To Be A Mountain

Pure Joy

Uncertainty is prevalent today, affecting politics, the economy, health, and relationships. The unpredictability of life leaves us craving security and a sense of control over our well-being.

In today’s fast-paced world, many feel disconnected from nature. Integrating yoga and nature into daily routines can greatly enhance health and well-being. Yoga goes beyond physical exercise; it promotes mental clarity, emotional balance, and stress relief. Practicing yoga outdoors amplifies these benefits. Research shows that interacting with nature boosts cognition, mood, and mental health.

As a yoga therapist, I frequently work with diverse groups of clients and may not always have the opportunity to experience nature directly. Through guided visualization meditation, I help clients connect with the essence of nature in the present moment, regardless of their physical surroundings. This powerful technique enables practitioners to vividly imagine and immerse themselves in enriching experiences, which enhances their mindfulness and overall well-being.

One particular guided meditation is "To Be a Mountain." It offers beautiful imagery of a mountain. As a lover of the mountains, I can easily immerse myself in the stability, strength, and grounding felt when walking, sitting, or looking at a mountain. Below is a sample of this meditation.

"As the sun travels each day across the sky, and light, shadows, and colors are changing virtually from moment to moment, the mountain sits.

In the mountain’s stillness, night follows day and day follows night, seasons flow into each other, and the weather changes moment by moment, day by day. Calmness abides all change.

In summer, there is no snow on the mountain except maybe on the peaks. In the fall, the mountain may wear a coat of brilliant colors. In winter, a blanket of snow or ice. In any season, it may change; it may find itself enshrouded in fog or clouds or pelted by sleeting rain. People may come to see the mountain and be disappointed if they can’t see it clearly, or they may comment on how beautiful it is. And through all this, seen or unseen, sun or clouds, in sweltering heat or the cold, the mountain sits.

Solid and unwavering.

At times visited by violent storms, snow, rain, and winds of unthinkable magnitude; through it all, the mountain just sits, unmoved by what happens on the surface.

As we sit holding this image in our mind, we can embody the same unwavering stillness and rootedness in the face of everything that changes in our lives, over seconds, hours, and years. In our meditation practice and in our lives, we experience the constantly changing nature of mind and body, and all the changes in the outer world. We experience our own periods of light and dark.

We experience storms of varying intensity and violence in the outer world and in our minds. We endure periods of darkness and pain as well as moments of joy. Even our appearance changes constantly, like the mountain’s, experiencing a weathering of its own.

By becoming the mountain in our meditation, we can touch these qualities of strength and stability, adopting them as our own. We can use its energies to support our efforts to encounter each moment with mindfulness. It may help us to see that our thoughts and feelings, our preoccupations, our emotional storms and crises, all the things that happen to us are much like the weather on the mountain.

We tend to take it personally, but like the weather, it is impersonal. In holding it in this way, we come to know a deeper silence and wisdom than we may have thought possible, right here within the storms. Mountains have this to teach us if we can come to listen."

By embracing both yoga and nature, we nurture our bodies and minds, fostering resilience and harmony in our lives. I encourage everyone to spend time outside—shoes off, feet in the grass—whether it’s walking, running, hiking, or simply sitting under a tree. This is yoga. We can also connect with yoga and nature through meditation, as many apps offer guided meditations.

Engaging with nature is not just a pleasant experience; it’s also a scientifically proven way to enhance our emotional well-being.

Making the long journey to the top. Magic all around.

Laughter within the trees.