Welcome to the mountain meditation.
Stand or sit with a long spine in a chair,
Feet hip width apart and directly under your knees.
Close your eyes and connect all four corners of the soles of your feet with the ground.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling your lungs as much as you can,
Then open your mouth wide and exhale audibly.
Take one more deep breath in through your nose,
Open your mouth wide again,
Stick out your tongue this time,
Squeeze your eyes tightly and exhale audibly as much air as you possibly can.
Then return to your natural breath.
Open your palms to the front of the room if standing or rest them open to the ceiling on top of your thighs if seated.
Spread your fingers wide and continue to send energy out through your fingertips.
Begin to notice your breath in and out through your nose.
If standing,
Lift your kneecaps to contract the tops of your thighs.
If seated,
Press the soles of your feet into the ground.
Put yourself in place.
Notice the stability you create by doing so.
Grow tall and press the crown of your head toward the ceiling,
Chin slightly tucked.
Slide your shoulder blades down your back and open your heart,
But draw your ribcage down and inward.
As you do,
Feel your core lightly engage.
Mountain Pose.
Continue to breathe deeply and evenly through the back of your nose.
Allow your tongue to relax and soften your jaw and cheeks.
Breathe.
Begin to shift your awareness inward and bring to mind the qualities of a mountain.
Energy,
Strength,
Confidence,
Beauty,
Peace.
These are just some of the qualities.
Consider others that may come to mind.
Just as there is life in and on a mountain,
You too are a living being filled with life.
Your breath,
That vital life force moving through you each and every day,
Reminds you that you indeed are alive and a divine creation of God's.
Your breath is a powerful connection to the universe.
Yoga says that your body and mind are one and not separate as you may have been led to believe.
So how you breathe is who you are.
If your breath is quick and hurried,
So too will your body and mind be.
But if your breath is relaxed,
Calm,
And peaceful,
The rest of your being will follow suit.
Breathe deeply into the core of who you are.
I am balanced with self.
I am strong.
I move in harmony with life.
I am ever changing.
I am peaceful.
Those same qualities that a mountain embodies,
You too hold in your presence.
Envision these qualities within you.
Grace and protection,
Boldness and splendor,
Intricacies and uniqueness,
Peaceful and flowing with life.
When you are ready,
Slowly begin to let light filter back into your eyes.
Relax your arms,
Soften your knees,
And move about your day carrying this feeling and perspective you have right now with you into all of your interactions.
This practice can be done anywhere,
In either a standing or seated position,
And is yours to access whenever you need to feel more grounded,
Centered,
And connected with self.
