Welcome to today's self-inquiry meditation.
Mountain of the self.
Take a moment to settle into your seat.
Let the spine gently rise and the shoulders soften and allowing the breath to find its natural rhythm.
If you wish you may take a couple of deep breaths and gently closing your eyes down and beginning to bring your awareness inwards.
We'll begin today with a few rounds of a calming breathing technique called the 4-7-8 breathing where you're going to be breathing in for 4,
Holding for 7 and then exhaling for 8.
This breathing technique helps calm the nervous system and will draw the mind inward.
So let's begin.
Inhale through the nose for 4 counts,
1,
2,
3,
4 and holding the breath for 7 counts,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale slowly through the mouth for 8 counts,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Let's repeat that.
So inhaling for 2,
3,
4,
Hold for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7 and exhale for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
One last time.
Inhaling for 2,
3,
4,
Holding for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7 and exhaling for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Now let's return to your natural breath and notice how the body feels.
Imagine yourself now standing at the base of a great mountain.
It stretches upward into the clouds,
Ancient and wise.
You feel called to climb it,
Not with effort,
But with presence.
With each breath in,
Imagining yourself taking a step up and with each breath out,
Releasing something that no longer serves you.
Feel the path firm beneath your feet,
Noticing the wind on your face and the trees around you slowly thin as you ascend this mountain.
And slowly but surely,
You reach the top of the mountain.
Here at the top of the mountain,
It is still,
Quiet and vast.
From here,
You can see in all directions.
Below you are the landscapes of your life,
Moments of joy,
Pain,
Confusion,
Love.
You see them all from above,
Not entangled in them,
But simply observing from a higher perspective.
Notice how it feels to see everything from above,
Up here.
Breathe it in.
This is the place of the capital S self,
Vast,
Rooted and wise.
Let yourself rest here for a few moments.
Now,
From the quiet of this mountaintop,
Gently turn your attention inwards towards the landscape of your inner world.
Imagine that there is a part of you,
Perhaps forgotten,
Quiet or hidden,
That is ready to be seen.
You might sense a feeling,
A memory,
An image,
Or even a figure appearing before you.
Let it come naturally,
Without needing to name it or understand it.
Ask this part of you,
What do you need from me right now?
How can I take better care of you?
Is there anything you want me to know?
Simply listening,
You don't need to fix or change anything,
Simply observing,
Witnessing from a distance is enough.
Breathing gently into your heart,
Allowing space for whatever has shown itself.
Know that by turning towards this part of yourself with curiosity and kindness,
Slowly healing begins.
Again,
Breathing into your heart,
Letting whatever has arisen move through your body in an open heart.
Now,
With this next exhale,
Allowing it to move out of you,
Into the breeze,
Carried by the breeze,
Away from you.
Slowly beginning to return to the present moment now,
Feeling your body sitting in the space that you're in,
Sensing the space around you,
Sensing your body.
Sensing your breath,
Slowly wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Let's take a deep breath in and sigh it out.
Let's do that one more time.
Take a deep breath in and breathe it out.
And slowly,
Gently,
As you come back,
Carrying with you the view from the mountaintop and the whisper of your inner world.
Bowing gently to the self within you,
Thanking yourself for being here,
Bringing yourself to this present moment today.
And whenever you're ready,
Softly opening your eyes.
Welcome back.
