Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

Mountains have much to teach meditators. Kabat-Zinn reminds his readers of the sacred place that mountains hold in many religions and spiritual beliefs; they are held as protectors, parents, and gods. Mountains embody ancient stillness and majesty. Holding the image of a mountain in one’s mind's eye while meditating can help one to draw on the qualities of a mountain.

Kabat-Zinn urges readers to envision a mountain in all of its detail and then to work toward taking on the qualities of that mountain, as a mountain is calm in spite of changes in the seasons, the weather. Becoming a mountain reminds us to be similarly unchanging, constant, and calm, despite the noise and stress of the outside world.

In a “Try” exercise, Kabat-Zinn encourages his readers to picture a mountain in their next meditative session and to reflect on whether this changed the practice. Next, he asks them to consider whether they can bring the mountain image into other parts of their lives. He asks whether this brings subtle changes to the reader’s life.

Kabat-Zinn suggests that other images in nature may be useful to hold in mind while meditating, including trees, clouds, or the sky. Water is a powerful elemental force because it cannot be broken apart.