Mountain Views

A highlight of my near-daily walks is viewing Mont Pinnacle, a mountain that has always felt sacred, powerful, and mysteriously alluring to me.

Originally part of the Abenaki people’s ancestral lands, Mont Pinnacle is now under the stewardship of a private trust committed to preserving its natural habitats. As a result, it's rarely open to the public, allowing the mountain to remain wild and untamed.

While I typically witness the mountain from afar, I occasionally drive over to sit at its base and call in its energy.

From a distance, Mont Pinnacle stands as a towering presence – dignified and steadfast. Up close, however, her wildness is revealed in a dense, tangled tapestry of shrubs, bushes, and dense vegetation.

These contrasting views of Mont Pinnacle offer a compelling metaphor for the perspective that yoga brings to our lives.

Yoga, like viewing the mountain from afar, cultivates a sense of abiding presence and an inner stability that fosters equanimity.

Up close, we know that life is rarely so serene. The true value lies in our ability to shift between these viewpoints – stepping back to touch the tranquility of our vast awareness, then applying that expansive perspective to daily life.

Zooming out from life’s dramas doesn’t change what’s going on, but it can shift our relationship to it. The healthy detachment and inner freedom we cultivate in yoga can reveal possibilities that we just can’t see when we’re entangled in circumstances and situations.

From this broader vantage point, we gain clarity to navigate life’s complexities with the steadiness of a mountain.