What We Can Learn form the Mountain

                                                    Christina Garofalo Bonifacio



Man yearns for the silence and stability the mountain offers. We can learn a great deal from the majestic mountain. Here are a few aspects to contemplate.

• Stillness: No matter where we are travelling, the mountain remains stationary on the horizon. To the Taoist, the virtue of the mountain is keeping still. When we are still we maintain composure. By maintaining composure we find a greater meaning in each experience and unleash potential power.
• Strength: Life is full of ups and downs. Strength is what helps us get through the rough patches. It defines the limits of everything we do and gives a foundation for life. Only after everything that happens comes one's true nature. When things still affect our being then we have not yet reached a stable inner core like that of the mountain.
• Silence: The mountain represents a transition between one phase and another, the silent moment between the in breath and the out breath. It is in that space that absolute quietude exists and higher self is revealed. Like the state of meditation, sleep or the first beginning, silence is how we connect to self and others without judgment.
• Patience: The ascent to the top of a mountain requires patience. It teaches us to value the effort and not just the success. It is through patience that we discover who we are and who we are not. Patience leads us to the axis of our being where everything revolves and a cheerful acceptance of life exists. Patience is certainly a virtue that means we can work without expecting a certain outcome.
• Peace: Mountains define the limit of everything we do and when we have done all that we can it is time to rest and find peace. When we are peaceful everything turns around us and yet we do not need to move. From this state we develop patience, inner strength, tolerance, compassion and true happiness.

Learn more about how nature impacts your life on a conscious and spiritual level through my book: Mother Nature a Bridge to Conscious Living.

Mary Jane Kasliner

www.fengshuiyoganj.com