Meditation on the Dào and the Mountain

a Dàoist Guided Meditation for addressing Political Anxiety

Settling Into Presence Begin by sitting comfortably.  Let your spine naturally align, neither rigid nor slouched - a balanced pillar between the Heavens and Earth.  Feel your body settle into its natural posture.  Water always finds its level, your body can find its natural place in this Here and Now.  Take your time.  Allow your attention now to slowly collect itself, to coalesce around the breath.  The breath is already there.  If not with this breath, see your attention come to the breath in some future breath.  Maybe this next one?  Maybe another after that.  Remain settled, aligned, and breathe.  There is plenty of time and absolutely no hurry.  The awareness will arrive if for no other reason than curiosity.  It'll want to know what the rest of you is doing.  When it arrives, welcome it.  Your attention, breath, and posture - together in this Here and Now.  Now, take a deep breath in through your nose, and release it - slowly - through your mouth.  This breath is like the gentle flow of the Dào itself, nourishing and constant.  Imagine your breath as a river, flowing smoothly, flowing effortlessly.  Bringing Life.  With each exhalation, release any tension downstream, letting all stress dissolve like morning mist over a gentle bend in this river.

Let’s try it again:  inhale gently, in through the nose, and exhale, out slowly through the mouth.  Yes.  With each breath, connect to the rhythm of life, the unseen current guiding all things. 

Acknowledging What Is Notice the burdens you've carried - the headlines, the worries of tomorrow, the what-ifs.  Allow them to surface, in the mind, without resistance.  Allow them to surface, in the heart, without resistance.  As is the Dàoist way, we do not force change; we harmonize with what arises.  Embrace these thoughts, these feeling like the mountain welcomes the storms - they come, there may be fury, they pass. The mountain remains.  The life-giving river is recharged.

Visualizing the Dào Picture yourself as part of the vast, interconnected tapestry of the Dào.  It is not a place or a thing but a boundless flow.  Vast.  Boundless.  Timeless.  See yourself as a dust mote afloat in the Cosmos.  In a realm without friction, without contention this dust mote shows no resistance to anything at all.  It seems to trust in the current.  Gravity.  Light.  Galaxies.  Endless night.  Resistanceless.  Resistancelessly, rest in this effortless movement.  In time, this speck of stardust will happen upon Earth.  Joining this Here and Now.

Becoming the Mountain Now, visualize yourself as a mountain - vast, enduring, part of the Earth and yet touching the heavens.  Perhaps that cosmic dust mote was the final addition to your growth as a mountain.  A life-giving river runs down your side.  A Dàoist teaching reminds us:  "Stand firm like a mountain, move like flowing water."  The mountain does not argue with the clouds nor the winds.  It simply exists within the natural cycles of change.

Feel this stillness.  Know that your inner nature, like the mountain, is unshaken by life’s passing phenomena.  As we breathe, we sense movement within ourselves.  The breath enters slowly, the body expands.  Looking deeper still, we sense stillness beneath this movement.  The breath exits easily and even more slowly, the body shifts shape again - deflating some.  Looking deeper still, we sense stillness beneath this movement as well.  Breathing in this Here and Now.  Breathing in this Here and Now.

Connecting to Wújí and Tàijí Bring your attention to the subtle sensations within and around you - the gentle pulse of your heartbeat, the rise and fall of your breath, the temperature or movement of the air.  Now, reflect on the interplay of apparent opposites - the Dàoist concepts of Wújí (the formless potential) and Tàijí (the dynamic balance of Yīn and Yáng).  Consider how the mountain endures sunlight and shadow, warmth and cold, growth and decay.  Consider our inner stillpoint, enduring each thought, each breath, each rise and fall of the chest...with each breath.  Enduring.  Stillness beneath.  With each inhale, draw in energy from this cosmic balance.  With each exhale, release resistance.  Breathing in this Here and Now.

Repeat silently:  "I am both stillness and flow.  I embody balance in all things."  Continue this breathing.  Breathing in this Here and Now.  Slower as we go.  Deeper as we go.  With each inhale, draw in energy from this cosmic balance.  With each exhale, releasing resistance.  Breathing in this Here and Now.  Repeating:  "I am both stillness and flow.  I embody balance in all things."

Hosting Without Attachment Thoughts and emotions may appear, like travelers passing over the mountain.  In Dàoism, we say:  "Be a host, not a master, to your emotions."  See these thoughts as fleeting guests - welcome them, but let them depart as they please.  The Dào flows unimpeded, and so can your mind.  Storms, seasons, travelers, rivers, animals - all flow unimpeded and unceasingly over the quiet, still mountain.  With each breath comes the fuel for another visitor - each greeted, each welcome, and each departing.  We breathe...Breathing in this Here and Now.  "Be a host, not a master, to your emotions.  I am both stillness and flow.  I embody balance in all things."

Returning to the Breath Gradually bring your awareness back to your breath, the constant companion of this moment.  It is the Dào made tangible, connecting all things.  This breath is your anchor to the present, your reminder of simplicity and ease.  Breathing in this Here and Now.  Breathing in this Here and Now.

Closing with Gratitude Breathing in this Here and Now.  "Stand firm like a mountain, move like flowing water.  Be a host, not a master, to your emotions. I am both stillness and flow.  I embody balance in all things."  Breathing in this Here and Now.  As your meditation concludes, place your hands over your lower Dāntián, just below the navel.  Feel the support given by the breath, the support offered by your hands.  Perhaps an offer of a gentle bow?  A gesture of reverence - to the Sky, to the Mountain, to the Dào, to dust mote, to the river, to all beings who have walked before you, and to the presence of Now.  Perhaps this bow symbolizes your harmony with the Way, your place within the natural order.

Breathe deeply, bow, and commit to embodying the Dào’s balance - a balancing spirit that flows through you and out into the world.  Breathing in this Here and Now.  With a last deep breath, thank the Dào for its wisdom and the way it carries all life in its embrace.  Gently open your eyes and return to your surroundings.

Conclusion

May your practice be as effortless as water flowing around rocks.  May you find harmony in all things, and may the Dào guide you to stillness and clarity.  Thank you for allowing me to walk this path of exploration with you.

Conclusion:

Thank you.

May all beings be at ease.

May all beings everywhere, including ourselves, be safe, be happy, have good health, and enough to eat.  And may we all live at ease of heart with whatever comes to us in life.

Post-Cardio Recovery Guided Meditation

* Deep Breathing and Body Awareness

Begin by taking a few deep breaths. Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your lungs expand. Hold for a moment, and then exhale slowly through your mouth, letting go of any tension. With each breath, allow yourself to sink deeper into relaxation. Feel the weight of your body supported by the ground, or floor, or table, or chair beneath you. As you continue to breathe deeply, bring your awareness to your feet. Notice any sensations you might feel, whether it’s warmth, coolness, or the feeling of the ground beneath you. Slowly move your attention up through your body, to your calves, knees, thighs, and so on. Take your time with each part of your body, acknowledging and releasing any tension you might be holding. Deep breaths. Inhaling deeply through the nose, feeling your lungs expand. Holding for a moment, and then exhaling slowly through the mouth, any tension dissolving. Deep breaths.

* Visualizing Healing Energy

Imagine a warm, golden light surrounding you. This light represents healing energy. Your body, at least, deserves time, attention, and energy for healing. Deep breaths. As you breathe in, visualize this golden light entering your body, filling you with warmth and comfort. Picture the light moving to each part of your body, starting with your feet and moving upwards. Feel the light within soothing and healing your muscles, your tendons, your joints. Soothing all that has worked so hard during your cardio exercise. When you reach areas that feel particularly tense or sore, imagine the golden light accumulating there, pooling. The light is gently massaging away the discomfort.

* Muscle Relaxation

Now, shift your focus to your muscles. Deep breaths, lungs expanding, a slight hold at the top of the breath, and finally an exhale that drains tension and soreness away. With each breath, imagine your muscles becoming more relaxed. Feel the tension melt away, replaced by a sense of softness and ease. As you continue to breathe deeply, visualize each muscle group relaxing one by one. Zone by zone. Bit by bit. Breathing deeply. Start with your toes and feet again. Then move to your calves, thighs, hips, lower back and so on. Imagine the relaxation spreading through your body like a warm wave, soothing the muscles that have been working hard...so hard.

* Reflecting on Your Effort

Breathing deeply. Physically you are quite relaxed. In this state of relaxation, take a moment to reflect on the effort, the energy you put into your exercise or your competition. Breathing deeply: Acknowledge the challenges you faced and the strength you demonstrated. Allow yourself to recognize the importance of rest and recovery in achieving your fitness goals. Understand that this time of relaxation is as crucial as the time spent training, the time spent competing. Breathing deeply.

* Closing the Meditation

As you near the end of your meditation, take a few more deep breaths. With each inhalation, imagine filling yourself with calm and relaxation. With each exhalation, let go of any remaining tension or stress. When you’re ready, gently bring your awareness back to this present moment. Wiggle your fingers and toes, try on a slight smile, and take your time to open your eyes. Take a few moments to notice how you feel. Allow yourself to appreciate the sense of relaxation and rejuvenation you’ve cultivated.

Thank you.

Thank you...

for Calming, Quieting, & Settling

This meditation is supported by research showing that mindfulness and relaxation techniques can reduce pain perception and inflammation in arthritis patients.

This could be read to someone who experiences chronic pain.

Perhaps while they rest.

Perhaps while they participate in the meditation.

Perhaps it is read aloud as you practice...and thereby serve as a role model for another who is might appreciate help with their own chronic pain management

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