“Your Daily Dose” is a quick two minute read packed with bite-sized wisdom from all the great teachers. But you could also choose to turn it into something more… a powerful daily practice for personal growth. Give it a try!
A message from today’s meditation:
Take a moment to create in your mind the image of a majestic mountain towering over the landscape around it. See it standing resolute against the ever-changing elements.
This mountain, battered yet unyielding, represents an essential truth about us: we ourselves possess an eternal constant within, capable of holding all of life’s weather without becoming a victim to any of it.
How do we become better at embodying this essence, this immovable presence that is available to all of us? Today’s message draws from leading figures in the world of psychology and mental health, Bessel van der Kolk, Stephen Batchelor and Victor Frankl.
“Body awareness puts us in touch with our inner world, the landscape of our organism. Simply noticing our annoyance, nervousness, or anxiety immediately helps us shift our perspective and opens up new options other than our automatic, habitual reactions. Mindfulness puts us in touch with the transitory nature of our feelings and perceptions. When we pay focused attention to our bodily sensations, we can recognize the ebb and flow of our emotions and, with that, increase our control over them.” – Bessel van der Kolk
There’s a part of us that is an eternal constant, and then there are parts that we experience almost like the weather, an ebb and flow of emotions, thoughts and narratives that come and go on rotation.
Bessel van der Kolk speaks about how bringing our awareness to what our body is experiencing can open us up to the realization that we have the freedom to choose a different response to what we experience, rather than the old habitual reactions we’ve had in the past.
The key lies in recognition. When you can step back and observe what your body is experiencing, when you can describe to yourself how anxiety feels in your chest or how anger tightens your jaw, something remarkable happens: you’re no longer being consumed by the emotion. You’re observing it. And if you’re observing the anger rather than being the anger, then what you’re actually being is that eternal constant, the mountain that can hold it all without being victim to any of it.
“Meditation is about embracing what is happening to this organism as it touches its environment in this moment.” – Stephen Batchelor
The practice of becoming present with what our body experiences, reveals that we are not our thoughts. We are the consciousness beneath them, the awareness that witnesses the endless parade of mental and emotional content. Through this practice, we discover what Viktor Frankl described so elegantly, the freedom to choose a different response:
“In between stimulus and response there is a space. In this space lies our choice, and in this space lies our freedom.” – Victor Frankl
When we develop the ability to take a step back from constantly reacting to everything, then we discover that we have many more options available to us. This is freedom! No longer being a victim to our own past programming.
Mantras for uncovering your inner mountain:
- “I am not my emotions; I am the observer of them.”
- “I observe my thoughts and emotions without judgment.”
- “In every moment, I have the space to choose my response.”
- “I am the immovable mountain, weathering life’s storms with unwavering presence.”
The journey to uncovering our inner mountain is a practice, a continuous process of returning to the present moment, of observing our thoughts and emotions without judgment. It is about recognizing that we are not our thoughts, but the consciousness that observes them. It is about embracing the ebb and flow of life while remaining anchored in our unwavering presence.
Join us for today’s meditation journey and practice finding this immovable mountain in you!
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: I am the mountain.
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/NLn62vKn1cQ 2026
https://youtu.be/DKs1_t_dXkc 2025
https://youtu.be/2h9nqO9Ir7k 2024
https://youtu.be/115gtW7kfUY 2023
Practice the “Daily Dose”
Let’s put it into practice! Choose what works for you – daily, once a week or whenever inspiration strikes. Putting pen to paper wires the neural pathways that will create your new habits.
1 – Affirmation
Write down your favourite affirmation on a sticky note and place it somewhere that you’ll be able to see it the whole day.
- “I am not my emotions; I am the observer of them.”
- “I observe my thoughts and emotions without judgment.”
- “In every moment, I have the space to choose my response.”
- “I am the immovable mountain, weathering life’s storms with unwavering presence.”
2 – A moment of reflection
Use today’s question as a journal prompt. If you don’t have the time to sit down and write, just take a moment to reflect on your response.
The Space Between: Viktor Frankl speaks of the space between stimulus and response. Think of a recurring trigger in your life that typically leads to an automatic reaction. Take a moment to describe how that automatic reaction normally goes, how does it feel in your body, and then what reaction follows, how do you speak or not speak, what is your body language like? What would it look like to pause in that space and just observe all of these thoughts, feeling sensations within yourself? What new responses might become available to you if you practiced first just observing rather than immediately reacting?
3 – Quotes to share
Send a quote to someone who needs it, or share them all on social media to spread the good vibes!
4 – Q&A for deeper learning
Read through the questions and answers and write down at least one “aha moment” that clicked for you.
Q1: What does it mean to be “the observer” of my emotions rather than being consumed by them?
Being the observer means creating distance between your awareness and your emotional experience. Instead of thinking “I am angry,” you recognize “I am noticing anger arising in my body.” This shift allows you to witness the emotion without being completely overtaken by it, giving you space to choose how you respond rather than reacting automatically.
Q2: How can I practice body awareness when I’m in the middle of an emotional storm?
Start by taking a few deep breaths and bringing your attention to physical sensations. Ask yourself: “Where do I feel this in my body?” Notice tension, heat, tightness, or heaviness without trying to change it. Even briefly checking in with your body can create enough distance from the emotion to remind you that a temporary experience is being felt, and you can be consumed by it or witness it move.
Q3: Isn’t it unhealthy to detach from my emotions? Shouldn’t I feel my feelings?
This practice isn’t about suppressing or detaching from emotions—it’s about changing your relationship with them. You still feel everything fully, but you’re not identifying with the emotions as your entire self. It’s like watching clouds pass through the sky versus believing you are the clouds. This actually allows for healthier emotional processing because you’re not resisting or being controlled by your feelings.
Q4: What is the “space” between stimulus and response that Viktor Frankl mentions?
This space is the brief moment of awareness between something happening (stimulus) and your reaction to it (response). In that gap lies your freedom to choose. For most people, stimulus and response feel instantaneous—someone criticizes you, and you immediately feel defensive. Mindfulness practices help you expand that space so you can pause and consciously choose your response rather than reacting habitually.
Q5: How long does it take to develop this “inner mountain” awareness?
This is a lifelong practice rather than a destination. Some people notice shifts within weeks of consistent meditation or mindfulness practice, while others take longer. The key is regular practice and patience with yourself. Even experienced practitioners get swept up by emotional storms—the difference is they recognize it sooner and return to their centered awareness more quickly.
Q6: Can I practice this mountain metaphor without formal meditation?
Absolutely. While meditation strengthens this capacity, you can practice throughout your day. When you notice strong emotions arising, pause and take three conscious breaths. Notice what you’re feeling in your body. Remind yourself, “I am the mountain; this is just weather passing through.” Even these micro-moments of awareness build the skill over time.
Q7: What if I can’t feel anything in my body or connect with physical sensations?
This is common, especially for people who’ve experienced trauma or learned to disconnect from bodily sensations. Start small—notice your feet on the ground, the temperature of your hands, or the sensation of breathing. Work with a therapist trained in somatic approaches if disconnection feels significant. Body awareness is a skill that develops gradually, and some people need support reconnecting with physical sensations safely.