Adopting a sitting position that makes you feel alert and comfortable at the same time.
So either sitting on a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground or sitting cross-legged on the floor or in a kneeling posture.
And now bring to mind a mountain.
Maybe a mountain that you know well.
Maybe a mountain that you have seen pictures of or maybe just the general image of a mountain.
And now feeling into the base of the posture that you have adopted and feeling the connection points between your body and the floor,
The cushion or chair.
Feeling firmly rooted into this place just like the mountain is rooted into its place on the earth.
And feeling the wide and steady foundation of your posture just like the base of the mountain is its widest point.
And feeling that your arms and the sides of your body are representing the sides of a mountain,
The external surface.
That the spine and central part of your torso represent the center of the mountain,
The part of the mountain that is strong and steady.
Feel that your neck and head correspond to the lofty peak of the mountain.
Really feeling that your whole body represents a mountain.
You're here.
You are here.
Enquirable.
Strengthen.
Let them join you.
Filling that into your body rock.
Experiences and seasons.
And sensing now into the season being autumn.
Imagining that it is autumn time on the mountain.
The leaves are turning and falling from the trees.
There are only a few tourists and visitors and they are leaving the mountain.
Some autumn storms pepper the mountain.
Sometimes with lightning and thunder.
Damp morning fog hangs around.
The mountain smells of the slow decay of leaves.
Increased darkness comes to the mountain as the days shorten.
The animals hibernate and the birds migrate.
As those changes occur the mountain rests in its place.
Experiencing but seemingly partial to the changes that are occurring on its surface.
Allowing the experiences on its surface to simply happen.
Now see if you can tune into a place within the center of the mountain.
Within your own body deep inside that remains untouched by the changes of the surface.
A space that remains steady,
Warm and spacious.
As if there is a safe,
Warm and well lit cave right in the center of the mountain.
Feeling into the quality of this place in your body and the sensations there.
In the safe,
Steady place deep in your core that can remain untouched by the events in your life.
And now the season gradually changes to winter around the mountain.
Snow begins to fall,
Ice forms,
The rivers and streams freeze over.
There are many long periods of darkness and many storms and hurricanes and avalanches.
On the surface of the mountain feels a little dangerous and unsettled.
But there are also crisp,
Bright and calm days where the snow and ice sparkle in the clear,
Winter sunshine.
And yet there is still this place within the mountain,
Within your own body,
That remains untouched by what is occurring on the surface.
Tune into the quality of this place within yourself.
Note where this place is within your body,
This place that can remain untouched by the weather.
The storms,
The cold on the surface,
This place that feels safe,
Bright and warm.
A place where you can rest and take refuge,
Irrespective of the external events.
And slowly feeling that the mountain moves into springtime,
The ice and the snow begin to melt,
The streams and rivers begin to fall,
The ice and the snow begin to melt,
The ice and the snow begin to fall.
The ice and the snow begin to melt,
The streams and rivers flow with bright,
Clear melt water.
Flowers begin appearing,
Spring bulbs and blossoms emerge.
Leaves begin to sprout on the plants and the trees and the birds return to the mountain and begin building their nests,
Their songs filling the air.
Dehibernating animals re-emerge and stretch.
There's still the odd spring storm,
But the days are lengthening and brightening.
There are longer periods of calm between the storms,
A sense of renewed life,
Renewed energy.
But,
Irrespectably,
Of what is occurring externally or on the surface of the mountain,
Feeling once again into that place within you,
That place that remains untouched by whatever is occurring on the surface.
A place of warmth,
Of safety,
Of brightness.
Connecting with that place within you and having a sense of being able to rest here so that you can attend to activities on the surface.
And feeling that the season slowly changes again to summer.
Summer comes to the mountain.
Long,
Hot,
Lazy days.
Trees and bushes in full leaf.
You're experiencing the full-bodied summer days and short,
Warm nights.
The streams and the rivers are flowing.
The grass is a rich,
Deep green.
The birds are completing their care of their young by teaching them to fend for themselves.
There's still the occasional summer storm,
But they're neither long nor fierce.
But knowing that there is that place within you,
A place of safety,
Of warmth and brightness that you can touch and inhabit and can connect with any time that you feel that you would like to do,
It is always available to you.
Feeling into that place and resting there.
And allowing the image of the mountain to gently fade now.
But retaining the knowledge that the place of steadiness and safety within yourself that you have experienced in this meditation is always available to you as you conduct your everyday life.
And just before we bring this meditation to a close,
Having a sense of where your body is connecting with the earth.
Feeling the floor beneath your feet and the chair or cushion beneath your legs and buttocks.
Connecting and sensing into the support and rootedness that is offered.
Feeling fully rooted into this place and this time.
