Hesffcs115 said:
Is it OK when doing meditations like the aura of protection to instead of breathing the energy in to will the energy in? Or should it always be breathed in? I just feel like I am being led to simply absorb it into myself instead of breathing it in.
I think you might be confused, or I might be confused. :?
When you breathe energy in you are essentially doing the same as absorbing it (bringing it into your aura).
The 'breathing in' part is mostly just to get a feel for this effect (pulling) while breathing out (pushing) is for concentrating it to a point, or for expanding it or spreading it somewhere.
Once you develop a feel for it after a few years you might not even need to breathe the energy and will be able to do it solely through visualization.
For starting out however, both breathing and visualization are very much needed.
As for concentrating the energy outside of yourself you do the same, only you visualize the energy forming outside yourself (such as when creating a thought-form or doing energy healing, etc).
For this, breathing in (again) pulls energy in and breathing out directs it.