A warm welcome to this meditation exercise which will help you to release anxiety and recover your strength.
Don't worry if you can't always visualize exactly what I describe,
There is no right or wrong here and each experience will be unique and personal to you.
To begin,
Find a comfortable position to sit down,
On the floor,
A chair or wherever works for you.
When you are ready,
Breathe in slowly through the nose to a count of four,
Hold it for just a second or two and then breathe out through the mouth for a count of five,
Again that's in for four,
Hold it for a moment and release for five.
Continue breathing in this way in your own time and with each exhale just imagine that you are blowing away any remaining thoughts and tension and allowing yourself to go just that bit deeper.
And now allow your breath to fall back to a natural rhythm.
Slowly now,
You can begin to imagine that you are standing in front of the most beautiful breathtaking mountain with a huge pointed summit,
Long sweeping sides and a solid base.
And visualize yourself becoming this mountain,
Your head becomes the summit,
Your shoulders and arms create the sides and your lower body is the base.
You are now this majestic mountain,
There is a gentle breeze on this warm spring day and bright flowers are surrounding your base in all the colors of the rainbow.
To your left and right there are thick trees with emerald green leaves shining in the sun,
There are birds and other creatures exploring the land beneath you.
You the mountain stand high and proud,
You are watching over this beautiful world.
The mountain is impenetrable and strong,
It has stood for thousands of years and will stand for thousands more.
And now you allow the season to change to a blazing summer's day.
The air is thick and heavy,
The sky is clear and blue,
Butterflies and bees are roaming freely as they search for their summer flowers filled with delicious nectar.
You can smell fresh oranges from below and the whole world seems to be in full bloom.
Feel you stand as the mountain,
Tall and majestic,
Protecting this natural world all around you,
Unwavering against the heat of the sun.
Slowly this summer image fades from your mind and it is replaced by a gloomy,
Dark and damp autumn day.
There are thick gray clouds in the sky and strong winds shake the trees around you as you watch the last few remaining leaves finally fall and glide on the wind.
Little specks of brown,
Red,
Yellow and orange dance around the landscape.
It has started to rain hard now,
Coming down relentlessly and there is no animal or creature in sight.
They are finding shelter in these dark,
Cold times.
Only you,
The mountain,
Remain,
Still as strong,
As proud and as confident as ever,
Rooted deep into the earth.
Even on the darkest days,
You are there.
Gradually this autumn image begins to fade again and it becomes an icy winter's night.
The glowing moon sends beams of white through patches in the clouds and very soon you begin to see small snowflakes falling to the ground.
Bit by bit the bare branches of the trees are covered with a thin white powder and the ground all around you has a layer of soft snow.
You can smell and feel just how cold it is as you breathe in.
There is an icy silence in the air.
All that remains now is you,
This incredible mountain,
Rising out of the mist,
Ready to challenge the harsh winter,
Unmoved by the bitter cold.
You are strong and capable.
You are stable and secure.
The mountain is used to the ever-changing seasons of this world and it can survive whatever nature may throw at it.
You also have experienced many seasons of life and the changing circumstances of each day.
You have faced challenges,
Many of which felt unbeatable but are now a distant memory and you will face many more.
But you will endure like the mountain because there is a strength in you,
One that cannot be shaken.
Keep going and never give up.
