Coming now to sit in a posture that will be comfortable for you.
You may choose to sit in a chair or on the floor on a cushion,
Allowing your hands to rest on your lap or in any way that is comfortable for you.
And taking a few deeper breaths now into the lungs,
Coming in to presence,
Letting go of what came before this moment,
That you grace yourself with this gift to sit and just be,
To practice staying here in the now,
Breathing in the life,
Giving air and energy and feeling the lungs expand.
And as you let go and breathe out slowly and naturally,
See if you can soften any areas that might be carrying any tension or tightness.
You might allow this next breath to move into the head and face,
Breathing into the eyes and forehead and on the out breath,
Letting the many muscles that work so hard to express our inner feelings through the face,
Just relax,
Softening,
Letting go.
And this next in breath,
Breathing into the neck and the shoulders.
And as you exhale,
Seeing if you can drop the shoulders,
Even if only slightly,
Breathing into the chest and the torso and breathing out naturally,
Allowing this next in breath to enter into a soft and relaxed belly.
Imagine now,
Breathing into your body as a whole,
From the head and face,
Down the arms,
The torso,
Pelvis and legs,
Into the feet,
Breathing in and sensing the whole body as you sit,
Firm to the ground,
Breathing in and out,
Right here in this moment.
And now,
Inviting you to bring to mind the image of a mountain,
Perhaps one you've seen or visited,
One you might have climbed,
Or just any image that comes up as you picture in your mind's eye,
A vast,
Strong and majestic mountain.
Observing the stature,
The size,
The strength of the mountain,
Noticing its texture,
Colors,
Where it's rigid,
Where it's smooth,
How it's held deep to the Earth's crest and rises up to a peak,
Perhaps two peaks with a pyramid shape that creates a sense of rootedness in the base and a lengthening up,
Rising up to the sky.
And just sensing as you sit that you embody this mountain,
Perhaps imagining yourself merging with it,
Noticing your base as your legs or feet and how the spine reaches up to your head as the peak,
Gently stretched up to the sky,
Sitting here as a mountain,
Still,
Grounded and alive.
Aware of the breath in the body that flows in and out naturally as the wind that passes around the mountain and in and out of its living vegetation.
Just observing the flow of life's air.
Just sitting,
Being.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
Just still and strong.
Aware of sounds in and around you now.
The distant sounds,
Close in sounds that come and go.
Like the sounds that sing on the mountain,
The animals,
The breeze,
People exploring the mountain,
The sounds of nature and life that arise and fall away.
Perhaps you notice thoughts arise in your mind,
Thoughts about the future,
The past,
Thoughts about this moment and the practice.
Perhaps thoughts judging as pleasant or unpleasant,
Liking,
Not liking.
Seeing all of these thoughts as is,
No more and no less than the birds or the clouds that fly around the peak of the mountaintop,
All the while the mountain is free,
Centered and unchanged in its essence.
Breath.
Noticing any sensations perhaps that might have drawn your attention away What is there in the body as vibration?
Tingling?
Warmth or coolness?
Perhaps also arising?
Falling?
Shifting?
Aware of any emotions that might be here.
Stirrings of the heart that arise and fall away.
That may float lightly or pull with a strong grip like a storm.
Holding them all with the dignity and resilience of a mountain that sits and carries the weight of the trees,
Perhaps snow,
Animals,
People that imprint themselves for a time on the mountain surface.
They pass lightly and at times intensely.
Feelings and sensations,
Thoughts.
Seeing them all arise and fall away like the weather that moves,
Changes,
And swirls around the mountain.
Yet all the while the mountain sits,
Steady,
Unwavering,
Powerful,
And gracefully holding it all with an attitude of acceptance.
No more,
No less.
What's here is here.
A deep and grounded capacity to let it be as it is.
Holding it all in your awareness as you sit,
Sit.
Gracious and grounded as a mountain,
Observing the rising and falling away of sensations,
Emotions,
Thoughts.
All the subtle nuances of the weather that make of the inner world of experience in this human body.
And all the while remaining steady,
Calm,
And present.
All the subtle nuances of the weather that make of the inner world of experience in this human body.
What wants to arise arises.
Naturally falling away like the seasons ever changing.
All the while the mountain remains steady,
Rooted in the earth,
Unchanged in its essence,
Energized with life,
Love,
And the mystery itself.
All the subtle nuances of the weather that make of the inner world of experience in this
