A common phrase used when talking about meditation is anyone can meditate on a mountain.
The idea being if we are in a perfectly quiet, tranquil location – meditation is much easier.
But for most of us we’re not in that perfect location when we meditate…
There might be dogs barking or loud birds (I’m looking at you Sulphur Crested Cockatoos!)
Or mechanical sounds such as vehicles or power tools.
The more we meditate in these less ideal situations, the more we become able to tolerate those sounds…
But there will always be some days they are too intrusive.
On our current holiday we’ve been up quite a few mountains…
And I’ve discovered they are not always the best places to meditate!
The views are too amazing (can that really be a thing?)
But what I can do in these moments is practice mindfulness.
What can I see…?
Views…
Mountains and amazing peaks in every direction…
Trees, trees and more trees…
Wild flowers…
Cloud formations…
The different colours at different times of the day…
The words I have used most frequently have been WOW! Stunning! Breathtaking! Fabulous!
What can I hear…?
Different birdsongs… some I know, some I don’t…
The wind in the trees…
Maybe sounds in the far distance…
Me and my husband frequently saying Wow!
Occasionally the sound of another car as someone else stops to take in the view…
It’s lovely to share these moments with complete strangers and see their total awe too.
What can I feel…?
The nervous anticipation inside me during the slow climb up…
The change in temperature…
The cool breeze on my skin… my ears and nose…
The coolness of the air I am breathing in…
The wind in my hair…
The sense of appreciation… to be in the presence of nature… and beauty… so breathtaking.
Feeling like I’m on top of the world.
I think one of the things that has struck us most is that all of this is less than a couple of hours drive from home.
How the heck did we not realise this?
We’ve driven far and wide to see views such as this…
But these are in South East Queensland…
And more specifically… the Scenic Rim.
I guess we should have twigged by the name.
We’ve dipped in and out of this region over the years… yet never truly seen what’s in our own back yard!
I don’t really mind if meditating on the mountain hasn’t been easy…
Being mindful and aware of the beautiful land we live on, lifts my heart with every single breath.
Ann 🙏