Do you find yourself thrown by volatile situations and people? After an argument with my teenage son I imagined myself calm and rooted in the earth like a mountain. Wisdom leaders like Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn propose visualizations like this to develop a feeling of inner strength.
Hello and welcome to Uplifted. My name is Meg Luther Lindholm. I welcome you on this journey towards a more mindful and compassionate life. The journey isn’t easy, but it is possible if we take it one step at a time.
Today’s step is called Becoming a Mountain
I woke up today with painful memories of arguing with my son last night. He wanted to play video games with his friends long after I told him it was time for bed. He was furious at being taken away from what he loves. And I felt mentally thrown and very discouraged. Lately our battles seem to define our relationship more than our shared interests and love. I know there’s a way out of this morass, but there are times when I Just don’t see it.
And so, during my morning meditation, I find myself silently saying the word “strong” as I feel my breath going in and out. Strong like a mountain, which is something I picked up from meditation masters Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn. Both men ask us to visualize embodying the mountain’s attributes of strength, durability and steadfast rootedness within the earth.
Jon Kabat Zinn suggests envisioning our head as the mountain peak and our arms as the mountain’s sides. Sitting tall we can begin to feel uplifted as we rise up to meet the sky.
Jon says “become a breathing mountain – unwavering in your stillness. Completely what you are. Beyond words and thought. A centered, rooted unmoving presence.” (Use YT clip?) 3:30 The mountain image held in the mind’s eye and in the body can freshen our memory of why we are sitting in the first place. And of what it truly means each time we take our seat to dwell in the realm of non-doing. Mountains are quintessentially emblematic of abiding presence and stillness.”
And in visualizing the word mountain I begin to feel internally stronger. I reflect on how a mountain isn’t only impervious to nature’s slings and arrows – it transforms those slings of wind, hail and rain, ice and snow into rivers and streams, gullies, lakes, forests and windswept fields. We can adapt as the mountain does to the storms of our lives without losing our inner core of strength. And in imagining this I begin to sense a shift occurring within my body and my mind. I begin to feel the anger and disappointment that I woke up with transitioning into a feeling of calm. Sitting tall and straight it isn’t hard to imagine myself as that mountain, centered within myself. It’s wonderful to feel this process of transformation, if only for a brief time. I not only feel more grounded but I start to feel more hopeful, as though change from within is possible. I love this process of spiritual transformation that helps me transition from a mountain of worries into a mountain of strength. We are not stuck with the emotional hand that we are dealt. We can be our own wisdom leaders, our own teachers and our own mountain guides.
Thank you for joining me on this step of the mindfulness journey called Uplifted. You can find this podcast at Upliftedpodcast.com and if you like it I’d appreciate your making a one-time or a recurring donation on the podcast web page. I’m Meg Luther Lindholm. Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.