Welcome to this mountain meditation.
This meditation is a visualization practice which offers the notion that we can experience elements of the mountain in our lives,
Finding the stability of a mountain despite the varied weather and events of our lives.
So first settling in to our seated posture of meditation,
Feeling your seat bones connect to the chair or cushion that you might be sitting on,
Feeling your feet on the floor or your legs on the floor.
Then finding your upright posture,
Feeling the spine grow tall,
Not with a sense of stiffness or being held,
But with a sense of dignity and grace,
Balance and ease.
Taking a few deep breaths to begin the practice,
Finding in the body places that might be tight that could soften as we settle in to this practice.
Then bringing to mind a mountain,
Visualizing a mountain,
Perhaps it's one you've hiked on or one that you've seen from afar,
Maybe one you've traveled to or seen in movies,
Or you can even just imagine your ideal mountain.
So first visualize the shape of this mountain,
Noticing if there is just one or if there are several peaks.
Is there a peak that is dominant?
What is its shape?
And right now is there snow on that peak?
Are there trees on its sloping sides?
And what do you imagine these sides of the mountain look like?
Are they smooth,
Gentle,
Or are they rocky and rugged?
Are they cliff-like?
And then consider the base of this mountain.
How large is its base?
How much land mass does the base of this mountain cover?
Sit and breathe with this image of your mountain.
Feeling the mass of this mountain,
Feeling how it is solid and unmoving.
If you're thinking of a real mountain,
It is likely that mountain has been there for hundreds of thousands of years.
This mountain has been stable,
Unmoving,
Unflinching.
Can you be this mountain?
Can you and this mountain come together?
Maybe your head merging with the peak of the mountain and your shoulders and torso being its slope and your buttocks and legs being its solid base.
For its many years of existence,
This mountain has seen many things.
Just like you,
The mountain has witnessed diverse experiences.
The mountain has experienced the wonder of the warm summer sun,
Presence of life and animals,
Trees,
Shrubs,
People visiting.
As well,
This mountain has experienced dramatic storms,
Strong wind storms,
Snowfall,
Fog and freezing rain.
The mountain has witnessed loss of life,
Loss of trees.
It's witnessed its rivers carving their way to the base of the mountain.
Their course may be altered by dramatic rock slides or other events on the mountain.
But all the while with all these dramatic events,
The mountain sits rooted and grounded.
Releasing these events but remaining a stable mountain.
Can we draw on the example of this mountain?
Can we endure the storms of life drawing strength from our solid base?
Acknowledging the downed trees and the other losses in our life.
Drawing on our inner strength like the base of the mountain.
With these challenges of life that come to us,
Can you find inner strength to remain grounded,
Rooted and stable?
While we are buffeted by the winds of the challenges and stresses of life,
These stresses do not affect our true inner self.
Has life changed or were you at the right time for every moment,
Every moment?
Can we experience the mountain that is us,
Rooted in our lives,
Experiencing the varied and sometimes tumultuous weather,
But all the while staying grounded and true to ourselves?
Like a mountain,
Remaining grounded and true despite all the varied events of our lives,
Be they those that bring us joy or those that bring us sorrow?
Finding the stability of the mountain within ourselves.
Seemed to change.
Thank you.
