During a recent attunement, I experienced myself orienting to my usual resource, steadiness, and I suddenly found myself “being a mountain.” My felt-sense experience was of the strength and steadiness of a large mountain and, what added to the experience, was the felt-sense of literally being part of the body of the earth. I could feel how I, as the mountain, had an unbroken connection with the entire mantle of the planet, that I arose from the depths of the earth, and that it was impossible to fall over or become disconnected from the stability of the earth itself.
As a regular practice, I invite myself and just about everyone with whom I connect professionally in the course of any given week to take a moment to feel into the steadiness that is an inherent part of their embodied, core presence. I remind people that the experience of our ever-present steadiness may fall into the background of our awareness and be momentarily unavailable, but it represents a part of us that cannot be disturbed. It’s an inescapable aspect of our wholeness and resides within our core presence.
This time, as I became a mountain, which I have experienced often over the years, I had the additional experience of a deepened sense of connection with the whole planet. The difference this time was that my focus on my inherent steadiness combined with the additional steadiness of the mountain and was enhanced by the experience of feeling more deeply than usual the connection of the mountain as part of mantle of the planet.
For this week’s practice, I invite you to explore your experience of steadiness and to play with “being a mountain” to see what it might add to what you already feel. These are challenging times and sorely in need of steadiness. Given that it’s my experience that we constantly contribute to and draw from our collective human consciousness, it seems to me that orienting to steadiness can become not only a great gift to ourselves, but to our collective human family, as well.
As you explore this week’s practice, notice if you have any new sensations of steadiness, any new ideas or experiences about it. Pay particular attention to your physical sensations as you resonate with steadiness, allowing your body time to deeply absorb the lived experience of having steady presence, of directly experiencing an underlying and ever-present steadiness.
Also notice if you have any mixed feelings and be sure to make room for them. Within a context of our wholeness, there is always room for the mixed feelings that arise in so many of our experiences and in so many moments along the way. If you do find mixed feelings, notice what they convey and what may need your attention.
Also, during those times when you find yourself resonating with a comfortable sense of steadiness, notice the quality and tone of your being. Notice the quality or qualities you radiate into your environment and our collective consciousness in this moment. I always have the feeling that whenever any one of us finds and can rest in our steadiness we immediately and automatically contribute it to people who may be wobbling on the edge of seeking steadiness but not quite finding it. It’s as though we put a hand out to help them reach into their own steadiness in that moment.
As with all these practices, please remember to bring along curiosity as your constant companion and to pat gently on the head any judgments that may arise. When you can do this, the judgments can move through and move on without your having to do anything about them.
We all know we’re in this together and I’ve said many times that how we move through our world, and the qualities with which we resonate as we do so, affects not only our own quality of internal life but everyone else’s as well. These days, it’s more important than ever to offer to ourselves and to our collective consciousness an experience of internal steadiness that is one of our most important sources of support.