Try visualizing the energy expanding to the point where it surrounds your entire body. After some practice, you'll even be able to fling it from one hand to the other, as if you were tossing a ball back and forth. Bring it into your body, and draw it inward, shaping a ball of energy inside yourself. It's important to note that this energy (which comes from your aura) is all around us at all times. You're not creating something new, but simply harnessing what's already there.
If you build up enough energy, you will be able to see it. This usually happens around a magical stat of 10 or higher in spellwork. It will appear as shimmering smoke, in the color of your aura.
Each time you center, you'll repeat this process. Begin by regulating your breathing. Then focus on your energy. Eventually, you should be able to control it completely. The core of your energy can be wherever it feels most natural for you -- for most people, it's ideal to keep their energy centered around the solar plexus, although others find the heart chakra to be the place where they can focus on it best.
After you've been doing this for a while, it will become second nature. You'll be able to center anywhere, any time.