Sit with awareness

In his meditation book for children, A handful of quiet, Happiness in four pebbles, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh recommends the practice of sitting with awareness, to grow your capacity to be solid and stable, like a mountain. He writes:

There is a mountain inside each of us and it keeps us solid and calm.”

Today, take a few moments to sit quietly and bring your attention to your breath. Try to find a time and place in your day where you won’t be interrupted. Remember to turn off your phone. Then try this meditation:

See if your mind can rest in your body in the same way that your body rests on the ground. Feel a sense of solidity and strength as you sit in this way – imagine your body is like a mountain, rooted in the immensity of the Earth below, effortlessly still and upright. If you like, repeat ‘body like a mountain’ to yourself.