Welcome to this Mountain Meditation practice.
So we'll be practicing in a seated position.
So just taking a moment to check in on your posture,
Whether you're seated on a chair or on a cushion or the ground,
Just really feeling the contact points between your body and the ground,
Feeling yourself supported and just noticing your breathing,
Becoming aware of each breath coming into your body and each breath leaving your body,
Not needing to control anything,
Just being present with your body breathing and then starting to bring to your mind an image,
A picture,
An idea of a mountain.
So it could be a mountain that you know well,
Or it could be one from your imagination,
Whatever is fine.
Maybe just starting to look at the mountain to notice what's happening on the surface,
If there are trees or maybe there's streams or waterfalls,
Maybe there's mist or clouds around the mountain,
Just taking a moment to really notice what's happening with this mountain,
Seeing what it looks like and then as best you can,
Really trying to connect with,
Trying to embody,
To be this mountain,
Sharing in its stillness and just like the mountain is held supported by the ground,
Feeling that your body is held supported by the ground and just like the peak of the mountain reaching up towards the sky,
Feel the top of your head reaching up towards the sky.
So being the mountain,
Feeling into your stable grounded base,
Your hips,
Your legs,
Your feet,
Feeling how they're holding you in this moment,
Connecting,
Feeling the stillness,
The calmness,
The stability of the mountain and then maybe starting to notice what's happening on the surface of the mountain,
Noticing how the light shines on the mountain,
How this changes from the sunrise from the east,
Sun moving up overhead at midday until the sunset in the west,
We noticing the different shadows,
The different qualities of light during the day and then noticing how from dusk,
It moves into nighttime,
The moon,
The stars above the mountain with this rhythm,
This pattern,
Continuing day after night after day.
And noticing the other rhythms of the seasons throughout the year.
So from winter when the mountain may be covered in ice and snow,
Not much happening,
Very quiet and as this ice starts to melt a little with the spring flowing into the streams,
The rivers,
Flowers starting to bloom,
Maybe blossom on the trees,
Birds coming,
Maybe animals hatching their young,
This kind of sense of life coming alive on the surface of the mountain,
Maybe people too visiting,
Walking,
Singing.
This life continues through the summer,
With people swimming in the streams and then as we go into autumn,
Maybe the leaves are falling off the trees,
Maybe storms come,
Maybe really blowing through all the nature and then coming back to the winter snow.
Throughout all the mountain just sits,
Remains itself,
Still,
Calm,
Stable,
Grounded.
And in the same way,
Noticing in your stillness there's small changes happening on your surface,
Maybe small movements with the breath,
Your belly,
The sensations in your body coming and going,
Maybe there's thoughts or emotions,
Maybe you can hear sounds and as best you can,
Just like the mountain,
Allowing these experiences,
These sensations,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Just to come and go whilst you remain in this place of stillness,
Of groundedness,
Of calm,
Like the mountain,
Embodying,
Is centred,
Unwavering,
Stillness within,
Being the mountain.
This meditation practice is now complete.
