As the world grows more and more connected,
We find ourselves buffeted about by news,
By social media,
And by so many other forces.
I invite you to put all that aside for a few minutes and join me in this meditation for centering in the midst of chaos.
Begin by closing your eyes.
Notice the thoughts passing through your mind.
Maybe you're reliving an interaction or situation from earlier today.
Or perhaps you're anticipating how difficult a task you'll have to complete later will be.
Try to notice the thoughts as they arise and then fade,
But try not to get caught up in the content of these thoughts.
Take a deep breath.
Feel it moving down from your mouth to your chest and deep into your belly.
On the exhale,
Try to let go of as much tension as possible.
Take another deep breath or two and set aside thoughts of the past or the future and come into the present moment.
Now imagine yourself as a mountain.
Visualize the peak of the mountain just above your head.
See the slopes of the mountain coming down beside your body,
Sinking deep into the earth.
Feel your body connected to the earth as well,
Perhaps envisioning roots or pillars of stone firmly anchoring your body to the planet below.
You are the mountain.
Steady,
Calm,
And uninfluenced by its surroundings.
Feel into this stability,
This strength.
Now imagine a day in the life of this mountain.
See the sun rise to the east,
Climb into the sky,
And set to the west.
See this happen for several cycles.
The sun and moon move through the heavens,
But the mountain is unmoved.
You are unmoved.
You are steady.
Perhaps add some weather.
Clouds come and go,
Rains begin and end,
And the mountain remains the same no matter what nature throws at it.
Now visualize the seasons changing around you.
During the winter,
Snow covers the sides of the mountain only to give way to the verdant greens and vibrant colors in the spring.
The scenery continues to change as the seasons move into summer,
Autumn,
And back into winter.
So can the centering,
Stabilizing,
Calming feeling of what it is like to be a mountain.
Now,
Bring to mind the thoughts you are noticing at the beginning of this meditation.
Are you able to relate to these same thoughts differently?
Can you watch them pass by as the sun or the seasons passed by?
Next time you're feeling overwhelmed,
Take a couple of deep breaths and bring this mountain to mind.
It is my hope that in those moments you will be able to find some calm in the midst of chaos.
You
