Hello and welcome,
This is Dani and I encourage you today to get nice and comfortable,
Whether seated or laying down,
Whatever's available to you and just finding a comfortable place as we settle into this guided visualization to go on a journey.
This journey isn't to take you anywhere in particular,
It isn't to make you feel anything specific.
This visualization is designed to let the journey be the practice in itself,
Not needing to strive,
Not needing to force or to prove anything,
But just simply allowing yourself the experience.
We spend so much of our days chasing goals or aspirations or our checklist,
We can spend our whole lives marching up the mountain,
But for what purpose?
Is it to get to the top and say,
I did it,
Is it to gloat or to just feel that sense of achievement?
What is the purpose of it if you don't enjoy the journey on your way though?
When we soften the ego,
The part of our minds that tells us to do more consistently,
That mountain stops being something we need to conquer and becomes something instead to experience.
We find ourselves no longer rushing to the peak and instead we are listening to the path.
And so begin to find a position of complete comfort,
Relax the shoulders,
The jaw,
Relax the biting surfaces of the teeth,
Allow the body to be fully supported.
There is nothing you need to hold on to,
Nothing you need to do,
Just feel the weight of your body sinking down,
The feet are heavy,
The thighs relax,
The spine rests,
Let the face soften,
Smoothing the space between the eyebrows,
And feel the breath moving gently in and out.
Effortless and natural.
As the body becomes still,
The mind can begin to wander,
Wandering inwards,
Into your minds eye.
Notice the lights and the colours,
Notice the images that are resting there initially.
And then encouraging your minds eye to stay with my words,
And can you imagine yourself standing at the base of a mountain.
This mountain is not steep or intimidating,
It feels welcoming,
It is ancient,
Steady and patient.
Notice the quality of the air here,
Cool,
Fresh and clear.
Each breath feels like space entering your body,
You take those cleansing breaths,
Deepening that space,
And softening yourself into it.
You're not here to conquer this mountain,
You're not here to prove anything,
There is no finish line waiting for you.
This is a journey of presence.
You begin to walk,
Feel each step beneath you,
The foot lifting,
Placing,
Weight transferring.
There is no rush,
No pace to keep,
The mountain will not leave you behind.
And as you walk,
Notice the scenery around you,
Wild flowers growing freely,
Stones warmed beneath the sun's rays,
The sound of the breeze whistling between the trees.
Each step is enough.
And as you continue along the path,
You notice a familiar voice,
In your mind it asks questions like how far have I gone,
Am I doing this right,
Shouldn't I be higher by now?
And without judgement,
Acknowledge this voice,
And then gently,
Imagine placing it down like a heavy pack beside the trail,
You do not need it here.
As the pack is released,
Your body feels lighter,
Your breath feels easier,
The ribs expanding,
The shoulders softening,
The mountain does not ask for achievement,
It only invites your presence.
As you continue upward,
You come to a natural clearing,
And you pause.
From here,
You can see the landscape stretching out below you,
Rolling hills,
Winding paths,
Places you've already been.
There is no label to this moment,
No marker as progress or success,
It is just simply a place to notice.
Allow yourself to take in the view,
The way the sun feels on your skin,
The sounds of the trees,
The birds,
Of that freedom in this presence.
And when you're ready,
You continue,
Not because you should,
Not because you need to,
But because it feels natural to keep moving,
The path that you're on curves now,
It is not the fastest way up,
It is not the most direct route,
But it is the most beautiful.
You can sense that this path has been shaped by many travellers before you,
All moving at their own pace,
All learning in their own time,
And comparison fades.
In this moment,
There is only your breath,
There is only your step,
And eventually you arrive at a place where the path naturally stops.
It's not a peak,
It isn't a summit,
It is just a place to rest,
And you sit or lie down here,
Fully supported by the mountain itself.
From this place,
The view feels wide and expansive,
Not because you are above anything,
But simply because you are fully here.
Notice how it feels to rest without striving,
To be without needing to arrive,
And begin to bring awareness back to your physical body,
The weight of yourself in your comfortable place,
That steady,
Patient rhythm of your breath.
Sense the quiet steadiness of the mountain still within you,
Know that you can return to this scenic route at any time,
It is there in your practice,
It is there in your breath,
It is always there in every moment of your life,
There is no need to rush,
The journey itself is enough,
And slowly invite movement back into the body,
Small movements of the shoulders and the toes,
The head,
The neck,
And there is no rush,
And when it feels right,
And carry this sense of presence with you,
Step by step,
Moment by moment,
It is our ego that asks,
How far have I come,
But it is presence that asks,
Can I feel this step?
