Thank you for joining me for your practice.
It's really wonderful that you're here.
Let's start this meditation in a comfortable seated position.
You may like to be seated on a chair,
Or if it's available to you,
You can sit comfortably on the floor.
Make sure your spine is tall and straight.
Relax your shoulders.
Rest your hands in your lap,
Or maybe on your thighs.
Relax your jaw.
Take a couple of deep breaths here to really settle in.
And if it feels good,
You can gently close your eyes or maintain a soft gaze.
Tune into the sounds around you.
Maybe the sounds that are in your immediate environment,
Like the sound of my voice,
Or the sound of your breathing.
And then notice sounds that are further away.
Maybe the sound of traffic on the street,
Or the sound of birds singing.
Letting these sounds come and go.
Notice the taste in your mouth.
And then feel the weight of your body pressing down into the surface beneath you.
Feeling centered and grounded.
Allowing the breath to connect you to the present moment.
And then,
In your imagination,
Visualize a magnificent mountain.
Maybe it's one you've seen before,
Or maybe it is a creation of your imagination,
And that's okay.
Maybe it stands alone,
Or maybe it's a mountain that forms part of a mountain range.
Whatever comes to mind is just perfect.
And this mountain,
Like all things,
Is ever changing.
Everything stays the same,
Even when the changes seem to be slow.
And as you see this mountain in your mind's eye,
Imagine that your body is like this mountain.
Your legs and feet form the base of the mountain.
Your shoulders and arms are like the slopes.
Your spine like the axis.
Your head and neck are the peak of the mountain.
And feel yourself becoming centered and grounded.
And then,
As best you can,
See the mountains through the changing seasons.
Imagine the mountain in the autumn.
It's surrounded by a warm,
Golden glowing light and brilliant colours.
And gradually,
Autumn gives way to winter.
And the mountain withstands the weather,
The ice and the snow.
And through all of that,
It remains still,
Quiet and steadfast.
And eventually,
Winter gives way to spring.
The snow melts away.
The animals come out of hibernation.
Birds begin to sing.
The flowers and the plants begin to grow once more.
And then spring gives way to summer.
And the mountain is bathed in light.
Quiet,
Solid and still ever so majestic.
And in every season,
Clouds will cover the mountain.
And then they drift on by.
Storms rise and fall.
And yet the mountain is unmoved.
And then imagine the mountain during the cycle of day and night.
Beginning at the start of the day,
With the beautiful hues of the dawn.
And how that transitions into the clear light of the morning.
And then the deeper,
Golden light in the shadows of the afternoon.
Eventually the day gives way to the richer colours of the sunset.
And eventually there's that transition to night.
Where the night sky is filled with stars.
And there's the endless space across the vast,
Clear heavens.
And see if just for a few moments you can sit in stillness like this mountain.
Quiet and grounded through the changes of the seasons and time.
Allowing day and night to come and go.
Allowing the storms to rise and fall.
And rather than resisting the changes,
As best you can,
Accepting them.
Take a deep breath in.
And breathe out.
And feel that you can take these qualities with you into your day.
Allowing the weather and the seasons of life to rise and fall.
Being present,
Centred,
Grounded and still.
Unmoved by the challenges.
Unmoved by the storms.
Unmoved by the moments of darkness and light.
The moments of sorrow and joy.
Allowing life to continue to unfold around you.
Just sitting and contemplating these words.
Letting any focus fade now.
Feel the weight of your body pressing down into the surface beneath you.
Noticing any sounds around you.
Noticing the taste in your mouth.
Then gently blinking your eyes open if you close them.
And becoming familiar with your surroundings again.
Then pause for a moment and notice how you feel after your practice today.
There's no right or wrong,
Just an observation.
Thank you for joining me and I'll see you back here again soon for your next meditation.
