The Mountain practice.
Settling into a comfortable posture.
The Mountain practice is often done sitting,
But if you prefer you can lie.
Adopting a dignified posture.
Stretching the back upright.
Rising up from the pelvis.
And as best you can,
Stacking the head on top of the spine in an erect posture.
Perhaps having an intention to be with the breath and the body in this moment.
And coming to the breath.
Wherever you feel the breath most clearly,
Following the waves of the breath.
As this body breathes in and out at your own pace.
And if you notice the mind wandering,
That's not a problem.
It's an opportunity to bring the attention back to the breath.
I'd like to invite you to imagine a mountain.
This can be a mountain you know well.
Perhaps one you have made up.
Perhaps using a picture of a mountain to help you imagine it.
Noticing how the mountain stretches up towards the sky.
How it has been there for hundreds or thousands of years.
And perhaps noticing the details of your mountain.
Are there trees on the mountain?
Perhaps flowers or plants are growing?
Or maybe this mountain is bare?
Noticing whether this mountain has water,
Perhaps a lake around it.
Whether it has a snowy peak or perhaps the tip of the mountain is lost in clouds or mist.
There may be people or animals walking around the mountain.
Noticing how stable the mountain is.
It's remained relatively unchanged for hundreds and thousands of years.
Firmly rooted in the ground.
A majestic mountain rising up.
You may notice that the mountain has different weather patterns and different seasons around it.
Still it stands strong.
In the spring perhaps the flowers start to bloom.
In the summer it may be bathed in sunlight and heat.
Perhaps in autumn the colours change to beautiful reds and orange.
And in winter it may be covered in snow.
The mountain accepts whatever the weather and however the seasons change.
It still stands strong.
The mountain notices the changes.
Come and go.
Not minding whatever conditions it's subjected to.
It doesn't long for the weather to change.
It watches as the seasons linger and then pass.
Exploring the idea of taking on the qualities of the mountain yourself in any way that you can.
So perhaps embodying the structure of the mountain.
The arms being the sides of the mountain and the head being the lofty peak.
And just like the mountain we can watch the seasons of our thoughts and feelings as they come and go.
Perhaps standing strong even if the weather becomes stormy.
Just like the mountain.
We don't have to wish it away.
We can allow it to be there and let the weather pass.
Noticing how your feet are rooted to the ground.
Just in the same way the mountain is rooted to the earth.
And allowing whatever is here to be here.
Just like the mountain.
It holds its posture strong and dignified no matter what is going on around it.
And as we move towards the end of this practice expanding our awareness to the breath and the body.
Noticing how the body makes contact with the floor or whatever it is resting on.
Perhaps stretching as you need to.
And allowing the eyes to gently open.
You
