Finding Stillness in the Storm: A Mountain Meditation

Introduction

Mountain meditation. It's important that you don't drive, cook, or use any machinery while listening to this meditation.

Preparation

Find a place where you won't be disturbed. Turn off or disconnect phones and tell family members or others that you live with that you're going to take some time to relax and ask them not to disturb you. Make yourself comfortable sitting up straight in an upright chair, or perhaps cross-legged on the floor, keeping a spine straight. A strong mountain like posture. And when you're ready, you might choose to close your eyes or simply look slightly downwards and allow your eyes to become unfocused.

Focus on Breath

Now just notice your breathing. Take several normal slow breaths and notice what that feels like. As thoughts and sounds into your awareness as they will. You can just notice them and let them pass without responding to them. Just let them come and let them go. That's okay.

Visualize the Mountain

And now bring up in your mind's eye a picture of a strong and perhaps beautiful mountain. Perhaps it's a mountain that you've seen. Or one you can just imagine. And as you bring up that picture, allow it to come into a greater, clearer focus. Notice the top of the mountain and what that looks like. Whether it has one or more peaks, or maybe just a high plateau there in the distance, up high. And then as your mind's eye travels down the sloping sides of that mountain. Notice the overall shape. Notice the strong, massive base of that mountain. Realizing how it's bedded and firmly rooted down within the Earth's crust. And just look now what's on the surface of this young mountain? Perhaps. Snow. Ice. Rocks, trees, grass. What else do you notice? What colors are there? How does light affect the mountain? Are there any shadows or bright spots? Shadows of clouds. And as you take in the image of this mountain, notice its qualities. Strong. Unmoving. Solid. Stable. And its enormous size. The mountain's awesome presence and stillness. And you can notice. The day passes. And throughout the days and the nights. The mountain just is the light. The shadows. The colors change almost constantly. The darkness comes and then light again, moving around the mountain. But the mountain just remains. Weather changes. Seasons come and go. There might be violent storms. Gales. Rain. Hail. Clouds. Fog. Thunder and lightning. Snow and ice. The mountain remains. The surface may change in appearance, but the mountain remains. Sightseers. May she almost a different mountain every day. One day and shrouded in fog. Another in bright sunshine. Pelted by sheets of rain and hail, or enveloped in snow. Trees grow their leaves and then shed them. Flowers emerge and bloom, then die away. Birds sing on the slopes. Perhaps people climbing, walking, skiing. The snow melts and the water runs down. The surface is constantly changing. But the mountain is just the mountain. The mountain just sits, remains at peace. Calm, still, unmoving, solid, strong and steadfast. The mountain remains and just is.

Be Like the Mountain

So as the mountain is so we can be just being. We are the mountain. Taking on its strength and stability, its solidness and stillness. Just as we can be buffeted by storms of life, stresses and strains. The variety and range of emotions, thoughts and sensations that we experience each day. Just as the surface of the mountain can change, so we experience constantly changing thoughts. Thoughts about current concerns or worries for the future. Ruminations on the past. Emotions such as joy and sadness. Anger and pain. Fear and contentment. Physical sensations. Outside events. Ever changing. We can know. Stillness within. Stillness amongst chaos. Like the mountain. Grounded in the moment right now. Our experiences are real and we can acknowledge and know them in the same way that the mountain acknowledges and knows the weather and all the different experiences on its surface. But within there is wisdom, stillness and knowledge that we are just we human beings rather than human doings, so we can just be. Just as the mountain is. And within our daily lives, we can be like that mountain. If we can bring up that image and remember that mountain and its strength and unmoving stillness, we can just notice our experiences, our thoughts. Or feelings. Acknowledge those events, whether they happen outside or within us. And we can still know that same stillness. Stillness within the outer chaos. You can look inwards to your own mountain of wisdom and stillness. Everything else will pass. We can be that mountain.

Returning to the Present

And whenever you are ready, you can bring your attention back to the room. Notice the chair or bed supporting you, noticing and becoming more aware of your surroundings. Whenever you are ready, you can open your eyes and slowly look around the room, seeing what you see, hearing what you hear and notice what you notice. Becoming more and more alert but keeping some of these feelings of relaxation, this stillness, this solidness while your body responds, feeling more energized and refreshed and calm.